The High Hallow: Tolkien's Liturgical Imagination
- Understanding Tolkien's faith
- How the Catholic author integrated it into his works
- How the plots, themes, & characters trace back to patterns in the liturgical year
- Fascinating resource on Tolkien's faith life & writing
- Great gift for those who enjoy J.R.R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien famously described The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." But while these words have been widely and enthusiastically quoted in Catholic studies of Tolkien's legendarium, readers have not always paid sufficient attention to what Catholic and religious would have meant to Tolkien himself. Failing to do so is to misunderstand the full import of the phrase.
From his childhood as an altar server and "junior inmate" of the Birmingham Oratory to daily Mass with his children as an adult, Tolkien's Catholic religion was, at its heart, a liturgical affair. To be religious and Catholic in the Tolkienian sense is to be rooted in the prayer of the Church.
The High Hallow: Tolkien's Liturgical Imagination takes this claim seriously: The Lord of the Rings (and Tolkien's myth as a whole) is the product of an imagination seeped in liturgical prayer.
In the course of its argument, the author examines the liturgical pieties that governed Tolkien's life from childhood to old age, the ways in which the liturgy colored Tolkien's theory of myth and fantasy, and the alleged absence of religion in Middle-earth.
Most importantly, he shows how the plots, themes, and characters of Tolkien's beloved works can be traced to the patterns of the Church's liturgical year.
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- Created Date:
- 2025-02-21
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- Supplier:
- Emmaus Road Publishing
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- Books & Accessories
- custom_kw_sum:
- high hallow, hallow tolkien, tolkien liturgical, liturgical imagination, tolkien faith, plot theme, theme character, lord ring, high hallow tolkien, hallow tolkien liturgical, tolkien liturgical imagination, plot theme character, high hallow tolkien
- short_description:
- "The High Hallow: Tolkien's Liturgical Imagination" by Ben Reinhard delves into J.R.R. Tolkien's faith and its integration into his works. This insightful book explores how the plots, themes, and characters in Tolkien's legendarium reflect liturgical
- short_description2:
- patterns. A fascinating read for Tolkien enthusiasts, it showcases the profound influence of Catholic liturgy on his storytelling, offering a fresh perspective on his religious imagination.
The High Hallow: Tolkien's Liturgical Imagination
$24.95
