Rating: 
Summary: Okay, as far as it goes...
Review: Which, unfortunately, is not far enough. What was in the book was fine, but, because the authors are Protestant and writing for a Protestant publisher, there was just so much left out. Tolkien was a pre-Vatican II Catholic, living in a country which had, since the 1500s been often very anti-Catholic. His Catholic identity and culture and faith were personally very strong and were evident throughout the entire "Lord of the Rings" saga. If a Catholic author had written a similar book, it would have included such things as: lembas as viaticum ("food for the journey", the Eucharistic connection), elf lore in poetry and song (Marian images and the Mysteries of the Rosary), the Stations of the Cross (Frodo and Sam),Purgatory (the dead who follow Aragorn, himself a symbol of Christ the King), the Communion of Saints (Elbereth), the Church Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant, free will contrasted with predestination. The list, like the road, "goes ever on and on"! While it's true that Tolkien hated allegory, it's also true that "The Lord of the Rings" was not separate from who he was, and his identity was bound up with these Catholic ideas and images."The Lord of the Rings" and its prequel "The Silmarillion", are amazingly religious books, but I don't think that "Finding God in the Lord of the Rings" fully explores the depths of their religious content. Still, all in all, it was worth reading, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this dimension of Tolkien's works. Just don't expect too much depth.
Rating:
Summary: Light but potentially enlightening
Review: With the installment of the hit movie adaptations of "The Lord of the Rings," there have been dozens of books reprinted or published in an effort to jump in on the cash wagon. "Finding God in the Lord of the Rings" has a more unusual purpose, as it seems to be more of a reassurance that the trilogy (books or movies) is in no way objectionable and has good stuff in it. Bruner and Ware examine various passages in "Lord of the Rings," and then examine Biblical passages and teachings that can be associated (indirectly) with the scenes from Tolkien's work. Themes such as humility, friendship, knowing that good and evil are not packaged obviously, the nature of evil, and so on are explored. The Lord of the Rings, the foremost and best fantasy work, is not a religious book the way we think of it. However, as Tolkien was a devout Catholic, it would have been nearly impossible for him to not frame the heroes of Middle-Earth in his beliefs. Themes about temptation, redemption, punishment, good and evil, and theology are included in his created universe. However, as I am glad the authors acknowledged, Tolkien disliked parables and would never have made those beliefs blatant. Rather they were elements of morality, and actions that the heroes took. Several of their chapters are quite nice and even thought-provoking. Some of them, such as "Shutting Out The Night" and "The Last Homely House," get a little sidetracked and start to sound slightly strained. And many of the lessons are pretty basic and bland, skimming the surface but never going into the deeper implications of morality and the impact of religion upon the book. But the writing style is breezy and the authors never get too tangled in their own words and theories. And they never become enmeshed in psychological speculation (either about Tolkien or the characters) or irrelevant New Age stuff. There are some annoying flaws. For one thing, it is "Elven," not "Elvin." Second, the authors sidestep several faith-related points in the book, due to the fact that they directly reflected Tolkien's Roman Catholic faith. When talking about Christianity's influence on "Lord of the Rings," not talking about Tolkien being a Catholic is like talking about Legolas but neglecting to mention that he is an Elf. There are various other errors, which while they do not undermine the messages in the book, are more than a little distracting. It's a nice but ultimately lightweight look at "Lord of the Rings" and the moral and religious overtones present in it. If you're new to "Lord of the Rings," then you might want to read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Spiritual insights into Tolkien's classic trilogy
Review: Written by Kurt Bruner (a vice-president of Focus on the Family, perhaps best known for its Peabody Award-winning Focus on the Family Radio Theatre programs), and Jim Ware (a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary), this Oasis Audio edition of Finding God In The Lord Of The Rings is an unabridged CD audiobook rendition of spiritual insights into Tolkien's classic The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Respecting J.R.R. Tolkien's own abiding faith and revealing how it threads through the difficult journeys of his cherished yet fallible heroes, Finding God In The Lord Of The Rings is a deeply moving and inspirational experience which is very highly recommended and inspirationally rewarding listening. 3 CDS, 3 hours.
Rating: 
Summary: poor contents
Review: you cannot discuss another world with the customs of this world. the world that tolkien had created never existed and it is completely different than this one (and if you have any doubts, take a look at silmarillion). there's a lot of another sort of things to take a look at in a book, you have to live in the world of the writer, not your world. this is what the authors couldn't do in this book. in my opinion, this book is waste of money.
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