In order to determine whether or not one should even consider a religious reading of The Lord of the Rings (or The Fellowship of the Ring), one must look at Tolkien himself. In The Lord of the Rings, and the first volume- The Fellowship of the Ring-in particular, Tolkien argues for a religious reading by showing that the struggle for the characters to fight the temptation of the Ring is a direct reflection of the temptation faced by those in The Bible. Especially interesting is the novel’s take on temptation. Tolkien himself has argued that he did not mean for The Lord of the Rings to be about Christianity, but as Anna Mathie points out in her article “Baptizing-Middle Earth,” one of Tolkien’s letters directly states that he “intended it to be consonant with Christian thought and belief” (71). One of the more fascinating readings of this British fantasy story is the religious one. Depending on the way which one looks at the story, symbols, themes, and details can all mean different things. It is this diversity which makes Tolkien, and many other children’s stories, so intriguing.
What is it that makes Tolkien’s work so interesting? Many enjoy the triumph of good over evil or the excitement of adventure, while others prefer to read the story as an argument against industrialization. Adapted for radio, television, and finally film, Tolkien’s fictional novel is beloved by both children and scholars alike. An epic fantasy novel originally published in three volumes ( The Fellowship of the King, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), The Lord of the Rings has enthralled audiences for decades. Published in 1954, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a follow-up to his 1937 book, The Hobbit.
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