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El poder del anillo: Trasfondo espiritual de El Hobbit y El Señor de los Anillos
Los lectores y los espectadores de El Hobbit y de la trilogía de El Señor de los Anillos quedan fascinados por el mundo fantástico creado por J.R.R. Tolkien.Pero pocos saben que Tolkien era un ferviente católico, y que los personajes, acontecimientos y los dilemas morales de sus novelas están configurados por los dogmas de
234 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
31 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Stratford Caldecott
35 books70 followersStratford Caldecott MA (Oxon.), STD, was a Senior Contributor at The Imaginative Conservative, editor of the Humanum Review (online book review journal of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute), and co-editor of Second Spring and the UK/Ireland edition of Magnificat.
He had served as senior editor at Routledge, HarperCollins, T&T Clark, Sophia Institute Press, and as a commissioning editor for the Catholic Truth Society in London. He served on the editorial boards of Communio, The Chesterton Review, and Oasis.
Dr. Caldecott was the G.K. Chesterton Research Fellow at St. Benet’s Hall, Oxford.
He received an honorary doctorate in Theology from the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C.
He blogged at:
http://thechristianmysteries.blogspot...
http://beauty-in-education.blogspot.com/
He had served as senior editor at Routledge, HarperCollins, T&T Clark, Sophia Institute Press, and as a commissioning editor for the Catholic Truth Society in London. He served on the editorial boards of Communio, The Chesterton Review, and Oasis.
Dr. Caldecott was the G.K. Chesterton Research Fellow at St. Benet’s Hall, Oxford.
He received an honorary doctorate in Theology from the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C.
He blogged at:
http://thechristianmysteries.blogspot...
http://beauty-in-education.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 6, 2023
A great book looking under the surface of The Lord of the Rings and, indeed, all of Tolkien's writing through the lens of his devout Catholicism. This book impressed and inspired me so much that I began reading more of Caldecott's books including All Things Made New, The Radiance of Being, and Fruits of the Spirit — all of which I highly recommend
November 10, 2019
Maravilloso ensayo sobre el Señor de los Anillos, el Hobbit y el resto de libros que componen el universo de la Tierra Media creado por Tolkien.
Hay que decir que el libro está planteado desde un prisma netamente católico, y desde esa referencia se analizan los diferentes temas que componen el libro; puede ser que a alguien no católico las reflexiones que hace el autor le parezcan bastante ajenas, o cogidas por los pelos o exageradas, pero sin duda dan mucha luz para entender el sentido que quiso darle Tolkien a su obra; no en vano, en sus Cartas, recopiladas por su hijo, se manifiestan muchas de esas referencias y es el mismo Tolkien quien da claves para entender personajes, temas, los libros...
Lo que queda claro es que todo en el mundo de Tolkien tiene su sentido y no hay nada al azar.
Caldecott consigue despertar la curiosidad para conocer más a Tolkien y su obra y, ya sólo con eso, su ensayo merece mucho la pena.
Lectura muy recomendable.
Hay que decir que el libro está planteado desde un prisma netamente católico, y desde esa referencia se analizan los diferentes temas que componen el libro; puede ser que a alguien no católico las reflexiones que hace el autor le parezcan bastante ajenas, o cogidas por los pelos o exageradas, pero sin duda dan mucha luz para entender el sentido que quiso darle Tolkien a su obra; no en vano, en sus Cartas, recopiladas por su hijo, se manifiestan muchas de esas referencias y es el mismo Tolkien quien da claves para entender personajes, temas, los libros...
Lo que queda claro es que todo en el mundo de Tolkien tiene su sentido y no hay nada al azar.
Caldecott consigue despertar la curiosidad para conocer más a Tolkien y su obra y, ya sólo con eso, su ensayo merece mucho la pena.
Lectura muy recomendable.
February 22, 2014
I consider The Power of the Ring a great secondary source to commentary and analysis on Tolkien's works from a strongly Catholic perspective, but the biggest issue I have with this book is the misleading phrase in the title: "The Spiritual Vision." Now, this was probably not the fault of Caldecott but more likely an attempt by the publisher to sell the book to a wider audience.
