‘Canonicity’: the Book or the Reader?

[The Saucepan Man]

But Lyta, isn't there a difference between accepting the metaphysical elements contained expressly or impliedly within the Tolkien's stories (such as LotR) and accepting the metaphysical implications of his theories (such as that expressed in OFT)? I would say that we have to accept the former as part of the story if we are to accept the story itself, while we are free to reject the latter without rejecting the story.