[davem]

One thing that occurs to me - accepting that Tolkien never intended to remove Gandalf from play for the whole game - is that its probably the point at which Tolkien 'realises' Gandalf is a Maiar that he feels able to think about killing him off. Not that he seems to go the whole hog even then, but it certainly only becomes possible (imo) at that point. If Gandalf is simply a 'Wizard/Magician' as he appears in TH (ie an old MAN who can do magic as opposed to a supernatural being) then he cannot die & come back to life as that would be bordering on blasphemy from a Christian perspective.

Once Gandalf becomes Olorin the Maiar that all changes. Gandalf could die & be sent back to complete his divinely ordained mission, as his return is simply continuing that mission. So the death/resurrection of Gandalf becomes possible without being 'offensive'. The event becomes both more 'spectacular' (he really dies rather than just falling down a hole), & yet doesn't challenge the Christian claim for the uniqueness of Christ's resurrection, as Gandalf even after his return is still 'an incarnate Angel' (which is what he already was anyway). Imagine if Boromir had been brought back to life - how would Christians react to that?

I'm not sure this 'clicked' with Tolkien immediately - certainly he seems to have avoided stating (or having Gandalf state) that he had really died until after the book was in print. Yet it seems that it was important enough for him to get the publishers to change the words of Gandalf for the fourth & subsequent print runs. It is the very death/resurrection of Gandalf that makes him stand out as unique. We see that he is not simply a human magician the moment he reappears to the Three Hunters - up to then he actually is, in our minds, 'an old man in a battered hat, who leans upon a thorny staff'. After his return we know he is something more (but se still have not had it confirmed from the horse's mouth that he had really 'died'. It is only his words to Grima which confirm that.

Yet in the letter to Murray referring to Gandalf's death Tolkien puts the words 'died' & 'death' in quotes, making the point that Gandalf is not a Man or a Hobbit, so one could ask 'Even if he really 'died', did he actually Die? Well, certainly he didn't die in the sense that a Man (or a Hobbit) would die (& pass beyond the Circles of the World forever). He was a Maiar & 'died' in a very specific way, because Maiar, like Valar & Elves, are bound within the Circles off the World till the End. Hence, while he may 'really die' he doesn't actually Die.

EDIT

Now, I may have to eat humble pie here, because from the first printing Gandalf does tell Saruman that he is 'Gandalf the White who has returned from death'. But Tolkien is very specific in the Murray letter that Gandalf should have said to Wormtongue that he had 'passed through death'. The difference may seem a subtle one, certainly, & may mean nothing. However his words to Saruman could mean & certainly could be read as saying he had returned 'from death's door', from the verge of death. It is only his amended words to Wormtongue that he has passed through death that can only be taken to imply some form of 'resurrection' in a new form.

However you read it, I think the main point of this post still stands - that only after Tolkien has 'realised' that Gandalf is a Maiar can he really die & come back. If his words to Saruman were enough to make the point, why change his words to Wormtongue? We're still left with the question whether Tolkien decided after the event to clear up any possible misunderstandings. He clearly wanted his readers to be in no doubt that Gandalf had indeed died & returned (or been sent back) from death.

Anyway...