Stay Tuned for More Hobbit Coverage

The title of Devin Brown's new book is sure to raise some eyebrows. How could a world filled with dwarves, elves, goblins, wizards, and hobbits be considered Christian? Brown uses what we know about the author of the famous children's story, along with his attention to detail and careful wording of The Hobbit, to show how J. R. R. Tolkien wove his faith into its pages.

In Chapter 1, Brown cites various letters sent by Tolkien to demonstrate how Tolkien himself viewed The Hobbit as "an 'essentially' Christian story." This does not mean there are overt references to Christianity, or even clear allegorical references. As Tolkien famously wrote to Father Murray, a personal friend who had read and commented on proofs of The Lord of the Rings, "the religious element was absorbed into the story."

While Tolkien says this was a conscious endeavor for The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit also definitely has Christian elements embedded in the storyline. It is not the overtness of the religious elements, but the worldview of the author, which makes a work "Christian," Brown argues...

Now on Blu-ray. The twenty-fifth anniversary gives me the opportunity to watch this AGAIN, and remind myself that good conquers evil in its many forms, that love is worth fighting for, and that, in the end, our story ends, happily ever after.

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