The word "spiritual" is often tacked onto Christian literature, but the word also applies to other elements (from Buddhism to Cherokee philosophy), and so I came into the pages expecting to get a good coverage of the spiritual backgrounds and origins that went into Tolkien's work, including both the Christian and the pagan.
What I received instead was an extensive (and well done) coverage of Tolkien's Catholic influences with a few nods here and there to other mythological systems like Greek, Roman, and Nordic that Tolkien borrowed from. A deeper look into the pagan perspective is only covered in a short essay in the back (Appendix Six, 177) in which Caldecott acknowledges the pagan perspective of another scholar, Catherine Madsen, mostly in contrast against the Catholic perspective.
It is commonly known that Tolkien incorporated pagan elements like the early Christian church did: appropriated into his mythos so that they would not clash with his Catholic beliefs. While Caldecott briefly mentions these influences, his main goal is clearly to draw the attention back to the relationships between the works of Tolkien and Biblical concepts.
As he asserts: "In this book I have taken the line that Tolkien's Catholicism is a 'hidden presence' throughout The Lord of the Rings and the rest of the legendarium, and that the books contain an implicit theology and spirituality that is, in Christian terms, orthodox" (177).
At first, I was taken aback by the boldness in which Caldecott drew his religious connections, but many of his points are backed up by the letters that J.R.R. Tolkien had written (see Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien), lending them credibility.
For example, when Caldecott mentions the type of hero that Bilbo is - "no warrior...a thief, in other words" (41) - he lists off the folkloric influences of "tricksters and thieves, from Ali Baba, Loki, and Jack the Giant-Killer to Jason, stealer of the Golden Fleece from another dragon. In most of these stories, the thievery is part of a larger story of restoration, the recovery of what had been lost, or what rightfully belonged elsewhere" (41). With Frodo, on the other hand, who is also a humble hero, Caldecott goes into a deep analysis of Frodo as "a very 'Christian' type of hero" (52) and how his journey "resembles" that of Christ towards the end of His life, drawing connections to the cross and the Book of Revelation (52).
Despite not covering the pagan and non-Christian sources, Caldecott does make connections between Middle Earth and Christian concepts in a way that I find enlightening. His analysis of the often-occurring "light" in the eyes and brows of characters and its association with consciousness and how "all awareness comes from God...'Let there be Light'" (42-43) touched upon some of the questions that had occurred as I read The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and the LOTR trilogy. Other interesting topics he covers are the relationship between nostalgia for the past and our fear of death (112) and the evolution of Middle Earth in relation to England as Tolkien worked on it (142). The Appendix, among other short essays, includes a film review for the LOTR trilogy. It points out a few of the most interesting changes between the books and the film, and also commented on how well the actors fit the characters as he had envisioned them (he was weirded out by Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Galadriel). Since the book was published at the end of 2012, there wasn't really a chance to include a Hobbit movie review. Too bad.
Overall, I enjoyed Caldecott's Catholic analysis of Tolkien's Middle Earth elements. His style of writing is engaging and immersive - I don't find it stuffy at all. It feels like an insightful, in-depth conversation about the Christian vision behind Tolkien's work. He tends to give Christianity too much credit for certain elements of Tolkien's sub-creation - you can usually tell that he's stretching things with questionable parallels when he uses phrases like "resembles" and "recalls" to link a Tolkien element with a Christian source. I'm really glad I got to read his take on the story, though. Some of his arguments convinced me to look at Tolkien's work in a different way.
If you're curious about the Catholic elements in Tolkien's writing, then The Power of the Ring would be a good place to start. Otherwise, I'd go with a different secondary source.
IN SHORT:
Amazing introduction to a Catholic perspective of the Christian influences of Tolkien and Middle Earth, despite the misleading title and lack of adequate coverage of pagan perspectives. Impressive, in-depth analysis, but some connections may be a little far-fetched. Just a little.
The Appendix of short essays is awesome, although the way they are pushed to the end instead of being incorporated into the first (and main) part of the book makes the Appendix feel more like an afterthought.
Glamorous Book Lounge
The word "spiritual" is often tacked onto Christian literature, but the word also applies to other elements (from Buddhism to Cherokee philosophy), and so I came into the pages expecting to get a good coverage of the spiritual backgrounds and origins that went into Tolkien's work, including both the Christian and the pagan.
