Wayne County Life

Park Presbyterian Church in Newark will host a discussion on the faith of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his use of Christian teachings in his writings.  The discussion will be held on Wednesday, August 20, at 6:30 p.m.

While wizards, elves, and rings of power are not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Christian literature, J.R.R. Tolkien was indeed a devout Christian whose deep faith can be found in every nook and cranny of Middle Earth. 

The discussion will be led by Rev. Kirk Baker, pastor of Park Presbyterian Church.  "Tolkien believed that everything a Christian does should naturally reflect the truths of the Bible," Baker says of the author.  "So Tolkien did not, as C.S. Lewis did, create obvious archetypes based on Biblical figures; but, he included Biblical ideas in all his books, in different ways.  Director Peter Jackson seems to have appreciated this, and sometimes his movies feel more directly linked to Biblical examples than the novels."

The discussion is free and open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served.  Please contact the church with any questions at (315) 331-2255, or parkchurch110@gmail.com.