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As Tolkien himself said, in his famous talk with C. S. Lewis and Hugo Dyson, which Lewis credited as being integral to his acceptance of the Christian faith:

We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making, only by becoming a 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbor, while materialistic "progress" leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.

Tolkien and Lewis were united in their belief that Truth never goes out of fashion, a point that, thanks in part to their own efforts, has not been entirely lost on this generation. As modern society "progresses" more and more recklessly towards the abyss, the storytellers still occasionally get it right, and thereby encourage their listeners to look beyond the stuff of this world and into the terrifying glory of Faerie.

As I look over what I've written, I realize with disappointment that I failed to mention Sam. I feel I gave him short shrift in the pages of Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues, as well. I seriously think that his small gifts of humility, endurance, and hope are too bright for me to look at directly. I hope that we can speak more of him as our conversation continues.

Yours,
Mark Eddy Smith

Tomorrow: Does The Lord of the Rings teach salvation by works or by grace?

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

See also our review of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Earlier articles on the Lord of the Rings movies include:

Books & Culture Corner: Saint Frodo and the Potter Demon | The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter series spring from the same source (Feb. 18, 2002)

Film Forum: The Fellowship of the Raves | Critics grope for superlatives for The Fellowship of the Ring. (Dec. 21, 2001)

Film Forum: Gandalf and the Gamblers | As everyone talks about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, critics also get around to reviewing Ocean's Eleven, In the Bedroom, and The Business of Strangers. (Dec. 13, 2001)

Film Forum: First Looks at a Feature Fantasy | Early reviews for Fellowship of the Ring are in. (Dec. 6, 2001)

Lord of the Megaplex | The onscreen Fellowship of the Ring launches a new wave of Tolkienmania (Nov. 11, 2001)

Earlier articles on Tolkien include:

Christian History Corner: 9/11, History, and the True Story | Wartime authors J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis help put 9/11 in perspective (Sept. 13, 2002)

Christian History Corner: Intro to the Inklings | C. S. Lewis's intellect was stimulated at one of the most fascinating extracurricular clubs ever (May 18, 2001)

Our sister publication Books & Culture asked in its January/February 2002 issue if Tolkien should be acknowledged as the foremost author of the twentieth century.

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December (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46