“Here Tolkien states, in indirect form, one of the deepest of Christian truths: all love that is not ordered to the love of God turns into hatred.” — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“To console Pippin about the treachery of Gollum, Gandalf reminds him that "a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“The Gospel is the ultimate fairy-story, Tolkien concludes, because it contains "the greatest and most complete conceivable eucatastrophe… There is no tale ever told… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“to shrink the circle of intimate community to the smallest possible circumference. This is the spoiling of faithful friendship.” — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“What makes Galadriel such a remarkable figure is her serenity amidst the coming defeat of her realm and her people. Far from resigning herself to any sort of fatalism, she desires only that the ought shall become the is: "Yet if you [Frodo] succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlorien will fade, and the tides of Time will sweep… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share
“Tolkien understands the odd danger posed by virtue cut off from the Good. Over and again, he demonstrates his fundamental conviction that evil preys upon our virtues far more than our vices. Our very strengths and assets-whether intelligence or bravery, diligence or loyalty or beauty, but especially righteousness-may dispose us either to scorn those who lack such virtues, or else… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share
“Here Tolkien states, in indirect form, one of the deepest of Christian truths: all love that is not ordered to the love of God… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“Tolkien reveals that our personalities take on the quality of our acts. Outward behavior manifests inward convictions, whether for good or ill. "The good… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share Image
“satirical against those who called him an escapist for creating the fantastic world of Middle-earth: "The notion that motor-cars are more 'alive' than, say, centaurs or dragons is curious; that they are more 'real' than, say, horses is pathetically absurd. How real, how startlingly alive is a factory chimney compared with an elm-tree: poor obsolete thing, insubstantial dream of an… — Ralph C. Wood Copy Share
