The (Subtle) Catholicism of “The Lord of the Rings”

“The Lord of the Rings” is a landmark in the history of fiction — widely imitated by many writers but (arguably) never equaled. It’s full of beauty, sorrow, destruction, hope, and heroism.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author, called the books “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work,” which surprised many readers.

This is partly because Tolkien wasn’t as overt with religious symbolism as C.S. Lewis. In Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia,” it’s hard to miss that the lion Aslan represents Jesus. “Narnia” is a great work in many respects, but too preachy.

People turn to sermons for preaching, but they read fiction to be immersed in a world where the religious element is more subtle.

Nevertheless, Catholic themes abound in “The Lord of the Rings.” Here are a few.

Goodness is objectively real.
Within the wider Middle Earth saga (beyond “The Lord of the Rings”), Tolkien explicitly identifies a creator who made the world good and who — despite the entry of evil into his creation — promised that he would bring an even greater good from the brokenness that plagued Middle Earth.

This stands in sharp contrast to some modern ideologies, which treat goodness as a purely subjective value or see good and evil as equal forces.

We need God’s grace to overcome our fallen nature.
The One Ring of Sauron exercises power over those who wear it in a similar way as original sin binds us. And as the characters in “The Lord of the Rings” couldn’t be completely free of the ring’s power without aid, we rely on Christ to be free from sin.

Growth requires sacrifice.
The hobbits and other inhabitants of Middle Earth know that saving their world from the forces of evil requires heroic sacrifice, even to the point of losing one’s life. This recalls Christ’s words in Matthew 10:39: “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Even seemingly insignificant people have an important place in God’s plan.
There are many heroes in “The Lord of the Rings,” but the hobbits are the stars. These small creatures, who normally shirk adventures and prefer a peaceful life in the Shire, show that God doesn’t always choose the mighty to carry out His plans. In our world, for example, he chose a humble, relatively unknown virgin to be the mother of His Son.

There are many other Catholic themes to explore, including the Lembas bread and the Eucharist, Gandalf as Christ the priest, and Aragorn as Christ the king. If you’ve never experienced “The Lord of the Rings” or want to reread it, grab a boxed set from our online store and discover its rich symbolism for yourself!