Tolkien's Cosmology - by McBride (Hardcover)

About the Book

"An in-depth examination of the role of divine beings in Tolkien's work, Tolkien's Cosmology: Divine Beings and Middle-earth brings together Tolkien's many references to such beings and analyzes their involvement within his created world. Unlike many other commentators, Sam McBride asserts that a careful reading of the whole of the author's corpus shows a coherent, if sometimes contradictory, divine presence in the world. In The Silmarillion, an epic history of the First Age of Middle-earth, Tolkien describes the Ainur, angelic beings under the direction of Eru Ilâuvatar, the legendarium's god, as creators of physical reality. Some of these divine beings, the Valar and the Maiar, enter physical reality to oversee its development and prepare for the appearance of sentient life forms in Middle-earth: Elves and Humans, Dwarves, and eventually Hobbits. In the early stages of this history, the Valar and Maiar interact directly with Elves and Humans, opposing the work of evil beings led by Melkor. Yet Tolkien appears, at first glance, to have ignored this pantheon in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, set in the Third Age of Middle-earth. Tolkien's letters, however, suggest the cosmological structure continues. And representatives of the Valar and Maiar can be seen at work, such as Gandalf and Saruman. Tolkien also introduces hints that his divine beings continue to influence events invisibly, as with the prominence of luck in The Hobbit and fortuitous weather conditions in The Lord of the Rings"--

Book Synopsis

Demonstrating the unity of Tolkien's created world across Middle-earth's Ages An in-depth examination of the role of divine beings in Tolkien's work, Tolkien's Cosmology: Divine Beings and Middle-earth brings together Tolkien's many references to such beings and analyzes their involvement within his created world. Unlike many other commentators, Sam McBride asserts that a careful reading of the whole of the author's corpus shows a coherent, if sometimes contradictory, divine presence in the world.

In The Silmarillion, an epic history of the First Age of Middle-earth, Tolkien describes the Ainur, angelic beings under the direction of Eru Ilúvatar, the legendarium's god, as creators of physical reality. Some of these divine beings, the Valar and the Maiar, enter physical reality to oversee its development and prepare for the appearance of sentient life forms in Middle-earth: Elves and Humans, Dwarves, and eventually Hobbits. In the early stages of this history, the Valar and Maiar interact directly with Elves and Humans, opposing the work of evil beings led by Melkor.

Yet Tolkien appears, at first glance, to have ignored this pantheon in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, set in the Third Age of Middle-earth. Tolkien's letters, however, suggest the cosmological structure continues. And representatives of the Valar and Maiar can be seen at work, such as Gandalf and Saruman. Tolkien also introduces hints that his divine beings continue to influence events invisibly, as with the prominence of luck in The Hobbit and fortuitous weather conditions in The Lord of the Rings.

In the end, McBride argues, Tolkien's cosmology allows room for everything from poor decision-making to evil, suffering, and death, all part of a belief system that will make the final victory of Good much more powerful.

Review Quotes

"Tolkien's Cosmology: Divine Beings and Middle-earth plunges readers into the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien. McBride illuminates Tolkien's ontology as it appears throughout the legendarium without asserting an agenda other than its own. Thus readers witness the dawn of creation in all its majesty, experience characters such as Gandalf and Galadriel as wondrous beings, and explore the marvels of Middle-earth in fresh new ways. The pages of the book yield new insights and gems of wisdom, reminding us that Tolkien's world is a source of never-ending wonder-- as is our own."

AMY AMENDT-RADUEGE, author of The Sweet and the Bitter: Death and Dying in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

"What Sam McBride has to say about Tolkien's cosmology and his approach to religion is important reading for any Tolkien scholar. The book is well researched and a pleasure to read, not only for its new approach and its insights into Tolkien and religion but also for its excellent overview of previous scholarship."

MAJORIE JEAN BURNS, author of Perilous Realms, Celtic and Norse in Tolkien's Middle-earth

About the Author

Sam McBride is professor of English and dean of graduate education at La Sierra University, where he teaches courses in American literature and the Inklings. He received La Sierra's Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011. He is also the coauthor of Women among the Inklings.