Bilbo’s Journey: The Hidden Meaning in the Hobbit
Overview
In Bilbo’s Journey, go beyond the dragons, dwarves, and elves to discover the surprisingly deep meaning of J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic novel The Hobbit.
Bilbo’s quest to find and slay the dragon Smaug is a riveting tale of daring and heroism, but as renowned Tolkien scholar Joseph Pearce shows, it’s not simply Bilbo’s journey—it’s our journey too. It’s the Christian journey of self-sacrifice out of love for others and abandonment to providence and grace.
In Bilbo’s Journey, you will relive the excitement of Tolkien’s classic tale, while discovering the profound Christian meaning that makes The Hobbit a truly timeless adventure.
With Logos Bible Software, it’s easier than ever to use this valuable resource. Bilbo’s Journey integrates seamlessly with your digital library, so you can access this resource from your desktop, tablet, or smartphone. All Scripture references link directly to the text of the Bible, making your study both scripturally sound and rewarding.
Key Features
- Discusses the Christian meaning in The Hobbit
- Explores moral and anagogical applicability
Contents
- Bilbo’s Pilgrimage
- An Unexpected Parting
- Trusting in “Luck”
- The Cleverness of Orcs
- Gollum and the Ring
- Bilbo Comes of Age
- The Return of the King
- Above All Shadows Rides the Sun
- Dragon Sickness
- Dragon Pride Precedeth a Fall
- Bilbo the Peacemaker
- Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
Top Highlights
“The paradoxical consequence of the dragon sickness is that the things possessed possess the possessor” (Page 8)
“The more truly we can see life as a fairytale,’ said the great G. K. Chesterton, ‘the more clearly the tale resolves itself into war with the dragon who is wasting fairyland.’” (Page 6)
“On the one hand, grace is always available to those who seek it and ask for it, biasing ‘fortune’ in the direction of goodness; yet, on the other hand, the fallenness of nature means that man’s natural tendency is towards concupiscence and its destructive consequences. If we don’t ask for help, we are bound to fall. It is in this choice, rooted in the gift and responsibility of free will, that the struggle with evil is won or lost. The will must willingly cooperate with grace or, in its failure to do so, must inevitably fall into evil. Far from the struggle being a ‘mere posturing in a rigged boat,’ it is a dangerous adventure in a perilous realm.” (Page 7)
“in parallel with Frodo’s journey from the Shire to Mount Doom, is a mirror of Everyman’s journey through life” (Page 3)
“The more detached the bearer is from his possession, the less possessed is he by it.” (Page 8)
Product Details
- Title: Bilbo’s Journey: The Hidden Meaning in the Hobbit
- Author: Joseph Pearce
- Publisher: St. Benedict Press
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 120
About Joseph Pearce
Joseph Pearce is a writer in residence and visiting fellow at Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack, NH. He is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of higher education from Thomas More College for the Liberal Arts and the Pollock Award for Christian Biography. He is a coeditor of the St. Austin Review, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press Critical Editions, and editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press. He is a renowned biographer whose books include Candles in the Dark: The Authorized Biography of Fr. Ho Lung and the Missionaries of the Poor, Through Shakespeare’s Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays, and Tolkien: Man and Myth, a Literary Life.
Reviews
3 ratings
Robert J Farthing
10/11/2022
Tolkien himself eschews the idea that there is anything allegorical in his writings. He says he just wanted to tell a mythical story from his own land (England). For any author to claim there is hidden Biblical meaning in the pages of Middle Earth is absurd. Enjoy the story as a wonderful tale of friendship and heroism, but don't read more into it than Tolkien intended.
Robert Polahar
10/23/2019
Dr. Paul B. Conor
4/2/2014
Bill Shewmaker
8/26/2013
