Is Eru God?

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Tolkien

That Sauron was not himself destroyed in the anger of the One is not my fault: the problem of evil, & its apparent toleration, is a permanent one for all who concern themselves with our world. (Letter to Rhona Beare, 14th October 1958)

In response to davem: I think Tolkien 'solved' this issue quite thoroughly in Iluvatar's response to Melkor's dissonant music. To inelegantly paraphrase: Do your worst, my theme will finally, entirely triumph by including your music in a way that you cannot imagine. He goes so far as to include men in the second music of the Ainur. Not only will Melkor's, and Sauron's, dissonance be resolved in the end, but mankind will witness it.

That LotR's intrinsic conclusions are not "final" is due to its timeframe, not to any confusion Tolkien had as to why God tolerates evil. His statement in the letter does not indicate to me that Tolkien had personal problems with how God deals with evil; his use of the word "apparent" underlines this. He is simply stating that every serious enquirer will ask the question.

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I'm not by any means an authority on The Silm (nor particularly a fan of it), but this passage does seem to show that Tolkien himself conflated Eru with the Christian God. What is also mildly interesting to me is Tolkien's use of 'One' here.

"The One" is the english translation of the elvish "Eru".

[davem]

Recently I've begun to wonder whether what we get from LotR is not 'satisfaction' a having our spiritual questions answered or our confusions & dilemmas resolved, but rather a 'confirmation' of our own doubts & uncertainties. That may seem an odd thing to say, but I can't help remembering that line from the movie Shadowlands (about CS Lewis & Joy Davidman). One of Lewis' students says at one point that 'We read to know we're not alone.' Maybe that's what we get from LotR – not 'This is the answer to your question' but ' I don't know either. We all stand in the face of a great mystery. This is how things are in the world.'

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by davem

Maybe that's what we get from LotR – not 'This is the answer to your question' but ' I don't know either. We all stand in the face of a great mystery. This is how things are in the world.'

Or... you know... we just like the story.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Letter 211

Sauron was first defeated by a 'miracle': a direct action of God the Creator, changing the fashion of the world, when appealed to by Manwë: see III, 317. Though reduced to a 'spirit of hatred borne on a dark wind', I do not think one need boggle at this spirit carrying off the One Ring, upon which his power of dominating minds now largely depended. That Sauron was not himself destroyed in the anger of the One is not my fault...

Originally Posted by Helen

"The One" is the english translation of the elvish "Eru".

Oh, I know that, Helen. I am just intrigued by the juxtaposition of "One Ring" and "the One".