The spiritual Tolkien milieu : a study of fiction‐based religion

Davidsen, M.A. (2014)

Doctoral Thesis

For most, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy books are just fiction, but for a small group of people, they are much more than that. Across the world, individuals and small groups have created religious rituals and traditions based on Tolkien's works. These practitioners of ‘Tolkien religion' invoke the supernatural beings from Tolkien's stories in rituals inspired by modern witchcraft, or they make shamanic journeys to Middle-earth to visit those beings there. Some believe that they are ‘awakened elves': they have discovered that their ancestors were elves, or believe to be elven souls trapped in human bodies. Tolkien religion can be identified as an example of fiction-based religion, for it is religion based on fiction rather than on texts that claim to be true history. There are more fiction-based religion besides Tolkien religion - Star Wars-based Jediism is one - and in the book, a theoretical apparatus is developed for the study fiction-based religion in general. I first formulate a theory of the ‘religious affordances' of texts, on basis of which it is possible to predict whether a given piece of fiction is usable as an authoritative text for religion. Tolkien's stories have religious affordances, partly because Tolkien suggests that the supernatural entities in his stories might exist, both in the prologue to The Lord of the Rings and in many of his letters. Second, a theory is developed of the dynamics of belief in religious tradition. I argue that the core of all religions, including Tolkien religion, consists of rituals in which contact is sought with supernatural agents. Personal beliefs and doctrinal systems must be seen as second-order phenomena that explain and justify ritual practice. In the case of fiction-based religion, a key function of these beliefs is to legitimise the very use of fiction as a source of religious inspiration. The spiritual Tolkien milieu is tiny, but it makes visible three important trends in contemporary religion: the individualisation of religious authority, the psychologisation of religious practice, and the increasing use of fiction as a source of religious inspiration.

• Fiction-based religion
• Tolkien
• Belief
• New religions
• Semiotics of religion

• All authors: Davidsen, M.A.
• Supervisor: Jong, A.F. de
• Qualification: Doctor (dr.)
• Awarding Institution: Leiden Center for the Study of Religion, Humanities, Leiden University
• Date: 2014-10-16
• Sponsorship: The Danish Council for Independent Research (Humanities).