Return of the King
I had an afternoon off yesterday and went to see the Return of the King all by myself. Brilliant! Although I must say I am still trying to digest it all. A number of us are going to see it again tonight. I can’t wait.
Although the story is by no means overtly biblical, the symbolism and imagery always impact me in a powerfully spiritual way. Here is a quote from
Thunderstruck's review of the movie: Although his work does not preach a theological dogmatic, Tolkien did believe The Lord of the Rings to be a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work…The religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism." It extols the virtues of love, compassion, and longsuffering, while painting a very Christian-inspired vision of good and evil, as well as treachery, addiction, and greed.
C.S. Lewis, the author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity, credits Tolkien with helping him move from atheism to Christianity. In their literary group "The Inklings," Lewis and Tolkien met weekly to discuss myth, stories, and theology. "He was for long my only audience," Tolkien said of Lewis. "Only from him did I ever get the idea that my 'stuff' could be more than a private hobby."
I read another very interesting article on Thunderstruck about John Rhys-Davies, the actor who portrays Gimli the dwarf, and
what he believes is the challenge for our generation in history.
