The Power of the Ring

Book excerpt: Digging deep into J. R. R. Tolkien's spiritual biography--his religious scholarship and his love of both Christian and pagan myth--Stratford Caldecott offers a critical study of how the acclaimed author effectively created a vivid Middle Earth using the familiar rites and ceremonies of human history. And while readers and moviegoers alike may appreciate the fantasy world of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, few know that in life, Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic and that the characters, the events, and the general morality of each novel are informed by the dogmas of his faith. Revised and updated, this acclaimed study of Tolkien's achievement--previously released as Secret Fire in the UK--includes commentary on Peter Jackson's film adaptations and explores many of the fascinating stories and letters published after Tolkien's death.