Randall Johnson on the Lord of the Rings as a Great Work of Literature

Theologian Matt Emerson closed out 2020 with this tweet on December 31:

Seriously y’all, please read other fiction/lit besides CSL [C.S. Lewis] and JRRT [J.R.R. Tolkien]. I love them as much as you do, but there’s so much else out there.

English professor Karen Swallow Prior replied to this tweet:

They are wonderful stories. Good literature. Probably not great. (I must be cranky this morning.) What bothers me is that so many Christians who love them don’t even know the works’ lack of standing within the canon and even think they are the “standard” for literary greatness!

The 9th-10th grades students at Sayers Classical Academy, where I work, are beginning to read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) in their Classical Studies: British Epics and Poetry class this week. The tutor for this class, Randall Johnson, leads student to study LOTR alongside other works such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Paradise Lost. Mr. Johnson respectfully but firmly disagrees with Prior's thought that LOTR is "probably not great", and he argues that it should certainly be added to "the canon". Johnson writes:

1.    LOTR is the most comprehensively Christian work of fiction that is neither an allegory nor
populated by actual Christian characters. Together with The Silmarillion, LOTR weaves Christian themes of creation, providence (over good and evil, and seemingly mundane events), the fall, sin (and bondage of the will), salvation, virtue (including love, faith, hope, joy, humility, wisdom, friendship, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, grace, gentleness, justice, and self-control), divine honor and glory, the triumph of good, the downfall of evil, evil as a negation/corruption, heaven, stewardship of nature, truth, goodness, beauty, sacrifice, the tri-part office of Christ (prophet, priest, king), death and resurrection, glorification/ennoblement, etc.

2.    LOTR draws themes from both Greco-Roman and Northern European literature. Tolkien clearly favors the Old English and Scandinavian myths and legends (Beowulf, Arthurian Legend, the Eddas and Sagas, etc.), but he also pulls from Greek tragedies and epics.

3.    LOTR is an example of world-building par excellence. At [Tolkien’s] time, no one had come close to creating a world of such scope and detail. I don't think any one person has since. His world included detailed information about cosmology, plants, animals, rational races, geography, calendars, cultures, history, etc. Moreover, Tolkien believed that world-building (or "sub-creation") was a thing that we do in imitation of God and by God's blessing. Our imagination is part of what makes us an image of God.

4.    LOTR is a work of words. The world of Middle-earth was created to explain Tolkien's made-up languages--not the other way around. Tolkien was a world-class philologist (having taught at Oxford and worked on the Oxford English Dictionary and being able to read several languages). LOTR expresses his love for language. No other work by his time had such complete made-up languages.

5.    LOTR has had a tremendous influence on popular culture (not to mention academic literature). All modern fantasy writing is indebted to Tolkien. Without Tolkien, there would be no role-playing games (like Dungeons and Dragons (whether that's a pro or con, you can decide). Role-playing and real-time-strategy video games (e.g. Warhammer, Warcraft, Final Fantasy, Zelda), likewise, are indebted to the role playing board games, and thus, LOTR. Movies, likewise, are indebted to LOTR either immediately (i.e., the LOTR movies) or mediately through other fantasy books, games, or video games.

6.    LOTR is fun to read unlike many other great works of literature. It is exciting and humorous, and it also gives a sense of hope and a reminder of beauty.

7.    LOTR is devoid of foul language, sex or innuendo, and gore (and glorified violence or sadism).

Get reading, friends!