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J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth

bradley j. birzer

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Peter Jackson's film version of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy - and the accompanying Rings-related paraphernalia and publicity - has played a unique role in the disemmination of Tolkien's imaginative creation to the masses. Yet, for most readers and viewers, the underlying meaning of Middle-earth has remained obscure. Bradley Birzer has remedied that with this fresh study. In J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-earth , Birzer reveals the surprisingly specific religious symbolism that permeates Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He also explores the social and political views that motivated the Oxford don, ultimately situating Tolkien within the Christian humanist tradition represented by Thomas More and T.S. Eliot, Dante and C.S. Lewis. Birzer argues that through the genre of myth Tolkien created a world that is essentially truer than the one we think we see around us everyday, a world that transcends the colorless disenchantment of our postmodern age.

245 pages, Paperback

First published November 1,2002

This edition

Format
245 pages, Paperback
Published
November 1, 2003 by ISI Books
ISBN
9781932236200
ASIN
1932236201
Language
English

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About the author

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bradley j. birzer

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Bradley J. Birzer is an American historian. He is a history professor and the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College, the author of five books and the co-founder of The Imaginative Conservative. He is known also as a J.R.R. Tolkien scholar.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 65 votes)
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65 reviews All reviews
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hlcrimsoniris
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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Was okay. Had its bright spots. Not much new to learn for the seasoned Tolkienite.

However, on the positive side, the author's extensive notes and list of resources listed in the back of the book is a veritable goldmine. I also enjoyed the author's chapter on Evil in Tolkien's works, where Birzer addresses the common criticism that Tolkien was too simplistic in his depiction of Evil.
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JadenSmiles
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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I think the only issue I'm experiencing now after reading this book, is the bitter disappointment I feel that I'll never get the opportunity to sit down with Tolkien, with a mug of coffee, ready to discuss his wonderful creation that is, of course, Middle Earth.

But; I do get to read his works to my hearts content, so maybe that's enough.

This was a mostly fascinating insight into Tolkien, his faith, and how that weaved amicably with his creation of Middle Earth. God is never mentioned in The Lord of The Rings, but the sense of there being a theme of Christianity seems ever present.

There was so much interesting information about Tolkien and his relationship with C.S. Lewis, and I found it fascinating to learn that they didn't always get along so well. Middle Earth and Narnia are the places I've loved since childhood, and, they are where I'd like to set up home, so it was enthralling to read about the two men who created those worlds.

This was such a wonderful change for me, and reading about how Middle Earth was influenced by Tolkien's faith has definitely given me a better understanding and sense of it all.
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BurntBurrito
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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Not for the casual Tolkien fancier.

This is a serious exploration of Tolkien's Roman Catholic beliefs and the religious symbolism underlying the mythos and history of Middle Earth.

Excellently written.
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diedrupo
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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This is a deep, and deeply satisfying book of philosophy. Reading it was an intellectual journey through unfamiliar territory for me. J.R.R. Tolkien was a man for whom myth was a reality. He lived in the modern era but his mind was fixed in the Middle Ages.

Birzer demonstrates something I could not have gleaned from Lord Of The Rings on my own; namely the Catholic origin of Tolkien's tales of Middle Earth. Tolkien swims in the deep divine sea of Medieval Catholic mysticism that is all but incomprehensible to the modern mind.

Tolkien's fount was language - deeply understood. He was born a philologist extraordinaire. As a teenager JRR Tolkien learned Welsh, Gaelic, Old English, Gothic, Old Norse, Spanish, German, and other languages in their modern form. Then he learned their history and origins. Finally, bored, he began to make up languages, fully formed, fully logical. He created Sidarin and Quenya which would become his Elfish language. These languages were possible. They had consistent roots, sound laws of grammar, and inflexion. From these languages sprang his mythology - or was it vice versa? As Tolkien said himself "your language construction will breed a mythology." For Tolkien myth, born of the folk-soul, was the basis for language.

Tolkien created a world where monotheistic Truth contended with polytheistic relativity. For Tolkien there was good and evil in the world and Good always had to win.

This book is a theological and philosophical page-turner.
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xxMai
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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Tbh this is extremely basic and kind of muddled.
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FiflyAnimeLover
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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Bradley J. Birzer conseguiu fazer o livro parecer uma conversa num pub. O autor inicia com uma breve introdução a vida de Tolkien que todo fã já conhece, mas a escrita é tão prazerosa que consegue te prender como se aquele fosse o primeiro contato com aquelas informações. Depois ele traz um capítulo interessante sobre Mito e Subcriação, tema tratado por Tolkien no Livro Árvore e Folha. Ali Tolkien explica um pouco a sua visão sobre contos de fadas e o papel dos contos de fadas no imaginário das pessoas. O autor consegue mostrar como Tolkien entendia os mitos como sendo responsáveis por expressar verdades muito maiores que os fatos ou os acontecimentos históricos. E se você é realmente fã e deseja se aprofundar nas leituras sobre Tolkien, as notas de rodapé são muito importantes pois trazem obras indispensáveis que não encontramos em língua portuguesa. Depois o autor passa para um capítulo onde apresenta o teor religioso de Tolkien e o quanto isso foi empregado em sua obra. O capítulo sobre heroísmos também é excelente, ali o autor mostra como alguns personagens são fundamentais, como Sam, Aragorn, Faramir, e o autor defende que o verdadeiro herói da história é Sam. No capítulo 5, o autor se debruça sobre como o mal é retratado nas obras, os comentários são interessantes, sobretudo no fato das críticas que Tolkien recebeu por não ter se aprofundado demais na personalidade e nos detalhes dos personagens malignos. O capítulo sobre a Terra Média e Modernidade é interessante pois o autor mostra o quanto Tolkien tinha aversão a coisas modernas, o quanto ele valorizava a natureza, e até mesmo os grupos ambientalistas que se baseavam em Tolkien para defender seus ideais.
Excelente! Recomendo demais a a leitura!
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vetenho
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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Very good study on Tolkien's Christian background and influence
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Lylhium
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 16,2025
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As a longtime Tolkien reader, this was nothing but a pure joy to read. The philosophy and faith infused throughout Tolkien's legendarium is vividly told through quotations from Tolkien's interviews, letters, and conversations with friends, as well as examples from his stories. I thought I had a good grasp of the influences woven throughout, but I learned a lot! Highly recommend. I'll definitely be reading again!
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