The ring and the cross : Christianity and the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien / edited by Paul E. Kerry.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-301) and index.

Introduction : a historiography of Christian approaches to Tolkien's The lord of the rings / Paul E. Kerry -- The pagan Tolkien / Ronald Hutton -- The Christian Tolkien : a response to Ronald Hutton / Nils Ivar Agøy -- Can we still have a pagan Tolkien? : a reply to Nils Ivar Agøy / Ronald Hutton -- The Entwives : investigating the spiritual core of The lord of the rings / Stephen Morillo -- "Like heathen kings" : a religion as palimpsest in Tolkien's fiction / John R. Holmes -- Confronting the world's weirdness : J.R.R. Tolkien's The children of Hùrin / Ralph C. Wood -- Eru erased : the minimalist cosmology of The lord of the rings / Catherine Madsen -- The ring and the cross : how J.R.R. Tolkien became a Christian writer / Chris Mooney -- Redeeming sub-creation / Carson L. Holloway -- Catholic scholar, Catholic sub-creator / Jason Boffetti -- "An age comes on" : J.R.R. Tolkien and the English Catholic sense of history / Michael Tomko -- The lord of the rings and the Catholic understanding of community / Joseph Pearce -- Tracking Catholic influence in The lord of the rings / Paul E. Kerry -- Saintly and distant mothers / Marjorie Burns -- The "last battle" as a Johannine Ragnarök : Tolkien and the universal / Bradley J. Birzer.

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From the publisher. The conversation, sometimes heated, about the influence of Christianity on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien has a long history. What has been lacking is a forum for a civilized discussion about the topic, as well as a chronological overview of the major arguments and themes that have engaged scholars about the impact of Christianity on Tolkien's oeuvre, with particular reference to The Lord of the Rings. The Ring and the Cross addresses these two needs through an articulate and authoritative analyses of Tolkien's Roman Catholicism and the role it plays in understanding his writings. The volume's contributors deftly explain the kinds of interpretations put forward and evidence marshaled when arguing for or against religious influence. The Ring and the Cross invites readers to draw their own conclusions about a subject that has fascinated Tolkien enthusiasts since the publication of his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings.

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