Tolkien: Enchanting a Secular World
Abstract
This paper outlines the methods J.R.R Tolkien used to create a modern mythology for England. Tolkien’s life and religious views are discussed to illustrate how the esteemed writer used a combination of Christian doctrine and pre-existing ancient mythology to create a fictional medieval universe. The inspiration for this work was the theories of twentieth century German social theorist, Max Weber, and his belief that as the Western world became more secular, it would become “disenchanted.” The author uses the theories of thinkers such as St. Augustine of Hippo and Friedrich Nietzsche to argue that Tolkien’s created world serves to enchant a secular West and that secular and religious individuals alike can draw moral guidance from this created mythology.
Authors contributing to the The Corvette agree to release their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International license. This licence allows anyone to share their work (copy, distribute, transmit) and to adapt it for non-commercial purposes provided that appropriate attribution is given, and that in the event of reuse or distribution, the terms of this license are made clear.
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant the journal right of first publication.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
