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Did you know that Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings was a touchstone for early environmentalist thought? But many more radical modern environmentalists have disconnected from the foundation for Tolkien’s own ecological philosophy--namely, the Christian doctrine of stewardship. In this course, we will drill down into Tolkien’s writings on nature and society, on our use of natural resources, and on the abuses of technology, all while tying them directly back to Tolkien’s theological worldview.

The course begins with a session placing Tolkien’s environmentalism in context. It discusses a theology of stewardship in general before hitting upon three crucial factors in understanding Tolkien’s reaction to modern society: Victorian industrialization, two world wars, and Tolkien’s threefold distinction between miracle, magic, and machinery.

We then examine three prominent recurring images in Tolkien’s fiction: trees, the sea, and mountains. Each of these elements of the natural world function as important symbols for Tolkien’s theological program, as well as playing central roles in the plot of so many of his stories.

Next, Saruman and Sauron act as exemplars of a bad ethic of stewardship and of the abuse of nature. By contrast, we discuss four examples of good stewardship in the Ents, the Elves, Tom Bombadil, and Samwise Gamgee. All of these characters provide differing perspectives on the use of nature, but speak in their own voices without being reduced to ciphers for Tolkien’s own thought.

Finally, in a session on the integration of nature and society, we deal with three excellent but distinct examples of a harmonious relationship between civilization and the environment. Here we highlight Lothlorien, Rivendell, and the Shire.

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Austin Freeman is a Tolkien scholar with a passion for investigating the expressions of theology found in Tolkien's works. He earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Austin has a forthcoming monograph on Tolkien as theologian published by Lexham Press.

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