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How J.R.R. Tolkien Found God
Why An Agnostic and Literary Scholar Changed His Worldview
J.R.R. Tolkien, best known for his epic fantasy works “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” was heavily influenced by his Catholic faith. His conversion to Catholicism in 1900 was a turning point and ultimately shaped his worldview and writing.
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and spent most of his childhood in England. He passed away on September 2, 1973, at 81, due to complications from a bleeding ulcer. He was buried alongside his wife, Edith, in the Catholic section of Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford, England.
“The Incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien’s Anglican parents died when he was young, and he was raised by a Catholic priest, Father Francis Morgan. However, Tolkien did not convert to Catholicism until he was an adult.
The Big Conversion Influences
Tolkien was initially drawn to Catholicism through conversations with G.K. Chesterton, a writer, and philosopher who converted to…
