Tolkien: A Celebration

by Joseph Pearce (Editor)

Collected essays in celebration of J.R.R. Tolkien's great literary legacy, and the spiritual values and faith which undergirded his imaginary Middle-earth. Includes personal recollections from George Sayer and Walter Hooper, C.S. Lewis's biographer, and thirteen other essays, including: J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Middle-earth by Stephen Lawhead, Tolkien and the Art of Parable by Robert Murray SJ, a friend of Tolkien, The Sense of Time in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings by Kevin Aldrich, and The Passion According to Tolkien by Sean McGrath.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Literary Criticism, Catholic, History, Literature, Christian

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author with this name on GR

Joseph Pearce (born 1961) is an English-born writer, and as of 2004 Writer in Residence and Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida; previously he had a comparable position, from 2001, at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He is known for a number of literary biographies, many of Catholic figures. Formerly aligned with the National Front, a white nationalist political party, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1989, repudiated his earlier views, and now writes from a Catholic perspective. He is a co-editor of the St. Austin Review and editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press.

Reviews

[Mariano Avello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tolkien Señor de la Tierra Media es una recopilación de ensayos de variados autores (cristianos) que han sido influenciados por la obra de profesor Tolkien. Esta suerte de antología a cargo de Joseph Pearce viaja desde recuerdos que tienen los autores con el profesor, muy bellos por cierto, hasta reflexiones en torno al cristianismo oculto (y quizá ni tan oculto) en su obra. Hay constantes paralelismos y relaciones con Lewis, y también se explora un poco la relación que había entre los Inklings. Es un libro recomendable para cualquiera que disfrute de la obra de Tolkien y que por supuesto, le guste la fantasía, ya sea en su variante mítica como espiritual.

Con respecto a esto último, me quedo con las muchas reflexiones en torno al cristianismo. Yo no me considero una persona cristiana ni religiosa en lo absoluto, sin embargo, es necesario hacer la diferencia entre tener "espiritualidad" y negarse de lleno a cualquier interpretación de la realidad ajena al racionalismo. En estos ensayos se ve ese vínculo tan nutrido que ha tenido la fantasía con el concepto de lo mítico y lo mágico, y de cómo ciertas obras no solo nos cuentan una historia, que sí y que nos gusta, pero también hablan de verdades más profundas, más cercanas al "alma". La terminología me precede, no la inventé yo, si quieren darle otra, allá ustedes.

[Jeremy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb anthology of essays, talks, and interviews that capture well the life, works, and faith of J.R.R.Tolkien. An excellent resource!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tolkien: A Catholic Celebration

[ArwendeLuhtiene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many religious-themed essays, not my cup of tea.

[deborah o'carroll (offline during 2026) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of these were probably 4 star essays; a few 3 stars? Intriguing collection as a whole, even if I don't agree with all of them. :P

I'm rating the collection 5 stars for the two essays I enjoyed the most:

"Recollections of J.R.R. Tolkien" by George Sayer was delightful because of the personal reminiscences of Tolkien.

"J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Middle-earth" by Stephen R. Lawhead is quite simply one of my favorite things I've ever read. EVER. I love Tolkien and I love Lawhead and I love writing, and this was all three in one in the most delightful fashion. I've read this essay at least three times now and I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone who is a writer. It spoke to my soul and I love it so, so deeply!

[Javi Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conjunto de artículos dedicados a la memoria de Tolkien, se centran casi todos en aspectos teológicos de la vida y obra de Tolkien.

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased a copy of this book at the most recent Inklings Fellowship Retreat which was held in Montreat, North Carolina. This book brought back good memories of lectures and good conversations from past retreats, memories of Oxford, England, I cherish dearly, and memories of when Joseph Pearce came to Montreat College to give some lectures about the influence of G.K.Chesterton on Lewis, Tolkien, and The Inklings.

My two favorite particular essays from this book were the one's by George Sayer, and Stephen Lawhead. Sayer's essay about his personal memories of getting to know J.R.R.Tolkien, and Lawhead's essay about how Tolkien's writings, and his friendship with Lewis and The Inklings, inspired him to write when he was unemployed, had a family, and didn't have any future prospects, was incredibly inspiring. Lawhead has become a very popular fantasy writer, and he certainly owes a great debt to the great philologist and writer-as many of us writers do. I highly recommend this book!

[PattyWhispers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Algunos ensayos están bien, otros se empeñan en seguir buscando simbología aunque sus autores aseguren de antemano que saben que Tolkien no quiso hacer ninguna alegoría. Es un tema recurrente que me acaba por agotar. El Señor de los Anillos habla de lo que tú quieras que hable, tan sencillo como eso.

[Paul Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro católico.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why I own this and it's likely sat on my shelf for a decade or longer but after reading through the Hobbit and LoTR as well as the Silmarillion and others I decided to read through it.

I am definitely more informed about the Christianity involved with JRR Tolkien's subcreation after reading these but wish I would have read the one essay sort of detailing his upbringing before, rather than a day or two after, watching the movie about his life. (which is highly recommended if you are a fan of Tolkien)

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is probably better not being read straight through all at once as I did. Lots of essays saying essentially the same thing in different ways. There are a few great essays in here, so individually they could rate as 4 stars... And maybe the whole as 4 stars if spaced out better by the reader.

[Paul Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth a read, especially if you are a Tolkien or C S Lewis fan.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading these essays. The book sheds new light on Tolkien and various aspects of his stories. I liked hearing the opinion and interpretation by others of Tolkien's work. The strongest essay that I so thoroughly enjoyed was the one by Stephen Lawhead. The essay by Sean McGrath brought up some great nuggets for me to take away and think on. Of course, now I just want to start another reread of LoTR right now.

[Cosima · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays collected in this volume are of varying quality - some excellent, some merely solid - but all are interesting in their own right and throw light on Tolkien's work from various angles. What really makes the book worth buying, in my opinion, are the recollections of Tolkien by George Sayer and Walter Hooper, two men who were fortunate enough to have met Tolkien in person and be counted among his friends. Their memories and anecdotes of Tolkien in his everyday life are truly worth preserving.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated many of the articles in this book, and although they didn't strike me as grand, they were enjoyable and thought-provoking. I wouldn't say this is a must-read for any Tolkien fan, but if you've got the time, pick it up and you won't regret it. Of course, anything with Joseph Pearce's name on it is worth reading. Four stars.

[Emily Giuffre · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays written by friends, colleagues, and countless fans on Tolkien's personal life and work. A thoughtful insight into "The Lord of the Rings."

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good.