[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Okay, let's start anew. Also, taking any religious beliefs or similar things into discussion is always like handling a barrel of gunpowder, because it can easily happen somebody with personal interest (either for or against) will take it personally or say something that will start an avalanche. But yes, from purely academic point of view... why not work with it.

Your list, tumhalad, with the note that it is selective, and also with the note what Bethberry had said, let's say we can work with it; after all, it's your thread and the question you pose. Although for the sake of discussion, even with regard to the questions you pose, I would put a bit different emphasis on some things.

For example, the sin of Adam and Eve - or so-called "original sin", a pretty important doctrine especially from the mainstream Catholic perspective. I would put a bit more emphasis on the fact of the sin itself, for the sake of your discussion, and also in regards to what we can tell from Tolkien's writings: the belief in single Adam and Eve is not really that important, but simply that there is a certain sinfulness present in human nature, or brought upon every human by the tangle of evil that exists already when an innocent child comes into the world, and humans cannot avoid it - that definitely is there in Tolkien's works. (And also, many Christians, even in the past, understood it not literally, but the way I have just outlined, as a metaphore.)

You very much omit one important thing, which is necessary part and in any case at least equally important to some things: "good deeds". Since you are asking about moral emphasis of Christianity, you cannot omit this. Because especially in Middle Ages, the appeal on morality has been very strong. The Reformation put more emphasis on the certainity of salvation despite one's sinfulness, but it never disappeared (and again some branches of Reformation put again even more emphasis on "personal holiness"). In any case, the moral appeal - the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, most of all Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in general, they are pretty essential and every Christian knows about them.

About the "similarity". You could speak of so-called "outward similarities", like that the world is couple of thousands of years old, that there is some supranatural battle between angels and some fall of angels (Valar x Morgoth and co.), the fact that praise to Elbereth resembles Catholic prayers to Virgin Mary, the fact that some people like Gandalf are resurrected, the fact that the Istari come in flesh just like Jesus did, and so on. Then there are the "inner similarities", like in the mode, or in e.g. what values are emphasised. Love, forgiveness, humility, gratitude. And so on. I think exactly those values are important and they are the main thing that connects LotR and Christianity. These values are essential to the Christian teaching, the attribute of God to be loving and forgiving is one of the most important ones, despite the abovementioned human sinfulness. Thinking of course especially about the famous words of Gandalf's about Bilbo not deciding to kill Gollum, but there are many other examples.

And what can be more humble than to have Hobbits as those who save Middle-Earth, instead of the shiny armies of powerful heroes? The refusal of power in the story of Jesus and his temptation by the Devil in the desert has the same basic ideas as e.g. Bilbo's refusal of the Ring. Gandalf's favourite "fool's hope" is the same thing - many draw the example of Frodo and Jesus, who is no big hero with shiny sword, but comes humbly in human's body, is born in a manger, and does not fight his enemies in power, but goes to the bitter end, knowing he must carry his cross (or his Ring, as far as the metaphore can go)... or (in my opinion with more trouble, but still) Jesus and Aragorn, because both are "Kings" in the same way, yet start with pretty humble beginnings, and only some people see them for what they truly are. Speaking of this, here's another core Christian belief you forgot to mention - the belief that Jesus will return, not anymore as the defeated one, but victorious, at the end of the days, when the evil shall be finally destroyed. *That* is, of course, the Return of the King, and also the view of Middle Earth, to the End of Days. Lots of it depends on the unpublished stuff, there are hints scattered throughout LotR and Silmarillion, but not much.

What you said about there not being "sin against Eru" present in Middle-Earth - well, there of course IS. It is not so common, of course, but it appears. Just think about the Númenoreans making bloody sacrifices to Melkor and then the divine punishment coming only after Manwë and all called to Eru, who changed the shape of the world. Indeed, the sins of the Númenoreans were so terrible at that point that they "cried unto the heavens", to use that terminology.

Moreover, even in Christianity, there are two levels of sin, always, not just the one towards God, which you seem to emphasise. There is also sin towards fellow humans, and that of course can be seen in Tolkien a lot. They are interlinked, as is shown especially in the Old Testament understanding of holiness. The "twin commandment of love", which is called the essential summary of all the "law", goes this way: Love thy god with all thy strength, and love thy neighbour as thyself. One cannot exist without the other. Sin to human is also a sin towards God (or in Jesus' words: "whatever you have done to one of your bretheren, you have done to me").

Also, Tolkien seemed to work with the "looking towards redemption" in his unpublished works. To add, if you have access to it, you could read the tale of Finrod and Andreth. If there is anything that could bring some light to the topic of what is the role of Men in Middle-Earth and their relationship to divinity, it is this.