Why read The Battle for Middle-earth?

Book cover of The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings

Book description

J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has long been acknowledged as the gold standard for fantasy fiction, and the recent Oscar-winning movie trilogy has brought forth a whole new generation of fans. Many Tolkien enthusiasts, however, are not aware of the profoundly religious dimension of the great Ring…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Battle for Middle-earth as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Richard Middleton

Author

There’s a paradox at the heart of The Lord of The Rings. Tolkien wrote that it is “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work,” yet Middle-earth is pre-Christian and has little-to-no trace of religion evident within it. So how to reconcile the two? In The Battle for Middle-earth, Rutledge, a priest, brings his own knowledge and understanding of scripture to bear on The Lord of the Rings, to reveal how Tolkien’s plots, themes, and characters can be understood from a Catholic perspective. One thing shines clear from this book: just what a great storyteller Tolkien is.…

From Richard's list on The best books on Tolkien that will astonish you with his genius.