On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis
The world of J. R. R. Tolkien is filled with strange creatures, elaborately crafted lore, ancient tongues, and magic that exists only in fantasy; yet the lessons taught by hobbits and wizards speak powerfully and practically to our real lives. Courage, valor, trust, pride, greed, and jealousy--these are not fictional virtues. This is the stuff of real life, the Christian life. Professor and author Louis Markos takes us on the road with Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, with looks at selected classic works of literature as well, to show how great stories bring us so much more than entertainment. They inspire and convict, imparting truth in unforgettable ways.
Rediscover the virtue of great storytelling and the power of fantasy to transform our reality.
From the Back Cover
Classical virtue has been lost.
Courage, valor, trust, and friendship seem to be things of the past, of a different age and era. But is that because we have simply forgotten how to see them and learn them?
There was a time when virtue and vice were learned not through mere lessons and propositions but through stories. Real life truth and goodness was communicated powerfully through fantastical fiction. Louis Markos takes us back to that day and that reality.
Through the iconic works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis we are reintroduced to classic virtues, both good and bad. Markos shows the reader how powerful stories and their characters act as teachers and examples of what to be and not to be in real life.
Rediscover the power of stories and the importance of virtue through this beautiful work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Stories to Steer By
PART I: THE ROADChapter 1: The Lure of the Road
Chapter 2: Responding to the Call
Chapter 3: Dangers on the Road
Chapter 4: The End of the Road
PART II: THE CLASSICAL VIRTUESChapter 5: The Courage to Endure
Chapter 6: Temperance and Tobacco
Chapter 7: The Wisdom that Discerns
Chapter 8: The Justice of the King
PART III: THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUESChapter 9: Rehabilitating Friendship
Chapter 10: The Eyes of Faith
Chapter 11: Hope and the Happy Ending
Chapter 12: The Love that Pities and Forgives
PART IV: EVILChapter 13: Forbidden Fruit
Chapter 14: Perversion and Corruption
Chapter 15: Blinded by the Light
Chapter 16: Egyptian Alliances
Conclusion: In Defense of Stories
Appendix A: Tolkien and Middle-Earth: A Bibliographical Essay
Appendix B: Lewis and Narnia: A Bibliographical Essay
"The mistake that Uncle Andrew made was not because he believed that wealth could be brought back from Narnia. His mistake was in refusing to bring back the right kind of wealth -- it is wisdom we need, not more steel and battleships. Louis Markos has remedied that problem, importing a great of wisdom from Narnia, and Middle Earth as well, with plenty to spare. I am happy to recommend On the Shoulders of Hobbits."
Douglas Wilson, author of What I Learned in Narnia
"Thoughtful, helpful, insightful, On the Shoulders of Hobbits reminds us just how much is to be gained by standing on the shoulders of Tolkien and Lewis, those Christian literary giants."
Michael Ward, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to C.S. Lewis
“A book that richly celebrates the place of story in our lives—even as it invites us to walk the road with, and glean life lessons from, some of J.R.R. Tolkien’s finest characters.”
Kevin Belmonte, editor of A Year with G.K. Chesterton, and lead historical consultant for the film, Amazing Grace.
"Louis Markos' thoughtful exploration of virtue through the writings of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, and young people seeking models and guides for living a life shaped by, and infused with, the richness of Christian virtues."
Holly Ordway, Houston Baptist University and author of Not God's Type
Product Details
- Title : On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis
- Authors:
- Markos, Louis
- Kreeft, Peter
- Publisher: Moody Publishers
- Publication Date: 2012
- ISBN: 9781575678542