Practical Theology
Edited by
Douglas Estes
LEXINGTON BOOKS/FORTRESS ACADEMIC
Lanham • Boulder • New York • London
Published by Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Estes, Douglas, editor.
Title: Theology and Tolkien : practical theology / edited by Douglas Estes.
Description: Lanham : Lexington Books, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “J.R.R. Tolkien and his works have impacted many areas of thought and culture, including theology. In Theology and Tolkien: Practical Theology, an international group of scholars discuss numerous themes related to living out theology in our world today”— Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2023027973 (print) | LCCN 2023027974 (ebook) | ISBN 9781978712669 (cloth) | ISBN 9781978712683 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781978712676 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973—Criticism and interpretation. | Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892–1973—Influence. | Theology in literature. | Literature and myth.
Classification: LCC PR6039.O32 Z835 2023 (print) | LCC PR6039.O32 (ebook) | DDC 823/.912—dc23/eng/20230620
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023027973
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023027974
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Douglas Estes
Chapter 1: Koinonia in The Lord of the Rings 13
Philip Ryken
Chapter 2: Searching for Home in Middle-earth 29
J. Collin Huber
Chapter 3: Love at the Burning Edge of Doom: Friendship and Biblical Theology in The Lord of the Rings 45
Chris Bruno and Mark Brians
Chapter 4: “Her Heart Changed, or at Least She Understood It” 65
Christine Falk Dalessio
Chapter 5: Gandalf the Grey, Apostle to Men and Elves 83
Douglas Estes
Chapter 6: Reading Barth on Jackson’s Set: Threefold Salvation in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 103
Jerome Van Kuiken
Chapter 7: Art and Sub-Creation: Tolkien’s Theology of Art 121
Miguel Benitez Jr.
Chapter 8: The Culture Wars and The Lord of the Rings: Models of Christian Engagement 135
Alex Sosler
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About Theology and Tolkien: Practical TheologyThe works of J.R.R. Tolkien have not only redefined a genre of literature but also had a far-reaching impact on culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Tolkien’s name has joined the ranks of authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, Dostoevsky, Donne, and Dickens who make us think differently about the world. In Theology and Tolkien: Practical Theology, an international group of scholars consider what Tolkien’s works (and Jackson’s film interpretations) can teach us about living out our theology in the world. From essays on Tolkien’s insights into community, what we can learn about our spiritual senses from encounters with the Nazgûl, the pastoral wisdom of Treebeard, to the theological value of food—including second breakfasts—we invite you to journey with us through Middle-earth as we engage the applicability of Tolkien’s works for theology and our world. |
| Support Info | 9781978712676 |