davem, how else do you explain Tolkien's statement that Frodo's will and body were "utterly spent"? I'll dig up the relevant section of Letters when I get home. But that's the essense of it.
On the other hand, I don't for a moment think that that would "cost him his salvation"; not for an instant, any more than having a rock land on you. I think that's why Tolkien made it so plain that Frodo's failure was not a moral failure. I think it's also why Frodo was at peace (in the midst of the lava.) If he had sinned, he wouldn't have been at peace; he'd have been drowning in guilt.
It'll be a couple of hours til I can get that quote...
Whether all this is manichean or ... whatever, I don't know (my Christianese doesn't extend that far) but it is Catholic; it is TOlkien's view that he developed as a Catholic.
Anyway... more later.
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...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.
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