The Hidden Meaning of the Lord of the Rings: The Theological Vision in Tolkien's Fiction

In our first lecture, we will look at the importance of understanding the personhood and beliefs of the author in order to understand his works. We will J.R.R. Tolkien's life and his theological and philosophical beliefs.

During this second lecture, we'll discuss J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis's friendship and the philosophy of myth which developed as fruit of their friendship. This philosophy of myth shaped Tolkien's creative vision and helps us to understand the hidden meaning of The Lord of the Rings.

Our third lecture is devoted to the One Ring which seeks to rule all and bind all in darkness. We'll reveal the Ring as a symbol of sin in general and Original Sin in particular and look at the consequences of indulging in sin.

This fourth lecture considers how Elves and Men are integral to Tolkien's description of The Lord of the Rings as an allegory of death and immortality. We'll also discuss the role of a memento mori, the reminder of death, in the story and how it directs us to consider the Four Last Things.

In this fifth lecture, we'll discover the various characters in The Lord of the Rings who reflect our humanity. Art is the mirror of reality and these characters can reflect important truths about ourselves.

Our sixth lecture discusses how Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn work particularly as Christ figures given certain characteristics and various points in the story. Through these characters, Tolkien introduces Christ into the story with a subtlety that refuses to be labeled as "allegory."

For our seventh lecture, we're exploring some of the lesser-known characters of The Lord of the including Tom Bombadil, Treebeard, Radagast, and others. Far from being "throw-away" characters, they all have important significance and point to Tolkien's deep Catholicism.

During our final lecture, we'll look at the climactic moment of Frodo's failure on Mount Doom, his struggle with Gollum, and the paradox of triumphant providential grace.