Customer Reviews

Walking With Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord of the Rings

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

**** For decades, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and all things Middle Earth have captured the hearts and imaginations of young and old alike. Despite J.R.R. Tolkien's insistance that it was not an allegory, millions of Christians see the greatest story ever told just beneath the surface, as if runic words inscribed its pages. Whether or not you read that into this modern mythos, it can not be denied that Aragorn, Gandalf, and the rest of the Fellowship captured the meaning of virtue in their lives. From wisdom to loyalty to graciousness, they were examples of what we should be. Likewise, in Denethor, Grima, Sauron, etc, we see what we should strive not to be. In this book, the author takes these traits two by two, the good and the evil, and shows us how it played out in Middle Earth, in the Bible, and how to carry it into life. Given the popularity of this saga, it works with great efficiency. It would be a wonderful cross generational Bible study, especially since she takes the time to clue readers in on the teen jargon's meaning. For that alone, parents should invest in this book. It's a book designed to be read over several weeks, but you will have to exercise restraint not to sail through it in one sitting, so readable is it. ****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.

I read this devotional over the phone this summer with my nephew. We enjoyed the time spent together with the discussion questions. My nephew could relate to the choices laid out and benefitted by the study. The best chapter was Week 9, choosing hope vs despair. As the author Sarah Arthur states, "Put your hope in the Author of our story, His promises will not fail!"

Sarah Arthur's "Walking with Frodo" blew me away. I received it as a gift and thought it was merely an attempt to cash in on the LOTL craze. I was wrong. This book is an excellent devotional or small group study guide. And you don't have to be a total LOTL fan to "get it" ... Eminently readable and biblical without being heavy handed ... I loved it. Even those who don't consider themselves Christians can enjoy the thought-provoking and well realized chapters. Those who are "Bible-shy" can understand the author's points by following her references to The Lord of the Rings. Well done! I can't wait to see what Sarah Arthur does next.

I got this book just because I like Lord of the Rings and I thought it sounded cool. I never knew how good it would really be! The author does a really good job of getting into the character's minds and motives and applying their situations and choices to real-life situations. This book was written for high school and college students, but I would reccomend it to adults too. How much spiritual truth can you learn from a pop culture phenomenon? You will be very surprised!

You don't have to be a LOTR fan to enjoy this book. This book can appeal and speak to teenagers and adults alike. In fact, I recommend it for everyone! Sarah Arthur does of marvelous job of using the lush backdrop of Tolkien's fairy tale to speak truth of character from a Christ-like perspective with scriptures as support. It's an easy read, yet deep - leading to thought provoking questions for discussions at the end of each chapter. I love the chapter on Integrity! Hats off and well done Sarah Arthur - truth in character without ever sounding trite!

Walking With Frodo: A Devotional Journey Through "The Lord of the Rings" is a spiritual devotional by freelance writer and Lord of the Rings enthusiast Sarah Arthur draws wisdom from both Christian Scripture and the popular "Lord of the Rings" fantasy novels by J. R. R. Tolkien (who was himself a devout believer in Christ). Guiding us through the perilous choices of life, revealing what the Bible has to say about them, and explaining what readers can learn from Tolkien's classic parables, Walking With Frodo offers a unique and highly recommended exploration of the depths of faith and the meaning of spirituality.

I only read this book of my daughter's out of curiosity. Imagine my surprise and delight to find much more than a "young adult" spin on the current LOTR fanaticism - and I highly recommend this book for all ages as a true understanding of Tolkien's subtle Christian message in his epic novels. Being a LOTR fan since the early 70's, this book helped me revisit the moral underpinnings of the story as well as my own Christian beliefs. Hats off to Ms. Arthur for a job well done.

This devotional is aimed at middle school through college students. It takes the LOTR trilogy (movie or books) and demonstrates that the struggles in the books are often our own struggles, although perhaps not as dramatic as a battle with the Balrog...

Sarah Arthur uses LOTR "to drive home timeless truths about life."(p. xii) Tolkein's Christian worldview does come out from time to time in the books (who cannot help but to make an analogy between Gandalf sacrificing himself to defeat the Balrog and the despair of his companions afterwards with Jesus dying on the cross and the behavior of the disciples immediately afterwards?)

The book has 9 pairs of devotionals based on decisions or situations in LOTR (bondage vs. freedom and choosing despair vs. choosing hope, for example). There are a few relevant bible verses thrown in for good measure. A strong group leader could make this a powerful Bible study. Or, it can be quickly devoured by someone like me in about an hour because I skipped the discussion questions. Now, I'm inspired to pull out the DVDs and watch the trilogy all over again with a new angle to watch for.

My son is doing this with a friend. They are both enjoying it and are able to work through it alone.

[This review comes from my 15yo]

I am only a few weeks into my LOTR devotional exploration and so far it has been well worth the trip. The fact that someone would even take the time to write a devotional based on Tolkien's work(s) is what attracted me to this title. The book is set up to be studied over nine weeks; each week has two devotions that coordinate with each other (Pride vs. Humility, Corruption vs. Integrity, etc.). My favorite part of each devotion is looking up all of the scriptures relating to the topic and marking them in my KJV Bible.

I congratulate Ms. Arthur for finding a good balance between her humorous and fun LOTR comments with the critical spiritual aspect of a devotional. She does an excellent job of connecting the stuff of fantasy with the stuff of life without making it seem like Tolkien had an allegory in mind when he crafted The Lord of the Rings (in fact, Arthur even affirms this in the first devotion of the book). We as Christians should not be afraid to seek learning and truth wherever it can be found, even if it comes from reading seemingly "secular" fiction. Thank you Ms. Arthur for finding some good in modern pop culture and fighting for it!

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I give "Walking with Frodo" five stars for its being a totally neat book. Arthur writes for the YA audience and really forces you to make LOTR spiritually relevant to your life. I would recommend this book for any high schooler/college kid/LOTR fan who is looking for a fresh and enlightening perspective on their favorite medieval fantasy epic.