What is temptation? According to Random House Dictionary, temptation is defined as “the act of tempting enticement or allurement the fact or state of being tempted, esp. In order to understand the temptation of the Ring, one must first understand temptation. To begin with a religious reading of The Fellowship of the Ring, one must first consider what the story is literally about: the Ring, or rather, the temptation of the Ring. Morrow is insistent that “Tolkien’s faith was central to his myth” (174). Tolkien’s love life directly influenced his work, and there is no evidence that his religion did not do the same. Additionally, the love of the mortal man and the female elf mirrors the love of Aragorn and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien as a Christian for our Times” (166). The inspiration for the lovers comes from Tolkien’s own separation from his love (and later his wife) Edith, explains Jeffrey L. Tolkien’s previous work, The Silmarillion, contains the story of Beren and Lúthien: a tale of two lovers not allowed by society to be together. It directly gives support to a religious reading of The Lord of the Rings, especially since other parts of Tolkien’s life have influenced his writing. Tolkien’s case, his being a Christian is certainly of interest to audiences. In doing so, readers often make connections that the author did not even realize were there. Finally, the background of the author and the events of his or her life are discussed.

The time period in which the book is written, as well as when it is published, is often a factor in an analysis. Every little thing about the novel, including the setting, characters, or plot, is often torn apart and dissected. Often, these works end up being analyzed by scholars in ways that the authors did not foresee or intend. Writers often want their works to contain certain messages, while at other times they may be writing simply for entertainment. In order to determine whether or not one should even consider a religious reading of The Lord of the Rings (or The Fellowship of the Ring), one must look at Tolkien himself. In The Lord of the Rings, and the first volume- The Fellowship of the Ring-in particular, Tolkien argues for a religious reading by showing that the struggle for the characters to fight the temptation of the Ring is a direct reflection of the temptation faced by those in The Bible. Especially interesting is the novel’s take on temptation. Tolkien himself has argued that he did not mean for The Lord of the Rings to be about Christianity, but as Anna Mathie points out in her article “Baptizing-Middle Earth,” one of Tolkien’s letters directly states that he “intended it to be consonant with Christian thought and belief” (71). One of the more fascinating readings of this British fantasy story is the religious one. Depending on the way which one looks at the story, symbols, themes, and details can all mean different things.

It is this diversity which makes Tolkien, and many other children’s stories, so intriguing. What is it that makes Tolkien’s work so interesting? Many enjoy the triumph of good over evil or the excitement of adventure, while others prefer to read the story as an argument against industrialization. Adapted for radio, television, and finally film, Tolkien’s fictional novel is beloved by both children and scholars alike. An epic fantasy novel originally published in three volumes ( The Fellowship of the King, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), The Lord of the Rings has enthralled audiences for decades. Published in 1954, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a follow-up to his 1937 book, The Hobbit.

Fellowship of the ring