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Finding God in The Lord of the Rings
The bestselling book now revised and updated with new content!Hailed as the most popular and best-loved series of the twentieth century, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is more than a great story; it’s a reflection of life’s epic quest for all of us. Examining the Christian themes in J. R. R. Tolkien’s masterwork, bestselling authors Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware reveal a rich tapestry of hope, friendship, redemption, and faith in the face of overwhelming odds.More than 200,000 copies soldIncludes six new chapters and a discussion guideA helpful resource for personal study, devotions, or group discussion
- GenresNonfiction
140 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 2, 2021
About the author
Kurt Bruner
62 books10 followersKurt Bruner serves as Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Lake Pointe Church and on the adjunct faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary. A graduate of Talbot Seminary and former Vice President with Focus on the Family, Kurt led the teams creating films, magazines, books, and radio drama. As President of HomePointe Inc., he helps local church leaders create an ongoing culture of intentional families. Kurt is the best-selling author of more than a dozen books. Kurt and his wife, Olivia, have four children and live in Rockwall, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 10, 2023
Some interesting literary observations, but that was about all you'll get out of this book. Not entirely worth the effort to read the entire thing to be honest; there's nothing groundbreaking intellectually, and the attempts at creating genuine discipleship and spiritual living reflections would be better served coming from Scripture itself. They're (mostly) not wrong in their reflections, but the authors seem to have presented what is really a specifically-lensed literary analysis as genuine Christian devotional content, which it unfortunately is not.
August 29, 2021
This is a brief and relatively decent exploration of biblical themes within The Lord of the Rings. There is nothing especially new here, though this is perhaps only my perspective because I have thought extensively on this subject for a long time. But it is always good to delve into Tolkien's work and to see others drawing similar conclusions around grace, resistance, providence, fellowship and more.
August 23, 2021
For all you LOTR nerds, this book offers a refreshing examination of Tolkien and his worldview as he crafted the greatest fantasy novel
March 7, 2026
AN EXPLICITLY “CHRISTIAN” PERSPECTIVE ON THE SERIES
Co-author Kurt Bruner wrote in the Introduction of this 2001 book, “J.R.R. Tolkien, who helped C.S. Lewis on his journey to Christian faith, wrote ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ the epic fantasy that became the most popular book of the twentieth century. It sold more than fifty million copies and inspired the film trilogy…. But many Tolkien fans may not realize that it was a strong Christian faith that inspired and informed the writer’s imagination. In fact, many hard-line believers have been hesitant to embrace a work that includes mythic figures, magic rings, and supernatural themes. This is unfortunate because the transcendent truths of Christianity bubble up throughout the story, baptizing our imaginations with realities better experienced than studied… Tolkien’s myth and fantasy can open the heart’s back door when the front door is locked… The result has been that millions, many of whom reject formal religion, have encountered realities that flourish in the unexplored regions of Christian belief.” (Pg. ix-x)
He continues, “Tolkien’s fantasy world, like our real world, is one in which good seeks to protect and preserve while evil seeks to dominate and destroy. His characters know that behind the increasingly dark cloud of oppression lurks one who seeks vengeance for past humiliation. In several chilling scenes, the evil Sauron is described as displaying many diabolical characteristics that seem to reflect those of the biblical Satan.” (Pg. xii)
He acknowledges, “We do not claim to know the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien beyond what he chose to share with us through letters and other writings. It is unlikely that he had these or any other reflections in mind when he penned his epic… The Lord of the Rings is not, as some have suggested, a covert allegory of the gospel. Tolkien clearly denied that idea. We must not turn this wonderful adventure into something it was never intended to be.” (Pg. xiii)
Bruner Ware wrote, “The Ring HAD to be destroyed, for its power was alluring and deceptive and would eventually cause the corruption and downfall of any who sought to wield it. It was a strategy as mad and uncertain as it was imperative and inevitable. But it did have one great advantage: The Enemy would never expect it… Gandalf surmised… ‘That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream.’ How could such a thought ever have suggested itself to the mind of Sauron? That anyone should have such power within his grasp and decline to use it---THAT, to a soul so completely darkened by the desire for self-aggrandizement, was absolutely inconceivable.” (Pg. 59-60)
