The White Council

Re: Eru Illuvatar and his nightime job as the Devil

Tolkien and Inklings Discussion

: Fair comment, my apologies for the confusion. : To go back to why the topic intersets me and I brought it up - it is easy to draw comparisons between religion in Middle-Earth and Christianity (and also other religious viewpoints), the interesting thing is that Middle-Earth is invented and therefore some definitive conclusions can be formulated, 'real-world' religions are based on faith and no such conclusions can be drawn as you are working from faith and fable, not fact. : In short, Eru Illuvatar will act as per the authors instruction, 'God' will act as to the individual's faith and expectations. Eru is therefore a more easily understood and unmasked God as he is not real. 'God' is possibly real, but this cannot be proved (I spent three years at Uni doing philosophy, esp. philosophy of religion - there is no convincing argument either way). Therefore I think the comparison between Eru and God cannot be made - no grounds for comparison. : Don Q

No, you cannot compare Eru to God. However,the heavenly order in Middle Earth is, in my opinion, obviously based on the Christian heavenly order, after that point there is wide divergence. The main example is that Eru creates Arda , but it is the Maiar who actually shape Arda, and create,with Eru's approval, the plants and creatures that inhabit Arda, before Eru creates the Elves and Man. Definitely not the Christian creation.

Also, there does not appear to organized religious worship of Eru or Middle Earth's heavenly order, at least none that we can see. Melkor is the only one that comes close to having organized worship. For the most part, Elves and Men only tend to call on, or pray to, the "gods" to aid them in times of great need, group or indivigual. This reminds me of heroes in the Norse saga's. The reluctence of all but a few Maia interact or intefer in the affairs of Middle Earth is also another reminder.

No, the religion of Middle Earth is not the religion of our time,nor we cannot compare the two. However, I firmly believe that the religious teachings of our time are firmly inter-twined in Middle Earth. Most, if not all, derive from Catholicism and I belive this was intentional on Tolkien's part.