Markos also explores how Tolkien's stories guided Lewis on his own spiritual journey. Lewis, a skeptic and atheist until his mid-twenties, was converted to Christianity in part through his reading of George MacDonald and other Christian authors. However, Markos suggests that Tolkien's stories, with their richly imagined world and heroic quests, helped Lewis to deepen his understanding of the Christian faith and to see it as a mythopoeic narrative that spoke to the deepest longings of the human heart.
In "On the Shoulders of Hobbits," Louis A. Markos offers a compelling exploration of the connections between Tolkien, Lewis, and the world of Middle-earth. Through a detailed analysis of their writings and relationships, Markos shows how Tolkien's stories influenced Lewis's understanding of the mythopoeic imagination and guided him on his own spiritual journey. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of literature, imagination, and faith.
On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Middle-earth and the Undying Lands of C.S. Lewis
Markos begins by describing the close friendship between Tolkien and Lewis, two professors at Oxford University who shared a love for mythology, literature, and Christianity. The two men frequently met for discussion and debate, and their conversations often centered on the power of storytelling to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Tolkien's stories, particularly The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , had a profound impact on Lewis, who was already drawn to the idea of a "mythopoeic" imagination – one that could create new worlds and convey deeper truths about human nature.
Markos also explores how Tolkien's stories guided Lewis on his own spiritual journey. Lewis, a skeptic and atheist until his mid-twenties, was converted to Christianity in part through his reading of George MacDonald and other Christian authors. However, Markos suggests that Tolkien's stories, with their richly imagined world and heroic quests, helped Lewis to deepen his understanding of the Christian faith and to see it as a mythopoeic narrative that spoke to the deepest longings of the human heart.
In "On the Shoulders of Hobbits," Louis A. Markos offers a compelling exploration of the connections between Tolkien, Lewis, and the world of Middle-earth. Through a detailed analysis of their writings and relationships, Markos shows how Tolkien's stories influenced Lewis's understanding of the mythopoeic imagination and guided him on his own spiritual journey. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of literature, imagination, and faith.
On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Middle-earth and the Undying Lands of C.S. Lewis
Markos begins by describing the close friendship between Tolkien and Lewis, two professors at Oxford University who shared a love for mythology, literature, and Christianity. The two men frequently met for discussion and debate, and their conversations often centered on the power of storytelling to shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Tolkien's stories, particularly The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , had a profound impact on Lewis, who was already drawn to the idea of a "mythopoeic" imagination – one that could create new worlds and convey deeper truths about human nature.
