Middle Earth is full of characters exhibiting Christian symbolism through their words, actions, and relationships, as covered in Parts I, II, and III of this series on Christianity in The Lord of the Rings. However, the Christian symbolism extends beyond characters to include objects and places. Already, the Ring was covered in Part III dueContinue reading “Christianity in The Lord of the Rings: (Part IV): World Elements”
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Christianity in The Lord of the Rings: (Part III) Evil in Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings is full of Christian symbolism, ranging from the Threefold Office of priest, prophet, and king represented by Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn (respectively) as covered in Part I to the slew of “good guys” representing various Christian aspects and relationships as covered in Part II of this series. This Part III covers the darker aspects of Middle Earth and their connections to Christian concepts of evil.
Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part II): The Good in Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings has many characters with aspects reflecting a Christian worldview. In this Part II of Christianity in The Lord of the Rings, we’ll be exploring various allies of the Threefold Office (Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo) covered in Part I. Some bear similarities to prominent Christian figures, while most demonstrate the qualitiesContinue reading “Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part II): The Good in Middle Earth”
Searching for Wisdom: A Socratic Social Commentary
Few people are more renowned for their knowledge and wisdom than Socrates. Though a legendary thinker himself, the ancient Greek philosopher struggled to find the root of wisdom in the greater world around him and was executed for exposing the irrationality of his peers. His famous line, “all I know is that I know nothing”Continue reading “Searching for Wisdom: A Socratic Social Commentary”
The Four Domains of War: From Self to Spiritual
Wherever there are people, there is war. Taken in its most general interpretation, bellum or war is a constant in the human condition. War was waged among the first men thousands of years ago; war is waged today; and war will be waged far into the future. Though war is constant, it is not necessarilyContinue reading “The Four Domains of War: From Self to Spiritual”
Insights from Fulton Sheen’s Way to Happiness
The Venerable Fulton Sheen encouraged generations of the faithful through his radio and television broadcasts in the mid 20th century. The bishop’s words carried a weight unmatched in his popular television program Life Is Worth Living, where he spoke to a live audience without a script, often touching on important contemporary issues like communism andContinue reading “Insights from Fulton Sheen’s Way to Happiness”
How I Read the Bible Cover to Cover
A week ago I finished a two year journey of reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelations. The Bible is a long and difficult book; yet, it is the most widely printed book in history. As any book publisher would know, “long and difficult” is rarely a promising description of a book that will receiveContinue reading “How I Read the Bible Cover to Cover”
How Good and Evil Ignore Tribal Lines
Every hero story, every epic fantasy tale ultimately distills into a force of good coming against a force of evil, and it’s the struggle between the two that drives an interesting plot, because it alludes to the battle between good and evil in our own world. In the polarized world, traditional morality has been thrownContinue reading “How Good and Evil Ignore Tribal Lines”
Christian Themes and Imagery in C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair
I recently revisited my childhood and cracked open C.S Lewis’s The Silver Chair, the sixth book in his acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia series. As a child the book was a personal favorite of mine – I always appreciated its straightforward adventure plot (boy and girl set out to rescue an enchanted prince from an evilContinue reading “Christian Themes and Imagery in C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair”
The Origins and Impact of Relativism
I recently had an eye-opening discussion with an undergraduate student that began with the question, “Do you believe there is objective Truth?”. I expected she would take a few moments before giving an answer, but was surprised both with how quickly and how resolutely she answered “No”. Afterward, I asked a friend how anyone couldContinue reading “The Origins and Impact of Relativism”