The Messiah Comes to Middle Earth

The Messiah Comes to Middle-Earth: Images of Christ's Threefold Office in The Lord of the Rings

By Phillip Ryken

If you love JRR Tolkien and you love Jesus, this book is a must read! It’s based on a lecture series given by Dr. Phillip Ryken, president of Wheaton College. Full disclosure: I am a Wheaton College graduate, the author’s father was one of my professors, and basically, I’m totally biased. However. This book is still a delight. Trust me.

One of my favorite things about literature is that it can give insight, and help us to understand not only life, but the significance of what Christ did for us on the cross.

In this book, Ryken looks at the threefold office of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. He evaluates these roles in light of the three great protagonists in the Lord of the Rings books: Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn. If you are familiar with the stories, you will already have great love for each character. But this book takes a deeper look at the function of each character in the greater story, and fleshes out these roles as fulfilled by Christ.

Some say the Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest stories ever told. I’m not going to argue with those people, but when The Greatest Story (the Gospel) is juxtaposed against LOTR, both great stories are further illuminated, and I believe the reader will be richer for it.

It’s a short book, great for devotional reading, and as an added bonus, each section (which was based on a single lecture) includes a short response from another professor. While the content is highly intellectual, the writing is very accessible. You don’t need to be a professor to enjoy this book, but you might come away from it feeling smarter.

Highly recommend!

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Jennifer Fromke is a novelist who writes from NC, where she pines for colder temperatures all year long. Northerners by upbringing, she and her husband of 26 years have raised three Southern-ish children, much to their amazement. Jennifer reviews books at Shetalksbooks.com and you can download a free story from her website when you sign up for her newsletter at jenniferfromke.com. She writes contemporary women’s fiction and email. Lots of email.