Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter [Paperback]

Greg Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2003

How should Tolkien's literary work be interpreted? Greg Wright, a life-long Tolkien scholar, in applying Biblical principles to Tolkien's fantasy, shows some surprising revelations about Tolkien's work that every Tolkien fan should read.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...although this book is a theological work, those like me... will also find it readable and useful. -- The Tolkien Forum Fansite

...an enjoyable, if challenging read, which taught me a good deal. -- RingQuest Fansite

engaging... good writing and reasoning... Wright has done the hard work... he slices to the core of a difficult issue. -- Ethics Daily, September 26, 2003

From the Publisher

This book is about the current craze over the Tolkien Trilogy. As most people know, the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been made into major Hollywood production movies.

Tolkien, while being a Christian and a contemporary (and personal friend) of C.S. Lewis, wrote fictional works that had all kinds of theological overtones. Many put J.R.R. Tolkien on a par with his friend and contemporary, C.S. Lewis. His "Middle-Earth" concepts have kept people debating and talking over the last fifty years. The Lord of the Rings has been lauded as "The Book of the Twentieth Century," and called "required reading in every Christian household." It has been both attacked, and loved, by literary critics and religious leaders. Its detractors are many; its defenders are legion. Some people, including many Christians, have developed almost a cult following of Tolkien’s writings.

Now, Greg Wright, a life-long Tolkien scholar and Christian, puts Tolkien’s legendary work in perspective. In applying Biblical principles to Tolkien’s fantasy, Wright shows some surprising revelations about Tolkien’s work that every Tolkien fan (and Christian) should read before they go see the next "Lord of the Rings" movie. This book belongs in every Christian school and church library as well.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: VMI Publishing (October 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971231168
• ISBN-13: 978-0971231160
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,697,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wright's corn worth its weight in gold, October 19, 2003

By 

Loren Rosson III (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter (Paperback)

Greg Wright offers a perspective on Tolkien we don't often hear about these days, arguing that The Lord of the Rings is fundamentally pre-Christian in chronology and content. His book thus comes as a refreshing alternative to defensive Christian interpretations like Bradley Birzer's "JRR Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth" and Ralph Wood's "Gospel According to Tolkien".

Readers should be aware, however, that Wright has an aggressive evangelical agenda. The subtitle, "sifting the gold from the glitter", hints at the angle he's coming from. He warns that pagan elements in Tolkien's story need to be recognized for what they are -- glitter not gold, chaff instead of corn. Needless to say, one person's gold is another's glitter, and in truth we should recognize both pagan and Christian elements as part of the "gold" of Tolkien's classic.

Wright is correct, however, to point out that Tolkien thought he had chaff in his own corn, even if we as readers are not inclined to recognize it as such. From a Christian point of view, there is too much "long defeat" in Middle-Earth, and never enough confident victory. The Fourth Age grows even darker than the previous cycles, and men have to confront evil without help from wizards and cheerfully courageous hobbits. As the apocryphal dialogue between Finrod and Andreth indicates, the race of men remains hopeless without the Christ event. But the flip-side to Wright's observation is equally important: Tolkien couldn't do without this chaff, and he even liked its taste. He loved and emulated pagan themes like hopeless courage, even if as a Christian he couldn't quite "go there".

The best parts of the book are the last two chapters which focus on the Fourth Age and alternate Catholic ways of viewing Tolkien's work. Wright is sensitive to Catholic doctrine (rare for an evangelical) and has done his homework. He cites Regina Doman's excellent contrast between the Protestant and Catholic views of history, the latter of which puts The Lord of the Rings into perspective as an historical episode consistent with Christian salvation-history. The heroes of this story are "faithful" to the extent that Eru has revealed himself to them. But ultimately the pagan world-view is operative in Middle-Earth, and Frodo was doomed to failure.

Wright and I come to similar conclusions for very different reasons, but the important thing is that he understands Tolkien's story for what it is: pre-Christian myth as opposed to Christian metaphor. For those who can wade through the evangelical chaff, Wright's corn is worth its weight in gold.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Evangelical analysis of Tolkien, December 11, 2003

By 

Nancy K. Oconnor (PAWHUSKA, OK United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter (Paperback)

Greg Wright's book is an evangelical analysis of the Tolkien myth. I would recommend it to evangelicals who misunderstand the Christian basis of Tolkien's myth, or who wish to explain to one's stricter relatives why Tolkien is a good Christian.

I enjoyed Wright's analysis. He goes into detail into the general ideas behind the LOTR myth, analyzing the secular and Catholic roots of the story. (His explanation of Catholic Christianity's use of allegory is excellent).

However, there is quite a bit in the book about the spiritual helps and spiritual dangers of Tolkienmania, with an emphasis on a strict biblical world view.

If one is allergic to bible quoting, skip the book. If one wishes to see an analysis of Tolkien's tales from several religious/ethical worldviews, it is an excellent study. And, if one is a strict evangelical, it is a welcome addition to your library.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All that is gold does not glitter, October 3, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter (Paperback)

Finding books on J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is effortless. Finding some of the books analyzing it is easy. But finding something worthwhile and thought-provoking, something new and insightful? Now there's a challenge. And Greg Wright's "Tolkien in Perspective" rises to the challenge very well.

Wright wraps his analysis of Tolkien in his analysis of culture, religion, Christianity in particular, philosophy, myth and how all of the above interact. How is "Lord of the Rings" a Christian book? What is a "Christian book," anyway? What was Tolkien's intent as he wrote it? How can myths and Christianity be compatible? What is the nature of Middle-Earth's magic? Not only does Wright address such questions, he also addresses the alternative viewpoints and claims (like claims that they're evil or for druggie hippies).

Perhaps the biggest challenge is that since Wright (thankfully) does not dumb down the material, some of it may be unfamiliar to the readers. However, if this is not an obstacle, it may prove to be the most satisfying religious analysis of Tolkien's works. He's a fan, and clearly very well versed in Tolkien's writings as well as his fellow fans.

Most books shy away from Tolkien's Roman Catholic beliefs and the specifics of how that affected his trilogy. Wright doesn't do so. He's not Catholic, but he doesn't ignore or vilify that which is in Tolkien's world; his book meets the topic head-on. Perhaps most refreshingly, he strikes a good balance when looking at Tolkien himself. He doesn't blast the Master of Middle-Earth, but doesn't put him on a pedestal either. Rather, he acknowledges Tolkien as a good yet flawed (as everyone is) human being.

Wright's writing style is versatile, switching from scholarly and intense to almost conversational. While sometimes his analyses are a little hard to follow, they're striking and thought-provoking, especially his analysis of "myth" at the beginning of the book. The commentary he provides on philosophy (past, present, and Tolkien's) also adds extra dimension to his analysis and speculation.

If you're tired of the ready-baked analyses of "Lord of the Rings," then "Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter" offers a fresh point of view on the religion and philosophy attached to. Recommended for Tolkien fans who like to think.