Finding God in the Hobbit

Jim Ware

Publicity Summary: With a simple hobbit in a simple hobbit-hole, Tolkien opened the window on a whole new world that has captured millions of imaginations and changed the face of literature forever. But this story of unexpected adventure is far more than goblin attacks, dragon-hoards, and riddles in the dark. It's a journey that changes a simple hobbit named Bilbo---and us---along the way. Ware, coauthor of Finding God in The Lord of the Rings, once again unlocks the mysteries of Middle-earth with insightful reflections on the scenes and characters of The Hobbit. You'll discover the deep connections that link this fantasy world to our own and unveil the mysterious workings of the Author of the Tale in your own life. Just as the very ordinary Bilbo Baggins was caught up in a web of momentous events beyond his understanding, so you also are part of a larger story. Travel to Middle-earth to discover some ways in which God is still very much at work in our world---and has a bigger purpose for you than you can ever imagine.

Book Review: I enjoyed learning more of J.R.R. Tolkien's faith and history. That his world view was so engaged in the Word of God is what separates his writing from purely allegory. I found myself really thinking about this during the book. Mr. Tolkien's mind set was so centered on Christ that he never gave a thought to imposing it on his books it just was him. I enjoyed the over view tour of the Hobbit. It brought back memories of my first encounter with this story. Going back and forth between the book and the man was engrossing. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to spend time with this book. It was well worth it.

I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

Dreams, fears, pleasures, laughter, God's unexpected intervention, endurance, tried patience, kindness and dependence on God continually weave together to shape our lives; through them, we learn dependence on God - which should prevail despite any circumstances. Bilbo's adventure in Middle Earth is no exception, and his journey is Jim Ware's illustration of the latter.

In the prologue, the author explains that this book is the result of his own reflections on "The Hobbit," which eventually took him back to God, the one who has made his life meaningful by giving it a purpose, just as Bilbo's life, through the fulfillment of his purpose, found its true meaning.

The chapters have a simple and straightforward format. First, there is an extract from "The Hobbit," which is followed by an analytical description of the approach and attitude towards God that can be found in several people in the Bible. As a valuable token, each chapter is closed with a simple and deep statement that summarizes the spiritual lesson we can learn from Bilbo's own path.

Despite the simplicity of the format, the deep and transcendental insights of each chapter are worthy to be savored slowly, even more than once. This is one of the few books that have stirred in me the wish to reread chapters and paragraphs, even sentences...

Moreover, the richness of the words Mr. Ware uses is rarely found in today's popular literature, making this a delightful read for anyone who appreciates the vast possibilities of a higher linguistic register. Precisely because of this, I would definitely recommend this book as a teaching tool in any literature or applied theology class; it is well worth the experience. Besides this, his numerous end notes and bibliography will prove to be good references. I can also picture this book being used as a devotional, particularly by those who like Tolkien or this kind of stories.

And just like the author himself states, this book describes a journey of spiritual discovery, but is not the decisive authority on the matter, very probably the reason why Bible quotes and principles are present throughout the book. It is his way of writing about how the great Author of life is always shaping our path.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. This has not biased my opinion.

Hobbits are everywhere these days, it seems. Due, in large part, to the recent release of part 1 of Peter Jackson's portrayal of the novel The Hobbit on the big screen. I have yet to see it, but I was given the opportunity to review a book related to the subject and would like to share my thoughts here. Tyndale House Publishers has graciously provided me a complimentary copy of this book.

Finding God in the Hobbit, by Jim Ware takes the reader on a devotional journey through the pages of Tolkien's classic novel. Ware has unique insight in the writings of Tolkien and it shows in the insights of this book. Each chapter reflects on a particular scene from The Hobbit and points out universal truths that we can all benefit from.

I found this book a surprisingly welcome companion during the season of Advent. I can think of no better companion than a Hobbit as I make my way to the stable at Bethlehem. Hobbits are indeed the chief characters of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. They have always fascinated me with their earthy childlikeness, simplicity of perspective and way of life. Bilbo Baggins would find himself far more at home in the Bethlehem stable than he would in the glorious Inn, where places were reserved, I'm sure, for the wealthy and powerful of this world. This has helped me own my humanity, my own earthy brokenness, which helps prepare the way to receive Christ in new and deeper ways.

The great strength of Tolkien's writings (and Ware, his disciple) is that he tells stories in such an imaginative way that reader participation involves not only entering the world of middle earth but learning to see reality itself in terms of story. All good stories, in my opinion, will help us live our own stories more faithfully and truly. Ware's thoughts on The Hobbit are a great help here. He seems like-minded to Tolkien, which makes him particularly qualified to serve as a guide through his writings.

Too many Christian interpretations of Tolkien (and Lewis) are sentimental in their attempt to force an allegorical interpretation. Some try to see Jesus in every character and circumstance. Tolkien never intended this, and I'm grateful to Mr. Ware for pointing this out. Ware comments, "Tolkien understood, as many of his readers and critics did not, that it is one thing to concoct an allegory and quite another to reflect universal principles and eternal realities in a timeless tale. . . . Through the ruse of an entertaining and imaginative tale, Tolkien drew back the veil of familiarity and boredom that covered my school day existence and revealed the world to me in a new light, as a land of perilous beauty and wondrous delight, a place gloriously haunted by the Presence of a Person 'who is never absent and never named.'" (165, 168)

Ware further develops this point by quoting Tolkien's Letters, ". . . each of us is an allegory, embodying in a particular tale and clothed in the garments of time and place, universal truth and everlasting life." (165).