What I received instead was an extensive (and well done) coverage of Tolkien's Catholic influences with a few nods here and there to other mythological systems like Greek, Roman, and Nordic that Tolkien borrowed from. A deeper look into the pagan perspective is only covered in a short essay in the back (Appendix Six, 177) in which Caldecott acknowledges the pagan perspective of another scholar, Catherine Madsen, mostly in contrast against the Catholic perspective.
It is commonly known that Tolkien incorporated pagan elements like the early Christian church did: appropriated into his mythos so that they would not clash with his Catholic beliefs. While Caldecott briefly mentions these influences, his main goal is clearly to draw the attention back to the relationships between the works of Tolkien and Biblical concepts.
As he asserts: "In this book I have taken the line that Tolkien's Catholicism is a 'hidden presence' throughout The Lord of the Rings and the rest of the legendarium, and that the books contain an implicit theology and spirituality that is, in Christian terms, orthodox" (177).
At first, I was taken aback by the boldness in which Caldecott drew his religious connections, but many of his points are backed up by the letters that J.R.R. Tolkien had written (see Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien), lending them credibility.
For example, when Caldecott mentions the type of hero that Bilbo is - "no warrior...a thief, in other words" (41) - he lists off the folkloric influences of "tricksters and thieves, from Ali Baba, Loki, and Jack the Giant-Killer to Jason, stealer of the Golden Fleece from another dragon. In most of these stories, the thievery is part of a larger story of restoration, the recovery of what had been lost, or what rightfully belonged elsewhere" (41). With Frodo, on the other hand, who is also a humble hero, Caldecott goes into a deep analysis of Frodo as "a very 'Christian' type of hero" (52) and how his journey "resembles" that of Christ towards the end of His life, drawing connections to the cross and the Book of Revelation (52).
Despite not covering the pagan and non-Christian sources, Caldecott does make connections between Middle Earth and Christian concepts in a way that I find enlightening. His analysis of the often-occurring "light" in the eyes and brows of characters and its association with consciousness and how "all awareness comes from God...'Let there be Light'" (42-43) touched upon some of the questions that had occurred as I read The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and the LOTR trilogy. Other interesting topics he covers are the relationship between nostalgia for the past and our fear of death (112) and the evolution of Middle Earth in relation to England as Tolkien worked on it (142). The Appendix, among other short essays, includes a film review for the LOTR trilogy. It points out a few of the most interesting changes between the books and the film, and also commented on how well the actors fit the characters as he had envisioned them (he was weirded out by Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Galadriel). Since the book was published at the end of 2012, there wasn't really a chance to include a Hobbit movie review. Too bad.
Overall, I enjoyed Caldecott's Catholic analysis of Tolkien's Middle Earth elements. His style of writing is engaging and immersive - I don't find it stuffy at all. It feels like an insightful, in-depth conversation about the Christian vision behind Tolkien's work. He tends to give Christianity too much credit for certain elements of Tolkien's sub-creation - you can usually tell that he's stretching things with questionable parallels when he uses phrases like "resembles" and "recalls" to link a Tolkien element with a Christian source. I'm really glad I got to read his take on the story, though. Some of his arguments convinced me to look at Tolkien's work in a different way.
If you're curious about the Catholic elements in Tolkien's writing, then The Power of the Ring would be a good place to start. Otherwise, I'd go with a different secondary source.
IN SHORT:
Amazing introduction to a Catholic perspective of the Christian influences of Tolkien and Middle Earth, despite the misleading title and lack of adequate coverage of pagan perspectives. Impressive, in-depth analysis, but some connections may be a little far-fetched. Just a little.
The Appendix of short essays is awesome, although the way they are pushed to the end instead of being incorporated into the first (and main) part of the book makes the Appendix feel more like an afterthought.
Glamorous Book Lounge
July 23, 2025
This is not a five star only because of a couple chapters that I didn't love and because I'm not sure I would recommend it to everyone, but over all I enjoyed enjoyed this so much! The authors insights were so facinating to me and it makes me want to read The Lord of the Rings again right away. What a beautiful story!
