In this book, Lisa Coutras explores the structure and complexity of J.R.R. Tolkien s narrative theology, synthesizing his Christian worldview with his creative imagination. She illustrates how, within the framework of a theological aesthetics, transcendental beauty is the unifying principle that integrates all aspects of Tolkien s writing, from pagan despair to Christian joy.
J.R.R. Tolkien s Christianity is often held in an unsteady tension with the pagan despair of his mythic world. Some critics portray these as incompatible, while Christian analysis tends to oversimplify the presence...