Overall Ware's book is a great read and I highly recommend it! His work reminds me of the words of another blogger, David Mathis, who said, "Finding Jesus in The Hobbit doesn't mean shoe-horning Gandalf or Bilbo or anyone else into some Christ mold, but following the story, truly tracking its twists, feeling its angst, and knowing that the "turn" – the Great Unexpected Rescue just in the nick of time, the place where our souls are most stirred and relieved and satisfied – is tapping into something deep in us, some way in which God spring-loaded us for the Great Story and the extent to which he went to reclaim us. (12/13/12 Desiring God Blog titled, "How To Watch 'The Hobbit'")

This book is about J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit but it's also about the author's own personal insights and how to appreciate and apply them to our everyday lives.

When I first started this book I was finishing up The Hobbit, so everything was still very fresh in my mind (I would definitely recommend re-reading right before reading this book, it helped my concentration a lot better than if I hadn't read it in quite a while).

This is not a book you read before reading The Hobbit. If you haven't read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings trilogy you would be lost.

I wanted to read this book 1 chapter a day, but since I was a little cramped for time it didn't always happen, but it would make a wonderful devotional!

At the end of each chapter (which are really short) there is a little thought to reflect on that basically sums up that chapter. I really liked those, they kept me thinking for most of the day. I liked the insights and I found myself loving The Hobbit even more.

I think this book is really deserving of another re-read! It was a really cool read I highly recommend it to fans of The Hobbit!

This book was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

Title - Finding God in The Hobbit

Author - Jim Ware

Pages - 177

This book is like a Hobbit, small and full of unexpected wisdom. Jim Ware shows us things in Tolkiens books that I never would have seen. Let us start with something Tolkien was very familiar with, something we see often in the adventures of Bilbo and Frodo, something that enriches my world here having met it there in Middle Earth. It is the Eucatastrophe, or good catastrophe. A eucatastrophe is defined as "rather than an invasion of sorrow it is the surprise of joy bursting onto a seemingly hopeless situation, the certainty of death and destruction undone by the unexpected intrusion of life and resurrection. In a word, the Gospel." Yes, the Gospel is in Middle earth, and not because Tolkien wrote a wooden allegory, but because all good books are about the themes of this world, and this is one of the core themes. We find this theme as the Gospel in God's word, and we find this theme coming out in books by discerning men. Tolkien was a discerning man, and he knew that the Gospel came into his books. He wrote a letter to Deborah Webster in 1958, saying "I am a Christian," and this "can be deduced from my stories." And that is what Jim Ware does. He deduces the Christian Truth in these wonderful stories. As a student of both Scripture and The Hobbit, we will find our time in Middle Earth and our time in our earth richer after seeing what Jim Ware saw. There are problems in our world that Middle earth will help us solve. The eagles are one of those. In the Hobbit, and in the Return of the King, when the hobbits are in danger and there is no way out by their own strength, the Eagles come flying in and carry them away. In most fantasy stories this might be the author's way of getting his heroes out of a corner he wrote them into, and we would have to enjoy the story but know that that rarely happens in life. Also, in most stories there would be a glaring contradiction, because as one of Jim's friends points out "If the eagles can fly anywhere and save the heroes, why didn't the elves just have them fly the ring to the mountain and drop it in the crack?" That at first seems unresolvable. But study resolves the question. What at first seems a slip of the author turns out to have profound truth in it. "There is a pattern to the eagle rescues that dot the pages of Middle earth history. This pattern points to a certain wonderful and startling conclusion. It suggests that we might be justified in seeing these majestic birds as a beautiful symbol of Grace, Free and Sovereign Grace... Because Grace isn't something you can control. Like Bilbo and Frodo, you can only look up and receive it with a sigh of relief. You can only give thanks and shout Hallelujah! when it swoops down to save you out of a hopeless impasse. To experience Grace is to be left speechless and awestruck- not wondering how you might have found a way to take advantage of it earlier on."

The Eagles are not ordinary eagles, they are the Eagles of Manwe, and they are controlled by the King of the earth. They are not for hire, by Elrond or anyone else. Their Master knows the Hobbit's plight, and when he wills he sends them to save. In Biblical terns the eagles can be compared to The Eyes of the Lord, that run to and fro throughout all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." 2 Chronicles 16 verse 9. "They function as executors of the divine will, extensions of Love that defies mortal comprehension and reaches down to men and elves from a place beyond the boundaries of the world." These Eagles also will only save when their Master commands them to, and for reasons not understood by man the eagles could not carry the ring. Frodo and Sam had to carry it for a time.

Another beauty of this book is the same thing that made Tolkien beloved of all of us. The "good liking" in his books. The love of hearth and Home, the love of pipe and supper and stories and slippers. Stephen Lawhead called Tolkiens work a Praise Hymn for the Goodness of Creation, the goodness of the physical universe. This book celebrates that. from the Hobbits who loved the good comforts of Home to the dwarves who loved skillfully worked gems to the Elves who loved beauty and purity.

Read this book. Read it in one evening on a comfortable sofa in December, with a woodstove burning, and a few Christmas lights glowing. Read it and marvel at all you will be enjoying next time you read the Hobbit that you never saw before. Tyndale House gave me this book for an honest review.