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Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Discovering the Spiritual Themes of the "Lord of the Rings"
 
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Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Discovering the Spiritual Themes of the "Lord of the Rings" (Paperback)

by Mark Eddy Smith (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
Price: £6.50 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Discovering the Spiritual Themes of the "Lord of the Rings" by Mark Eddy Smith

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Product details

  • Paperback: 141 pages
  • Publisher: InterVarsity Press (Jan 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0830823123
  • ISBN-13: 978-0830823123
  • Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 14 x 0.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 816,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis

The mere recollection of [this phrase] sends chills down my spine. I have been reading this tale since I was twelve years old, taking it from my shelf every year or so and returning to Middle Earth, drinking it in, pulling sustenance from it the way a tree draws earth with its roots. I have never grown weary of it. As I get older, and learn more of what sort of person I am, and continue sojourning to the rich soil of the Shire and the high towers of Minas Tirith, I discover that many of my notions of what is good and right and noble in this world have their source in that one. The Lord of the Rings offers us the most essential lessons in living. Here we discover ordinary virtues, like generosity, pity, hospitality and rest. We meet extraordinary people, like Bilbo, Gandalf, Tom Bombadil and Glorfindel. We learn about the roots of destruction in pride and betrayal. And we find the ingredients for success, such as community and sacrifice. God calls each of us - even the most simple - to a journey. We may be asked to leave behind everything we have grown dependent on. And when this is the case, the tale of Frodo and his friends offers hope that we will be given the strength and the help we need to overcome every obstacle and defeat every foe. This book will help you find the way.

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
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Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply touching, 20 Sep 2002
By Normann Aaboe Nielsen (Odder Denmark) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Lord of the Ring - The great work of Tolkien - is in this book reflected in the light of the so-called "ordinary virtues". In fact, these virtues may be ordinary, but they are the deep essense of the Christian view of life. The author outlines the LOTR, very tightly following the plot of the book, but keeps the outlining structured into themes of virtue.

It is evident that the author loves LOTR deeply. In fact, the outline is done so lovingly close to LOTR that I felt deeply touched and had tears in my eyes (for I do also love LOTR). Being a Christian myself I can easily follow the structure and reflections of virtue that the author demonstrates and it is wisely seen.

I would not recommend this book to a novice in LOTR or a teenager. In my mind, this book demands that you have reflected on life. However, a very fine book indeed!

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9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Inspriational rather than philosophical, 20 Mar 2003
By Dr. David J. Mossley "David Discepto" (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is not the deep philosophical analysis of the virtues inherent in Tolkien's works that perhaps it appears to be. Rather it is an overview of tLotR that reads like an inspirational religious text. Taking the book in ordered sections (roughly a scene or set piece at a time) and drawing out quasi-religious themes, the author leads the reader through the novel highlighting a range of 'virtues' and their application to real life. There is no discussion of virtue ethics per se. I read such texts myself from time to time, but I was hoping for something more from this title. A scholarly analysis of virtue in Tolkien is possible: this is not it.
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars More Religious Treatise that Literary Enlightenment, 13 Aug 2007
By Mrs. D. J. Smith "eowyngreenleaf" (Luton, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
I have to admit to some disappointment in this book. It claims to examine the spiritual themes in Tolkien's work, but confuses religion and spirituality and looks only at the Lord of the Rings and not really the rest of Tolkien's cannon of work.

It's not a long book, only around 150 pages of actual text, and there are some good points which start to emerge, but everything is rather stifled by slathering on a thick layer of religious dogma, with biblical quotes here there and everywhere and I felt I was being preached to rather than reading an intelligent work of literary criticism. Most of the parallels the author seemed to be trying to draw were not particularly helpful anyway.

There are other works out there far more enlightening about Tolkien's work.
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