Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings [Paperback]

Matthew T. Dickerson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

While the success of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is remarkable, it's certainly no mystery. In a culture where truth is relative and morality is viewed as "old-fashioned," we eagerly welcome the message of these tales: we have free will, our choices matter, and truth can be known. Matthew Dickerson investigates the importance of free will and moral choices in Tolkien's Middle Earth, where moral victory, rather than military success, is the "real" story. He explores Christian themes throughout, including salvation, grace, and judgment. Following Gandalf will delight veteran Tolkien fans and offer new fans an impressive introduction to his major works. Engaging and theologically thought-provoking, it will interest pastors, students, seminarians, and layreaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dickerson, a teacher at Middlebury College in Vermont and devoted student of Tolkien, begins his work with a strong thematic link to the very popular The Lord of the Rings movies: epic battles. Against the criticism that The Lord of the Rings glorifies war, he argues cogently that Tolkien's original written treatment of these battles provides a very different picture than the films or spin-off video games. He demonstrates how Tolkien offers a deeply nuanced understanding of the nature of war, and how the trilogy criticizes self-aggrandizing glory in battle. As Dickerson moves into the more central, philosophical themes of the books-free will, moral responsibility and ethical absolutes-readers may lose interest, especially when he punctuates discussion of very basic concepts with obscure references from Tolkien's Silmarillion, a work that few will have read: "In contrast to subjective morality, or moral relativism, objective morality is independent of the individual subject.... Feanor's evil deeds, for example, especially the tragic Kinslaying at Alqualonde, are going to be judged." Dickerson's exploration of the nature of the ring's evil power and his final conclusions about the pervasive theological structure behind these stories are engaging, but the verbosity and academic trivia of other sections may alienate some readers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Matthew Dickerson is a computer science professor at Middlebury College. He is the author of The Finnsburg Encounter and Hammers and Nails. He lives with his wife and children in Bristol, Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Brazos Press (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587430851
• ISBN-13: 978-1587430855
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprised by the excellence of this book!, February 1, 2004

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings (Paperback)

This fascinating book is a philosophic look into the worldview of author J.R.R. Tolkien and his classic work, The Lord of the Rings. Moving smoothly from topic to topic, the author looks at the battles in Tolkien's works and how he presented war, the importance of moral victories over physical or military ones, the importance of human freedom, hope and despair, salvation, and God (his presence and absence in Tolkien's works). Along the way, the reader is treated to a lot of fascinating analyses, including the nature of the One Ring.

I must admit that I was surprised by the excellence of this book! I had expected that this book would be dry and academic, but instead I found the book to be enlightening and fascinating to read. If you are a fan of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, then I highly recommend this book, to get a deeper understanding of that classic work.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A very good discussion, but needed a stronger editor, November 3, 2003

By 

Tim Martin (South Bend, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings (Paperback)

Mr. Dickerson has done a very good job of analyzing Tolkien's ideas on war, morality, free will, determination and fate.

Mr. Dickerson chooses important scenes and characters in the LOTR and examines what Tolkein may have been trying to say to the reader. The discussion on the role of free will and moral vs. military victory is especially good. Mr. Dickerson's treatment of Faramir is very insightful.

Obviously, as the title indicates Gandalf is a major part of this book. Mr. Dickerson's treatment of Gandalf is a good one and raises some points that I had not thought of (which in itself, may be a small feat).

It is obivous that Mr. Dickerson is very familar with all of Tolkien's works and has a great love for them. Mr. Dickerson also does a very good job of exploring Tolkien's religious ethos. Though, I wish the discussion of Tolkien's Catholic faith would have been deeper and more explicit. There is a great deal of difference between the Catholic and Protestant world view and not understanding these differences results in a lot of ill-concieved intrepretations of Tolkien (this is not a specific criticism of Mr. Dickerson, just my editoralizing).

I reccomend this book strongly and would have given it four stars except for the editing of the book. Mr. Dickerson repeats himself often and quotes the same passages several time. A better editor (or a more willful one) would have pared away these passages. But don't let this quibble prevent you from buying this book---it is very good.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of a kind, March 6, 2004

By A Customer

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This review is from: Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in The Lord of the Rings (Paperback)

I have been reading as many of the recently published short works about Tolkien as I can find, and although Mr. Dickerson's has been one of many, I would have to categorize it as one of a kind.

I'm sure we'll be seeing many "spin-off" books on the market, as more and more publishers take advantage of the interest in Lord of the Rings that has been generated by the films. However, it is quite apparent that this author's presentation is no last-minute thesis, cobbled together to jump on the LOTR bandwagon. His attitude toward the source material is thoughtful and respectful, growing out of a deep understanding of both Tolkien's work and his own Christian faith, and he manages to present a thoroughly Christian viewpoint without preachiness or jargon.

While short and easy to read, the coverage of themes such as "moral victory versus military victory," "the relationship between free will and human creativity," and the contrast of "hope and despair"---although perhaps mentioned in some other recent works---is here explained clearly and discussed thoroughly by a knowledgable author. Dickerson's references to the films maintains an appreciative neutral approach to what has been accomplished in the first two movies, and his book has enough new and original material to make it worth reading even for those who are steeped in Tolkien-related writings.