An essay wrapped in the love of the beauty and horror of life. It reminds me of BEOWULF. For good reason. Tolkien wrote “The Monsters and the Critics,” probably the most accurate picture of the meaning in BEOWULF. The author of this essay has both imbibed and mirrored the world of Tolkien. This weltanschauung stands in contrast to our fallen world; yet, it paves the way to personal salvation.
My wife Jamie has been reading and studying Tolkien for decades; in fact, I've heard her use every point in this article in conversation about his writing (Eucatastrophe is one of her favorite concepts.) She also talks about how literature and story can influence culture. Here's a recent article she wrote contrasting Éowyn vs. modern feminism. This is a political piece, so some may want to avoid it.
If the moderator feels the article is inappropriate for this forum I'll not be offended if it is deleted; I'm just very proud of Jamie's work and like to share it wherever I can and this is her latest writing on Mr. Tolkien.
Your commentary is quite insightful and, I think, accurate. Some of this, he explains himself, I forget where.
I am not sure one could write a comparable story without Tolkien’s religion, though. At least not in the modern world, or in the west. One would have to reject some of the things which are absolutely crucial for this kind of story, particularly a moral core and a kind of philosophical realism. Look what happens when companies like Amazon try to build on Tolkien’s work.
Tolkien was a genius
An essay wrapped in the love of the beauty and horror of life. It reminds me of BEOWULF. For good reason. Tolkien wrote “The Monsters and the Critics,” probably the most accurate picture of the meaning in BEOWULF. The author of this essay has both imbibed and mirrored the world of Tolkien. This weltanschauung stands in contrast to our fallen world; yet, it paves the way to personal salvation.
There’s no substitute for authenticity.
My wife Jamie has been reading and studying Tolkien for decades; in fact, I've heard her use every point in this article in conversation about his writing (Eucatastrophe is one of her favorite concepts.) She also talks about how literature and story can influence culture. Here's a recent article she wrote contrasting Éowyn vs. modern feminism. This is a political piece, so some may want to avoid it.
https://pjmedia.com/jamie-wilson/2025/08/27/the-poisoned-words-women-believe-tolkiens-eowyn-shows-why-modern-empowerment-feels-like-despair-n4943098
If the moderator feels the article is inappropriate for this forum I'll not be offended if it is deleted; I'm just very proud of Jamie's work and like to share it wherever I can and this is her latest writing on Mr. Tolkien.
Your commentary is quite insightful and, I think, accurate. Some of this, he explains himself, I forget where.
I am not sure one could write a comparable story without Tolkien’s religion, though. At least not in the modern world, or in the west. One would have to reject some of the things which are absolutely crucial for this kind of story, particularly a moral core and a kind of philosophical realism. Look what happens when companies like Amazon try to build on Tolkien’s work.