Tolkien, Lewis & Theology

[Child of the 7th Age]

Ah, Helen, you've just given me an insight into myself, what I am and who I want to be:

Many people that read Tolkien's work seem to come up with a desire to be more like Somebody Good that they read about in his books. I see many people wanting to be more elvish, more hobbit-like, or to be like Gandalf or one of the noble Numenoreans. I think that this would have pleased Tolkien, and I think that if those desires are allowed to flourish-- if we encourage the pursuit of that luminosity, the shining goodness, the glory, the beauty, the pursuit of truth and transcendance-- that is good theology of a completely different type; it is theology of the heart, which then, afterwards, slowly affects the mind.

In all the fanfictions or RPGs I've ever been in, I have never been an Elf. A hobbit, a human, an animal, and even an Ent, but never an Elf. Now why is that? Because in all my wildest dreams, I could never imagine having that shining goodness and luminosity which is so apparent in the "very best" Elves. Now, I'm not talking about the corrupted ones--I suppose I could certainly manage to be one of those on my bad days, but who'd want to?

That's not to say I'm not attracted by it. So I fear I am a hobbit or, most likely, a hobbit-chasing-after Elves, a bit like Sam and Frodo!

Does anyone else see this in Tolkien, and identify with a particular character in the way Helen has mentioned? Or are there characters in Lewis which have this same impact on you, as a model of personal goodness and light?

sharon