Following Gandalf: Epic Battles and Moral Victory in the Lord of the Rings

I have read a lot of critical work on Tolkien, and this was a refreshing change of topic. As opposed to the usual linguistic/mythic examination of his work, this book examines the role of war and of moral conflict. Mr. Dickerson writes well, and has a knowledge of tolkien's works. Well worth your time.

I have been reading as many of the recently published short works about Tolkien as I can find, and although Mr. Dickerson's has been one of many, I would have to categorize it as one of a kind. I'm sure we'll be seeing many "spin-off" books on the market, as more and more publishers take advantage of the interest in Lord of the Rings that has been generated by the films. However, it is quite apparent that this author's presentation is no last-minute thesis, cobbled together to jump on the LOTR bandwagon. His attitude toward the source material is thoughtful and respectful, growing out of a deep understanding of both Tolkien's work and his own Christian faith, and he manages to present a thoroughly Christian viewpoint without preachiness or jargon. While short and easy to read, the coverage of themes such as "moral victory versus military victory," "the relationship between free will and human creativity," and the contrast of "hope and despair"---although perhaps mentioned in some other recent works---is here explained clearly and discussed thoroughly by a knowledgable author. Dickerson's references to the films maintains an appreciative neutral approach to what has been accomplished in the first two movies, and his book has enough new and original material to make it worth reading even for those who are steeped in Tolkien-related writings.

I taught a course on Tolkien in a church using Following Gandalf as one of my main texts. Dickerson's main point is the difference between war and moral victory rather than Christian influences in Tolkien's writings, particularaly Lord of the Rings. One of Dickerson's points is that Tolkien's view of war vs. moral victory comes from the Christian Faith that he was raised in. Dickerson uses passages from various books in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, to illustrate the ways in which, as Tolkien put it, "I have consciously planned very little; and should chiefly be grateful for having been brought up (since I was eight) in a Faith that has nourished me and taught me all the little that I know (Dickerson, 218)." In other words, Tolkien did not plan on Middle-Earth being Christian, but he understands that anything he writes is going to be profoundly Christian because of its influences on his own life. Thus, as a side effect to Dickerson's thesis, I found Following Gandalf to be immensely valueable concerning the Christian influences in Tolkein.

This fascinating book is a philosophic look into the worldview of author J.R.R. Tolkien and his classic work, The Lord of the Rings. Moving smoothly from topic to topic, the author looks at the battles in Tolkien's works and how he presented war, the importance of moral victories over physical or military ones, the importance of human freedom, hope and despair, salvation, and God (his presence and absence in Tolkien's works). Along the way, the reader is treated to a lot of fascinating analyses, including the nature of the One Ring.I must admit that I was surprised by the excellence of this book! I had expected that this book would be dry and academic, but instead I found the book to be enlightening and fascinating to read. If you are a fan of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, then I highly recommend this book, to get a deeper understanding of that classic work.

Dickerson has crafted a lively and trenchant response to those who think that Tolkien wrote books glorifying combat and who ignore the rich moral dimension of Tolkien's work. It's very readable and, I think, worthwhile both as an introduction to Tolkien (for those who are not very familiar with Tolkien) and to the moral underpinnings of Tolkien's work (for us Tolkien-philes). Dickerson somehow manages to distill into an inviting format a comprehensive overview of Tolkien's cosmology, and metaphysics, and to show how Tolkien uses epic battles, the "gift" of mortality, and tragic form to critique the empty ethical views of Tolkien's time as well as of our own time. I've heard Dickerson lecture on Tolkien at several universities, and can attest both to his profound knowledge of Tolkien's work and to his sheer enjoyment of Tolkien's (sub-)creation, both of which come through nicely in this book. By the way, Dickerson's other recent book, "Hammers and Nails" is also well worth the purchase price. Like "Following Gandalf", "Hammers and Nails" looks at the work of a lesser-known poet and musician, Mark Heard in order to tease out its subtle but morally fecund background. Even if you haven't heard of Heard or his music (covered by the likes of Bruce Cockburn) you'll likely find Heard's reflections on vocation, art and creativity a delight.