Lord of the Rings - Page 3 of 5

Need a laugh? Watch Leonard Nimoy sing “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”

J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence on pop-culture has had an enduring legacy ever since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were published. The universal (Catholic) messages found in Tolkien’s stories make them appealing to all people, no matter their belief system. In one of the most obscure (and hilarious..though also embarrassing) moments of pop-culture, actor Leonard Nimoy, most well-known […]

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Watch Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee) read the Gospel of Matthew

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

Several years ago, a fantastic audio recording of the New Testament was released that featured an entire cast of talented actors. It included Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee) as well as John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), both well-known for their roles in the Lord of the Rings series. Astin narrates the Gospel of Matthew and John Rhys-Davies introduces the

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What Samwise Gamgee teaches us about courage, friendship and endurance

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

Perhaps the most pivotal yet unsung hero of The Lord of the Rings is a little fellow by the name of Samwise Gamgee. He is the fast friend, follower, and supporter of Frodo Baggins, aiding him in the vocation of the Ring’s destruction. Upon deeper examination of the characters and their functions in the Tolkien

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Tolkien, Advent and the light that conquers darkness

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

December is a month in the Catholic Church where the liturgical year ends and is renewed by the season of Advent. It is a month where we see the general theme of the liturgical season being echoed in nature. Darkness has crept over the world, and is increasing each day. Yet, there is hope for

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Obi-Wan Kenobi was originally created to be a Star Wars version of Gandalf

Sci-Fi / Philip Kosloski

Among the numerous influences behind George Lucas’ Star Wars saga, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings was a principal driving force in the early drafts of the 1977 film. In fact, Lucas nearly copied Tolkien’s dialogue, word-for-word, borrowing Gandalf’s greeting to Bilbo in The Hobbit. In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor,

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How Aragorn’s kingship reminds us of Jesus, the King of kings

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

Peter Jackson enthralled audiences the world over by bringing The Lord of the Rings novels to a new, vivid life on-screen. When a DVD edition of The Fellowship of the Ring was released, one of the special features included an audio commentary from the film’s cast. In the commentary, Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf the

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The Paths of the Dead: Aragorn and the Harrowing of Hell

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

An interesting moment occurs towards the midpoint of the final book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Having received Gondor’s call for aid against the approaching armies of Sauron, the host of Rohirrim are riding to relieve the siege. With them is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the rightful kind of Gondor, who is returning

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Is there such a thing as good and bad “magic”? Here are 4 different types to consider

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

In mid-2019, there was a string of Christian schools that removed the Harry Potter books from their school libraries due to the books’ depiction of spells. The concern is not confined to that series; conservative Catholics and Evangelicals often express unease about fictional depictions of magic, either as problematic themselves, or as risking enticing readers

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Mont St. Michel: The real-life Minas Tirith

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

When preparing for the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Return of the King, Peter Jackson’s crew turned to a real-life monastic castle that has captivated the imagination of many throughout the centuries. They looked to Mont St. Michel, a fortified Catholic monastery that was built on a lonely island off the coast of northern France.

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How Frodo experienced a “dark night of the soul”

Fantasy / Philip Kosloski

St. John of the Cross coined a phrase many know as the “dark night of the soul.” However, contrary to what many might believe to be the dark night, what St. John of the Cross is actually referring to is a spiritual detachment from all consolation in this world. What this entails is God stepping

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