August 12, 2018
Las obras que puedan hacerse para analizar el Legendarium de Tolkien pueden llegar a ser infinitas. La riqueza de la imaginación del célebre escritor y su trabajo obsesivo crearon un mundo tan real como este, que proporcionará material para mil ensayos de este tipo. El enfoque de Caldecott de relacionar cada maldita coma escrita por Tolkien a algún aspecto del catolicismo me llegó a asquear un poco, pero creo que efectiva y verosímilmente encontró muchas de las motivaciones del escritor reflejadas en hechos del libro que a mí me parecieron en primera instancia como hechos planos. El análisis y reflexión de Caldecott vale la pena en tanto que permite una percepción más rica de los libros en sí.
January 11, 2015
It is a very clear book on the spirituality and catholic ideas in The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. It is very well documented and rooted in all of Tolkien's writings and it is basically rooted on the idea that the world and the mythology Tolkien created complements and it is previous to the Bible and the christian belief.
The essays included after the book are also very interesting, specially the one on Peter Jackson's movies and the differences in message with the book.
I recommend it to all of Tolkien's fans who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and who were brave enough to read the Silmarillion.
The essays included after the book are also very interesting, specially the one on Peter Jackson's movies and the differences in message with the book.
I recommend it to all of Tolkien's fans who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and who were brave enough to read the Silmarillion.
February 6, 2017
Definitely interesting, though perhaps a little more text-bookesque than what I generally care for. Three and a half stars.
February 1, 2023
Watch The Lord of the Ring The Ring of power season 1
August 16, 2020
Ensayo con interesantes reflexiones acerca de la obra de J. R. R. Tolkien, pero carente de un verdadero discurso unitario que las relacione y conduzca a una tesis o una reflexión final.
Además, la traducción incurre en varias decisiones que parecen indicar que quien la hizo no estaba familiarizado con los libros de Tolkien: "elfos noldorios", creer que Finwë es mujer..., que distraen durante la lectura.
Además, la traducción incurre en varias decisiones que parecen indicar que quien la hizo no estaba familiarizado con los libros de Tolkien: "elfos noldorios", creer que Finwë es mujer..., que distraen durante la lectura.
June 28, 2017
Interesting and thoughtful
December 5, 2024
It’s interesting and I’m glad I read it but as a spiritual director I am disappointed. This book isn’t likely to actually draw anyone closer to God.
November 27, 2025
This book helped me realize the date when the ring was cast into the crack of doom and its spiritual significance.
October 29, 2020
Another Chapter in the Everlasting Story
This book lays the foundation for the belief that the LTR is allegorical in nature, although Tolkien disdained allegory in all its forms.
This book lays the foundation for the belief that the LTR is allegorical in nature, although Tolkien disdained allegory in all its forms.
November 5, 2021
This is one of my favorite commentaries on J.R.R. Tolkien. Stratford Caldecott is one of my favorites because he brings together a lot of important topics in Tolkien studies. There are of course many great books written in this area, but one thing that I especially appreciate about this one is a great deal of insight into Tolkien's Catholicism. As I am not Catholic, he explains things in a way that I can understand, so it helps me understand a little bit more about what the author may have intended.
Also, one thing I greatly appreciate about this book is the fact that he emphasizes the formational role of this entire journey in the development of the hobbits so that they were prepared to save the Shire. I don't know that we can understand The Lord of the Rings without understanding that.
Also, one thing I greatly appreciate about this book is the fact that he emphasizes the formational role of this entire journey in the development of the hobbits so that they were prepared to save the Shire. I don't know that we can understand The Lord of the Rings without understanding that.
March 17, 2014
This book got me back into Tolkien again and started me on a run of purchases on a Tolkien theme. Caldecott is a great writer who really gets to the heart of Tolkien's vision in a similar way to Verlyn Flieger, but I would say more accessibly.
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December 9, 2012One of the best books I have read on Tolkien, and hands-down the best reading/interpretation of the the destruction of the Ring and Mount Doom.
December 15, 2016
Reinforced my appreciation for Tolkien's achievement. What a beautiful masterpiece.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews