The Ring of Truth: Truth and Wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

by Joseph O'Day

Overview

For decades millions of people have enjoyed reading J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. This seminal work of modern fantasy was deservedly voted the greatest book of the twentieth century by major British booksellers. But The Lord of the Rings is more than a great work of fantasy, more than an epic adventure story. The world of Middle-earth was conceived by an author whose fantasy world was informed by his biblical and Catholic beliefs. Because of this, his novel is filled to the brim with timeless truth and wisdom. Middle-earth is a world of ethical absolutes and very real evil. Its history is one great and marvelous tapestry, tightly and flawlessly woven by Providence. Prophecy is its organizing motif and unifying feature. All of its prophetic elements pertain to a providential plan to deliver Middle-earth from the evil power and designs of Sauron. Scriptural allusions abound, for Tolkien has saturated his fantasy novel with allusions to biblical ideas, scenes, and characters. These themes, and more, emerge in brilliant detail in Joseph E. O'Day's The Ring of Truth: Truth and Wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien wrote that his fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings "is about God, and his sole right to divine honour. The Eldar and the Númenoreans believed in The One, the true God, and held worship of any other person an abomination." Consequently, Tolkien's novel contains Christian truth and wisdom that has much to say about our beliefs, our world, our spirituality, and ourselves. Divine providence, ethical absolutes, beauty, temptation, mercy, joy, courage, and self-sacrifice are but a few of the twenty-four prominent themes from Middle-earth that resonate with the ring of truth. Some other themes of truth and wisdom in The Ring of Truth:
Prophecy, Resurrection, Spiritual Healing, The Reality of Evil, Faithfulness, Hope, Humility & Pride, Righteous Anger, Everyday Wisdom, and Loyalty & Friendship.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940046122244
Publisher:	Joseph O'Day
Publication date:	08/21/2014
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	376 KB

About the Author

Most of my work since 1986 has been as an editor, but I have considered myself a writer first. My story as a writer began in high school.

I grew up on a farm, and my parents were active in the Grange, both state and national. My mother entered Grange sewing contests for many years and won so many times in a row that they asked her to take a break so that someone else could win! When I was a teenager, the Grange had a national safety essay contest. I decided to enter. My mother told me not to get my hopes up, but I was confident, and guess what, I won!

After high school, I went on to undergraduate and graduate work, and writing papers was what I enjoyed the most. In fact, I was disappointed when a course did not require a paper. Two of my English professors were so impressed with the paper that I wrote for them that they encouraged me to get my master's in English, but I felt called to go to seminary. A few years later, in the eighties, I wrote and published a booklet with InterVarsity Press, "Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts."

In the eighties, my older brother tried his hand at writing a science-fiction novel but grew tired of it, so he handed it off to me to finish. I improved his part of the novel, beefed up the characters, and completed the plot line. I eventually self-published it as "Imperial Guard" and recently published it as an ebook on Smashwords and elsewhere.

In the nineties, I wrote several articles for magazines and contributed chapters to two compendiums. After the turn of the century, I wrote a book on "The Lord of the Rings," trying to beat the premier of the third movie. I almost found a publisher, but again, I had to self-publish. "The Ring of Truth: Truth and Wisdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings" also is now an ebook. Two years later, I published four children's picture books with Ambassador Books. Shortly after the publication of the fourth book, the publisher declared bankruptcy! Two of those books are available as ebooks on Amazon: "I Like Snow!" and "I Like Rain!" The other two ("I Like Wind!" and "I Like Sunshine!") will be available soon.

Over the years, I have written for preschool, grade-school, and teenaged kids and for adults. Despite disappointments and setbacks, I continue to write. I love it and hope to be able to write for the rest of my life.