The Battle of Worldviews: Dualism and Theism in Tolkien and Lewis
Everyone has a worldview. And every worldview has to deal with a key issue: the origins of good and evil. This is the perennial question of our existence and no one can escape it. Even fictional worldviews have to account for good and evil (if they are going to make any sense).
One possibility is to suggest that there is no such thing as good and evil. On a materialist-evolutionary worldview, where there is nothing but matter in motion, concepts like “good” and “evil” are merely human constructs. But such a worldview leads directly to Nihilism. We are forced to argue that the actions of people like Jerry Sandusky are … Continue reading...
Lewis, Tolkien and the Phenomenon of Male Friendship
I’ve begun a new teaching series at my church entitled, “The Worlds of Lewis and Tolkien: Christian Imagery in Narnia and Middle Earth.” As a big fan of both these authors (particularly Tolkien), it has been a pleasure exploring anew how Christ is represented in their fictional works.
One thing that has struck me in my background reading is the unique friendship shared by Lewis and Tolkien, particularly as it was manifested in the regular meetings of the “Inklings.” Indeed, it was this friendship that not only led to Lewis’ conversion, but also was the context in which they developed many of their ideas that later appear in their fictional … Continue reading...