15. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic
Tolkien committed to Catholicism, and his religious faith was an important part of his character. Tolkien’s mother converted to Catholicism after the death of Tolkien’s father, and when she too died, Tolkien’s assigned guardian was a Catholic priest. As a child Tolkien served as an altar boy at Birmingham Oratory, and remained a devoted Catholic throughout his life. His religious fervor was instrumental in converting C.S. Lewis from atheism to Christianity (though Tolkien was not best impressed that Lewis decided to become a Protestant). And Catholicism played an important part in his writing of The Lord of the Rings.
Many evangelical Christians rage that The Lord of the Rings is a profoundly un-Christian series which has a bad influence on children and encourages belief in pagan magic. Tolkien however infused it with Catholic values and beliefs, despite its setting in a world without Christianity. Sauron and the orcs, for example, present the ugly reality of evil, which is a tenet of Catholic belief. His characters must also listen to their conscience and choose between good and evil, pride and humility. The trilogy’s happy ending sees the eventual triumph of good, a message of hope central to Christian belief.
