The works of J.RR. Tolkien have not only redefined a genre of literature and had a far-reaching impact on culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, but his name has joined the ranks of authors such as Shakespeare, Milton, Dostoevsky, Donne, and Dickens-authors who make us think differently about the world, including the creator of the world and the meaning of life. In Theology and Tolkien: Practical Theology, an international group of scholars consider what Tolkien's works (and Jackson's interpretations) can teach us about living out our theology in the world. From essays on Tolkien's insights into community, what we can learn about our spiritual senses from encounters with the Nazgul, the pastoral wisdom of Treebeard, and the theological value of food-including second breakfasts-we invite you to journey with us through Middle-earth as we engage the applicability of Tolkien's works for theology and our world.

About the Author

Douglas Estes (PhD, University of Nottingham) currently teaches at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Reviews

Estes has done a great service for scholars and fans of Middle-earth alike who want to dig deeper into such key Tolkien themes as friendship and fellowship, death and immortality, salvation and sub-creation, theodicy and the corruption of the senses, the art of power and the power of art, and even home and food. All the writers balance a critical eye with a robust love of the legendarium and a desire to be changed, theoretically and practically, by their interaction with Tolkien. I was particularly glad to see several of the contributors analyze Jackson's films alongside Tolkien's epic in a positive and fruitful way.

-- Louis Markos, Houston Christian University; author of Tolkien for Beginners and On the Shoulders of Hobbits



Book Information
ISBN 9781978712669
Author Douglas Estes
Format Hardback
Page Count 292
Imprint Lexington Books/Fortress Academic
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 585g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 158mm * 22mm