In my MFA thesis, I surveyed
multiple fantasy works that convey redemption and hope despite suffering and
evil in the world. All the books I referenced had a Christ figure except one: The
Lord of the Rings.
Should we take this to
mean Tolkien’s work failed to show the hope we have in Christ?
Tolkien’s epic does not
have a distinct Christ figure like Aslan, Harry Potter, or Janner Wingfeather. But
that was not his aim. He did not appreciate allegory and stated that his work
of mythology was not an allegorical story. This is why we do not find a character
who sacrificially gave his life to bring redemption to others – as authors such as C. S. Lewis,
J. K. Rowling, and Andrew Peterson included in their stories.
But what he did with his
characters was give many of them Christlike characteristics. And we would
expect this from an author like Tolkien, who admitted that his deeply held
beliefs impacted the stories he created (and which all people do whether they
acknowledge it or not; worldview impacts what we create). As he wrote in a
letter, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious
and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision”
(The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, 109). There is no single Christ
figure in The Lord of the Rings, but there are Christlike characters – individuals who provide us with multiple
pictures of Jesus.
Many scholars commonly
focus on a triad of characters that depict different aspects of Christ. Author
and philosopher Peter Kreeft is known for this view, in which Jesus is
portrayed through the figures of Prophet (Gandalf), Priest (Frodo), and King
(Aragorn). The actions of these characters reflect the various offices of the
Lord Jesus, and thus, present a multi-faceted depiction of Christ.
I heartily agree that
these characters give us a picture of Christ. Who can deny that Aragorn, the King
who brings healing, is Christlike in his role in the book? Or that Frodo, the
Ringbearer who carried the burden of the evil of Sauron, can empathize with
those under the ring's power and influence? Gandalf certainly comes close to being a
Christ figure by descending to the depths, only to rise again as Gandalf the
White (though Aragorn and Frodo also passed through the shadow). However, many other characters display Christlikeness.
Two such overlooked characters
are Samwise Gamgee and Faramir.
More recently, Philip
Ryken included Sam into the picture of Priest alongside Frodo, as addressed in
his book The Messiah Comes to Middle-Earth. But going beyond the Prophet,
Priest, and King figures, I believe Sam stands out most as a character marked
by Christlike servanthood. He is Frodo’s servant and gardener, and not
initially esteemed on the same level as his master. Yet, he is instrumental in the task of destroying the ring. If not for Sam, who single-handedly rescued
Frodo from Shelob and the Orcs, and carried him part of the way to Mount Doom,
Frodo would have never survived the quest. Sam’s actions mirror those of
Christ, who became a servant to save us (Mark 10:45; Philippians 2:7-11).
The work of Sam as a
gardener also reflects Christ. Sam was working to care for and tend to plants
before he went on the quest with Frodo, but this role is heightened on his
return to the Shire. Numerous trees had been lost under Saruman’s reign over
the hobbits. These were beloved and old trees that would not be easily replaced.
Yet, Sam takes on the work of restoration and renewal using the gift of a box
from Galadriel which held special dust and a seed: “So Sam planted saplings
where specially beautiful or beloved trees had been destroyed, and he put a
grain of the precious dust in the soil at the root of each” (The Return of
the King, 330). This picture of bringing life and healing from destruction
and death points to the redeeming work of Jesus in our lives.
Another Christlike
character in Tolkien’s epic is Faramir. He is not the favored son of Denethor,
though he is arguably the greater of the two brothers. Sam compares him to
Gandalf because of his wisdom, though Faramir attributes this quality to his
Numenorean ancestry. Unlike Boromir, Faramir rejects the temptation of the ring
because he has no desire to wield power over others. His people had to adopt
war as a way of survival, but he does not delight in the use of force and
weapons. As he said, “War must be, while we defend our lives against a
destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its
sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I
love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Numenor” (The Two
Towers, 314).
Honorably, he offers Frodo aid and shows mercy to Gollum – though he had the right to take the creature’s life. Faramir continually stands by his beliefs in loyalty, courage, and honor, even going so far as to put himself in peril to serve his father, who favored his brother over him. Boromir was known for prowess and renown in war, but Faramir is a man of wisdom who shows strength by offering mercy and desiring to uphold life, rather than take it. He might not be as widely discussed as other characters. However, Faramir, like Sam, displays attitudes and actions that resemble the love and wisdom of Jesus.
What is unique about
Tolkien’s creation of characters is that they reflect Christ while also giving
us examples to follow. We receive a lesson in mercy by observing Frodo’s change
of heart and his willingness to pity those who are enslaved to the evil of
Sauron. From Sam, we see what it means to love and serve another in the truest
form of friendship – despite suffering and hardship. Humbleness is evident in
Aragorn, who though the rightful king as the heir of Isildur, willingly serves
his people by bringing healing. Faramir shows us that protecting and
cultivating life is more honorable than skill in war or seeking prominence (as
he helps Eowyn learn). All these characters show us glimpses of Jesus and what
it means to be Christlike, inviting us to travel alongside them to learn to
emulate the Savior.
Although a Jesus figure is not present in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth epic, the story is so infused with Christlike characters and themes that it glorifies and magnifies the Savior. It is truly a Christian work that captures what Tolkien termed as eucatastrophe, a sudden joyous turn, poignant as grief – which is exemplified in the greatest Story of the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Works
Cited
Tolkien, J. R. R. The
Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher
Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013. EBSCO.
-- The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers. Ballantine, 2012.
-- The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King. Ballantine, 2012.
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