Tolkien, Lewis & Theology

[mark12_30]

Craban,

Honestly, I think it's impossible for a writer to keep his/her beliefs out of the work and it's dumb to try anyhow (it can only cheapen the work to try to keep out what's important to one's soul).

That might sound obvious, but it's amazing how many times as a writer I've felt somehow obligated (for whatever reason) to stifle what's important to my soul. Thanks for putting it so clearly.

Incidentally, it's amazing to me how much of an impact the release of the movie had on me on those terms. Tolkien created his myth in such a way that 28 years ago, I walked in and settled down immediately, and I've been there ever since despite numerous efforts to leave it behind. Realizing that perhaps I should relax and explore and enjoy my old home was a huge breakthrough in my own Christianity, and while I'm still sorting it out, it's been a relief to realize that in a sense, it meshes with what Tolkien intended all along, and PJ & Co gave me a shove "Backwards" into Tolkien that I needed.

I'm very grateful for that shove. As imperfect as the movie was, it was a doorway into my past that I needed to move more fully into my future and my calling.

[ September 19, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]