In the Catholic Church there are two feasts about “names.” On January 2/3 the Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Jesus, while September 12 is dedicated to the Holy Name of Mary. Both feasts reminds us all of the importance and power that is in a name. Indeed, it also brings up the importance […]
Tolkien, holy names and the spiritual power of language Read More »
In 2012 I started a humble little blog called Into the West, where I delved into the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s mystical world of Middle-Earth. It was hosted on the now defunct “Middle-Earth Network” and before it was taken off the World Wide Web, I was able to host a handful of interviews with various
Author J.R.R. Tolkien isn’t well-known for his relationship advice, as his two primary works of fiction are nearly devoid of any type of romance. Yet, at the core of his stories was a love story inspired by his wife. In a letter to his son Christopher a year after his wife’s death, Tolkien wrote about
This is the advice J.R.R. Tolkien gave his son about marriage Read More »
“[Hobbits] love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools” (Prologue to the Fellowship of the Ring, 1). Hobbits are well-known
Lessons from the Shire: How to live a simple life according to Tolkien’s Middle-Earth Read More »
Great mystery has surrounded the upcoming Lord of the Rings series being produced for Amazon Prime. Very few details have been revealed until today, when a whole “fellowship” of creators were announced on Amazon’s social media pages. The announcement came in the form of a short video, which can be viewed below. Vulture has extracted the names
Amazon reveals “fellowship” of creators for new ‘Lord of the Rings’ series Read More »
“Therefore [Iluvatar] willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, 36). This short passage from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion possesses such immense truth in regards to the very core of what it means to be human. In fact, this one line has the capacity
This one sentence from Tolkien’s ‘Silmarillion’ will change your life Read More »
Unlike his friend, contemporary and fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien did not approve of nor employ direct allegory. That means that, for example, none of his Christ figures are perfect representations of Christ. This is most clearly represented in Frodo, who ultimately falls to the power of the Ring (despite resisting far longer than any
How Galadriel, Arwen and Éowyn reflect the Virgin Mary Read More »
Unlike his friend, contemporary and fellow Inkling C.S. Lewis, Tolkien did not approve of nor employ direct allegory. In the Chronicles of Narnia, (contrary to what Liam Neeson would want you to be believe) Aslan IS Jesus. Lewis had the idea that if Jesus were to become incarnate, as He did on earth, in a world mostly
How Judas is the Gollum of the Gospels Read More »
You are a pilgrim Did you know that the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) uses the words “pilgrim” and “pilgrimage” 25 times to describe Mary and the Church and their activities on earth? Dictionary.com says a “pilgrim” is “a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of
Tom Bombadil, the Divine Office and the pilgrim’s need for rest Read More »
This past weekend at WonderCon there was a panel featuring director Dome Karukoski, and cast members Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Nicholas Hoult, from the upcoming bio-pic Tolkien on the early life of Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien. The film will primarily focus on the friendships Tolkien established prior to World War I and
‘Tolkien’ director praises Father Francis Morgan as model priest Read More »
