On Thursday, while we were discussing things we were curious about, I thought about the importance religion played in J.R.R. Tolkien's life. It made me think about the Episcopalian youth teaching of "Godly Play." In Godly Play, after the teacher finishes teaching the lesson or bible story, they ask questions by starting with "I wonder..." It is meant to encourage children to engage in their curiosity similar to how Dr. Donovan was encouraging us.
While thinking about religion and seeing so many similarities between the exercise and a religion I am familiar with, I started to wonder about religion in Tolkien's life. I was primarily interested in how and why Tolkien's mother, Mabel, found Christianity. The "how" was easier in that Mabel found a church she liked after her husband passed away and it happened to be a Christian church, but the why of the matter alludes me. This is something I'm not surprised by.
I find religion interesting in general and I take a particular interest in what draws people to religion. After Mabel died, J.R.R. Tolkien found comfort in religion and created a strong bond as a result. I think that Mabel could have looked towards Christianity as a comfort, but I wonder if she had other reasons. She could have just taken a general interest in the religion and decided to try it. I would love to talk to her and gain a better understanding of the woman who was one of the biggest influences in Tolkien's life.
1 comment:
I too often ponder the reasons and ways that religion affected Tolkien's life and his writings. However, I never stopped to ask about his mother. I find it interesting that you did. What made you think about questioning his mother?
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