The Fellowship of J.R.R. Tolkien

Examining Elements of Fellowship in the Life of J.R.R. Tolkien

January 3 marks the birthday of Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, and in honor of his inspiring work as an author, here is a look at some sources of fellowship in his life that helped inspire the fellowships found in The Lord of the Rings.

It is superfluous to point out the profound impact the world has experienced in the 50 years since Tolkien first published The Lord of the Rings (October 21, 2004, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the first U.S. publication of The Fellowship of the Ring). The timeless classic has been lauded in virtually every tongue both for the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien and more recently the Academy-Award winning movies produced by Peter Jackson and has spawned toys, recordings, games, and even a Lord of the Rings Symphony!

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Fellowship of the Church

Born in Bloemfontein, South Africa on January 3, 1892, the first son of English citizens Arthur Reuel and Mabel Tolkien, ⁽¹⁾ Tolkien was molded by the events of his day, including the faith of his mother, a devout Roman Catholic ⁽²⁾. Fellowship is, of course, one of the most basic tenets of Biblical doctrine, and the Bible is full of verses showing the importance of fellowship. Indeed, the importance of the regular assembly of a church is stated to not only be for the worship of God, but for the encouraging and unifying of the members through fellowship. The church gathering is the voluntary coming together of individuals for a higher good. The Fellowship and their allies banded together of their own free will to achieve a more noble purpose.

J.R.R. Tolkien and the Fellowship of Friendship