PUBLISHER DESCRIPTION

In his beloved story, The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien takes readers into a world unlike any other, yet so much seems familiar. As Bilbo journeys there and back again, glimpses of the spiritual are seen. Previous guides to Tolkien’s fiction have often made one of two wrong turnings: either they have entirely overlooked the Christian elements or they have claimed to find “Christian” elements everywhere, going far beyond the fundamental aspects that have been absorbed into the story.

The Christian World of The Hobbit does what no book has done: it brings Tolkien fans new delight by introducing a side of Tolkien that is rarely explored but vitally important to his writings—especially to The Hobbit. Written by internationally regarded Tolkien scholar, Devin Brown, this approachable, witty, and highly entertaining book offers up fresh perspectives to fans of The Hobbit, both the book and the film adaptation.

READER REVIEWS

'I will never read the Hobbit in the same way again! Arguably all Tolkien fans know how adamant he was that his stories were not allegories, unlike the fictional writings of his peer and friend C.S. Lewis. Professor Brown, however, highlights several Christian themes that shine through the text of both the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings saga. The book is divided into three major themes: providence, purpose, and morality.'

'A Lilly Scholar and professor of English at Asbury University in Kentucky, Devin Brown treats Tolkien’s writings with a reverence akin to scripture. His latest book is well-researched, well-organized, and worth reading for anyone who cherishes The Hobbit as (to paraphrase Tolkien’s friend C.S. Lewis) an unexpected yet indispensible world.'