J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion

richard l. purtill joseph pearce

Here is an in-depth look at the role myth, morality, and religion play in J.R.R. Tolkien’s works such as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion—including Tolkien’s private letters and revealing opinions of his own work. Richard L. Purtill brilliantly argues that Tolkien’s extraordinary ability to touch his readers’ lives through his storytelling—so unlike much modern literature—accounts for his enormous literary success. This book demonstrates the moral depth in Tolkien’s work and cuts through current subjectivism and cynicism about morality. A careful reader will find a subtle religious dimension to Tolkien’s work—all the more potent because it is below the surface. Purtill reveals that Tolkien’s fantasy stories creatively incorporate profound religious and ethical ideas. For example, Purtill shows us how hobbits reflect both the pettiness of parochial humanity and unexpected heroism. Purtill, author of 19 books, effectively addresses larger issues of the place of myth, the relation of religion and morality to literature, the relation of Tolkien’s work to traditional mythology, and the lessons Tolkien’s work teaches for our own lives.

Genres nonfictionreligionmythologyliterary criticismcatholicschoolphilosophyliterature

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1984

Literary awards

mythopoeic scholarship award,

This edition

Format: 207 pages, Paperback
Published: January 1, 2003 by Ignatius Pr
ISBN: 9780898709483
ASIN: 0898709482
Language: English

About the author

richard l. purtill

Richard Purtill was the Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, as well as an author of fantasy and science fiction, critical non-fiction on the same genres, and various works on religion and philosophy. He is best known for his novels of the "Kaphtu" universe. He wrote as both Richard Purtill and Richard L. Purtill, a variant form of his name. He was active in professional writing circles, being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Authors Guild, and the National Writers Union. His book J.R.R.Tolkien: Myth, Morality and Religion won the 1987 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies.