[Mithalwen]

Yes I seem to remember a similar topic turned nasty a while back.....


While it is possible to see elements of the Judeo-Christian tradition in the Silmarillion - particularly if you have read any of Paradise Lost- there are an awful lot of things which don't match up and the status of the Valar and Maia are among them. They are described them as "Powers" (though I have a moment of doubt is this was by CT or JRRT), which would ally them with the angelic order. However they seem more autonomous within Arda than Angels in the Christian tradition (thought there will be better Theologians out there who may well know different), and their clear cut spheres of responsibility draw paralels with the gods of the Graeco-roman mythologies (which I am reasonably familiar with). Tolkien was of course deeply interested in Norse mythology and this heavily influenced his work.

It is easy to find elements of Christianity (and specifically Catholicism) there too but I think direct reference maybe too strong. I heard an interesting talk by , Jean Chausse, a clearly devout Catholic at Oxonmoot who saw in Gandalf's healing of Theoden a glimpse of the final victory and drew paralels with pentecost. I don't know if it was one of Tolkien's conscious revisions or something that Chausse interpreted because of his worldview . Clearly if you subscribe to a religion devoted to a monotheistic creator then you will see Eru in that light. I am not saying it is wrong but it probably isn't that simple.