What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hobbit (Audio CD): Discovering Grace and Providence in Bilbo's Adventures
In this companion course to The Hidden Meaning of The Lord of the Rings , Professor Joseph Pearce highlights the "fundamentally religious and Catholic" nature of Tolkien's famous novel, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again .
In this course, Joseph Pearce shows that Tolkien's own words about The Lord of the Rings being a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work" also apply to The Hobbit . Some readers mistakenly believe that J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit , is just a simple children's story. Tolkien might have written the book for his children's entertainment, but the best children's literature always has a deep level of meaning, and The Hobbit is no exception.
Professor Pearce gives you three keys to a true understanding of The Hobbit's applicability to everyday
Bilbo Baggins of Bag End and his adventures can serve as a mirror for our journey through life. Even though we won't find ourselves travelling through goblin-infested mountains, chased by spiders, or threatened by trolls, we can see that virtue is only attained through grace by slaying the monsters and demons which try to prevent our passage into eternal glory. Tolkien's profoundly Catholic worldview allows us to transcend the literal meaning of the story and apply its theological lessons to our own lives.
In this course, Joseph Pearce shows that Tolkien's own words about The Lord of the Rings being a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work" also apply to The Hobbit . Some readers mistakenly believe that J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit , is just a simple children's story. Tolkien might have written the book for his children's entertainment, but the best children's literature always has a deep level of meaning, and The Hobbit is no exception.
Professor Pearce gives you three keys to a true understanding of The Hobbit's applicability to everyday
Bilbo Baggins of Bag End and his adventures can serve as a mirror for our journey through life. Even though we won't find ourselves travelling through goblin-infested mountains, chased by spiders, or threatened by trolls, we can see that virtue is only attained through grace by slaying the monsters and demons which try to prevent our passage into eternal glory. Tolkien's profoundly Catholic worldview allows us to transcend the literal meaning of the story and apply its theological lessons to our own lives.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2012
7 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Pearce
183 books297 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author with this name on GR
Joseph Pearce (born 1961) is an English-born writer, and as of 2004 Writer in Residence and Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida; previously he had a comparable position, from 2001, at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He is known for a number of literary biographies, many of Catholic figures. Formerly aligned with the National Front, a white nationalist political party, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1989, repudiated his earlier views, and now writes from a Catholic perspective. He is a co-editor of the St. Austin Review and editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press.
Joseph Pearce (born 1961) is an English-born writer, and as of 2004 Writer in Residence and Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida; previously he had a comparable position, from 2001, at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He is known for a number of literary biographies, many of Catholic figures. Formerly aligned with the National Front, a white nationalist political party, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1989, repudiated his earlier views, and now writes from a Catholic perspective. He is a co-editor of the St. Austin Review and editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 25, 2024
This was something completely different than what I reach for and may have been a bit over my head as I am not a Catholic scholar or practitioner but still I really enjoyed these lectures! I knew C.S Lewis and Tolkien would good friends and both were religious and wrote classics but I never considered the hobbit through the lenses of religious growth. I appreciated the new insights to a beloved novel and it makes me want to read the series again with what I now know in consideration
September 12, 2023
Absolutely amazing deep dive into The Hobbit and its "deeply Catholic" meaning. Fans of Tolkien must listen to these wonderful lectures, as should all Christians.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews