'The Lord of the Rings' and the emerging generation: A study of the message and medium. J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson

Throughout the ages, the communication of Christian truth has been the domain of preachers and poets, musicians and theologians, authors and dramatists, each seeking means by which to engage others in the truth that has captivated and transformed their lives. From direct proposition to allegorical representation, such effective communicators as Dwight L. Moody and C. S. Lewis have confronted their culture with Christian truth in response to Jesus' command to "go and make disciples". J. R. R. Tolkien employed myth as his vehicle of expression, creating The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) with no overt religious symbol or act, yet weaving his Roman Catholic Christian worldview into the very fabric of his characters and their journeys. Tolkien described his work as a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work, unconsciously at first, but consciously in the revision, with religious element absorbed into the story."1 He discovered that myth allows the reader opportunity to explore the realities of life within the safety of an imagined world and its relationship.;Tolkien's fantasy of Middle Earth and her people has captured the heart and mind of generations since its publication in 1954, offering glimpses into the truth that defined Tolkien's life and worldview. This 20th century work found new expression and an even broader audience in Peter Jackson's 21st century cinematic interpretation LOTR. Together, Tolkien's myth and Jackson's cinematic portrayal of that myth have successfully captured the attention of the Emerging generation. A study of both narrative and cinematic mediums along with the clarity of the message conveyed will allow an opportunity to consider the larger question of what medium and what message impacts the emerging post-modern generation. This dissertation will explore the effectiveness of Tolkien's myth and Jackson's cinematic interpretation of that myth in communicating truth, seeking insights into effective means of the communication of Christian truth in a post-Christian culture.;1Carpenter. Letters p.174.