Tolkien lied!

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Hookbill

I think the same can be said for The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien being Christian would have - one would hope - agreed with the moral teachings of Jesus and the writers of the Bible, it stands to reason then that his work might reflect this.

I think my point is that, if Tolkien did put Christian allegory in his work, it was probably not intended to be a major thing. I personally am satisfied that he wanted to write a story for people to enjoy, the search for deeper meaning is what he didn't want, really.

I agree. Most people could not (nor would wish to) avoid writing something which was in basic agreement with their own values. It doesn't mean they have a 'message' though. If you want to compare two writers, one who is subtle and one who has a definite 'message' you couldn't go far wrong with comparing Tolkien and Pullman; the former tells a story (which Pullman in fact denounces for having no 'message') the latter adds obvious lessons to his story. But the key is what you say, Hookbill, that to try and pin Tolkien's work down instantly limits its appeal.

I think there some interesting Catholic ideas to be found in Tolkien's work though that nobody has ever touched on yet...

Originally Posted by Hookbill

I'm sure there are laws against putting fish in kettles.

Someone wants to tell that Rick Stein then...