He goes on, “That’s how it happened with Sméagol. The bright thing his friend Déagol discovered among the river reeds was a pretty bauble, nothing more. It pleased him and he wanted it. Once he saw it, he knew he HAD to have it… So he killed his companion and fled with the terrible prize… living a life that was a kind of self-leeching, self-perpetuating misery, clutching the precious birthday present until it made him a ghostlike servant of its own indomitable power. And so, in the end, the tables are turned. The thing I desired to possess possesses me… the power he sought to harness for his own purposes somehow got away from him, spinning out of control until it became an unstoppable juggernaut. If we’re not careful, the desire for possession can eat us like a canker. It grows until it fills the entire sky of our personal universe, and the sale for which we once cherished such fond hopes ceases to exist.” (Pg. 68-69)
He says, “Great sacrifice was necessary to defeat evil. Frodo had been chosen to carry a load none other could bear and fulfill a task none other could endure. Though Frodo was only one of many who had given up something for the greater good, none had suffered such direct confrontation with darkness or remained as faithful when tormented by the terrifying, possessing power of wickedness. Such was his role, to lose so that others might gain. And so, by completing his scene in the story, Frodo Baggins also performed its most heroic part.” (Pg. 105)
Both authors wrote in the Epilogue, “Was it really fair or true to Tolkien’s intent to subject Middle-Earth and its inhabitants to the kind of analysis we’ve applied? Is there any justification for wresting from them the meanings and messages this brief volume attempts to convey? Kurt and I have written from a distinctly Christian point of view. It’s possible that readers who do not appreciate that perspective will object that we have simply imposed our own biases and beliefs upon the text of Tolkien’s epic. It’s a serious charge, and it deserves a careful answer… Fortunately, it isn’t necessary to say anything that Tolkien hasn’t already said himself. He left us a fairly complete record of his thoughts about questions of this nature. And what he told us is that fantasy, as he understood it, is in its highest and purest form, a place where art, theology, and primal human desire meet and intersect. For the Christian this can mean only one thing: Fantasy is a place where we can come face-to-face with Christ.” (Pg. 109-110)
This book will be of great interest to Christians, wanting to consider the “spiritual” implications of Tolkien’s works.
Co-author Kurt Bruner wrote in the Introduction of this 2001 book, “J.R.R. Tolkien, who helped C.S. Lewis on his journey to Christian faith, wrote ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ the epic fantasy that became the most popular book of the twentieth century. It sold more than fifty million copies and inspired the film trilogy…. But many Tolkien fans may not realize that it was a strong Christian faith that inspired and informed the writer’s imagination. In fact, many hard-line believers have been hesitant to embrace a work that includes mythic figures, magic rings, and supernatural themes. This is unfortunate because the transcendent truths of Christianity bubble up throughout the story, baptizing our imaginations with realities better experienced than studied… Tolkien’s myth and fantasy can open the heart’s back door when the front door is locked… The result has been that millions, many of whom reject formal religion, have encountered realities that flourish in the unexplored regions of Christian belief.” (Pg. ix-x)
He continues, “Tolkien’s fantasy world, like our real world, is one in which good seeks to protect and preserve while evil seeks to dominate and destroy. His characters know that behind the increasingly dark cloud of oppression lurks one who seeks vengeance for past humiliation. In several chilling scenes, the evil Sauron is described as displaying many diabolical characteristics that seem to reflect those of the biblical Satan.” (Pg. xii)
He acknowledges, “We do not claim to know the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien beyond what he chose to share with us through letters and other writings. It is unlikely that he had these or any other reflections in mind when he penned his epic… The Lord of the Rings is not, as some have suggested, a covert allegory of the gospel. Tolkien clearly denied that idea. We must not turn this wonderful adventure into something it was never intended to be.” (Pg. xiii)
Bruner Ware wrote, “The Ring HAD to be destroyed, for its power was alluring and deceptive and would eventually cause the corruption and downfall of any who sought to wield it. It was a strategy as mad and uncertain as it was imperative and inevitable. But it did have one great advantage: The Enemy would never expect it… Gandalf surmised… ‘That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream.’ How could such a thought ever have suggested itself to the mind of Sauron? That anyone should have such power within his grasp and decline to use it---THAT, to a soul so completely darkened by the desire for self-aggrandizement, was absolutely inconceivable.” (Pg. 59-60)
He goes on, “That’s how it happened with Sméagol. The bright thing his friend Déagol discovered among the river reeds was a pretty bauble, nothing more. It pleased him and he wanted it. Once he saw it, he knew he HAD to have it… So he killed his companion and fled with the terrible prize… living a life that was a kind of self-leeching, self-perpetuating misery, clutching the precious birthday present until it made him a ghostlike servant of its own indomitable power. And so, in the end, the tables are turned. The thing I desired to possess possesses me… the power he sought to harness for his own purposes somehow got away from him, spinning out of control until it became an unstoppable juggernaut. If we’re not careful, the desire for possession can eat us like a canker. It grows until it fills the entire sky of our personal universe, and the sale for which we once cherished such fond hopes ceases to exist.” (Pg. 68-69)
He says, “Great sacrifice was necessary to defeat evil. Frodo had been chosen to carry a load none other could bear and fulfill a task none other could endure. Though Frodo was only one of many who had given up something for the greater good, none had suffered such direct confrontation with darkness or remained as faithful when tormented by the terrifying, possessing power of wickedness. Such was his role, to lose so that others might gain. And so, by completing his scene in the story, Frodo Baggins also performed its most heroic part.” (Pg. 105)
Both authors wrote in the Epilogue, “Was it really fair or true to Tolkien’s intent to subject Middle-Earth and its inhabitants to the kind of analysis we’ve applied? Is there any justification for wresting from them the meanings and messages this brief volume attempts to convey? Kurt and I have written from a distinctly Christian point of view. It’s possible that readers who do not appreciate that perspective will object that we have simply imposed our own biases and beliefs upon the text of Tolkien’s epic. It’s a serious charge, and it deserves a careful answer… Fortunately, it isn’t necessary to say anything that Tolkien hasn’t already said himself. He left us a fairly complete record of his thoughts about questions of this nature. And what he told us is that fantasy, as he understood it, is in its highest and purest form, a place where art, theology, and primal human desire meet and intersect. For the Christian this can mean only one thing: Fantasy is a place where we can come face-to-face with Christ.” (Pg. 109-110)
This book will be of great interest to Christians, wanting to consider the “spiritual” implications of Tolkien’s works.
November 16, 2022
Christianity and Tolkien. Could have gone wrong. It did not go wrong.
There could have been any number of choices of how to put this together. I think the only criticism would come from people that wanted different examples and different comparisons between Tolkien and the Bible.
Well, nothing stopping you from giving it a go.
In the meantime, this is a thoughtful, emotional, passionate and useful devotional.
The whole concept of the sub-creator I found particularly insightful. I never knew this was a Tolkien concept. It is on-point and broadens the experience of learning skills and making things to share and inspire. A lovely concept, really.
I will certainly re-read it in the near future.
There could have been any number of choices of how to put this together. I think the only criticism would come from people that wanted different examples and different comparisons between Tolkien and the Bible.
Well, nothing stopping you from giving it a go.
In the meantime, this is a thoughtful, emotional, passionate and useful devotional.
The whole concept of the sub-creator I found particularly insightful. I never knew this was a Tolkien concept. It is on-point and broadens the experience of learning skills and making things to share and inspire. A lovely concept, really.
I will certainly re-read it in the near future.
August 30, 2023
I think I had really high hopes for this book, but it didn't really live up to my expectations. Though it was an interesting read, I found it was more like a devotional, which I was not expecting. I was hoping for a more analytical approach, similar to another book I read about Lord of the Rings and the Bible. But i did really like the epilogue, which finally had some more analysis and higher quality writing...
Definelty some really good points and chapters, but all in all, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
Definelty some really good points and chapters, but all in all, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.
March 11, 2025
No words.
April 4, 2025
I read this whole book and read or shared bits of it with Capstone class for LotR 2024-25
January 10, 2026
This book works in your love of LotR with your love for God. Has some good points that are worth hearing, but at times can be another redundant Christian devotional.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews