Please note: The following text contains spoilers. Viewer discretion is also advised – this film is rated ‘PG’. For more details on the film’s content, read Focus On The Family’s Plugged In review.
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us…
Unbelievably, 2021 will mark 20 years since Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, debuted upon our silver screens. A fantasy epic quite unlike any other before it, Fellowship was not only a thrilling, technical marvel, but it also succeeded in delivering the first of three faithful adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. On the surface, Fellowship (and the rest of the trilogy) perfectly embodies the archetypal tale of good vs. evil, similar to the Star Wars saga for instance. And, much like its Sci-Fi counterpart, Rings shares many a connection with key motifs of the Bible – particularly in regard to that of sin, faith and wisdom. Tolkien himself denied that his books were in fact an outright Christian allegory, but he admitted that God was certainly on his mind throughout his writing process, due to his background as a “devout Roman Catholic”. As a result of this, countless books and articles have been written to help Christians ‘find God’ in the Lord of The Rings, thereby enabling them to share the Good News with their friends. And he is indeed there – but out of all the most notable biblical connections throughout this film series, Fellowship’s embodiment of Christ shines through as the brightest.
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us…
Unbelievably, 2021 will mark 20 years since Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, debuted upon our silver screens. A fantasy epic quite unlike any other before it, Fellowship was not only a thrilling, technical marvel, but it also succeeded in delivering the first of three faithful adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy. On the surface, Fellowship (and the rest of the trilogy) perfectly embodies the archetypal tale of good vs. evil, similar to the Star Wars saga for instance. And, much like its Sci-Fi counterpart, Rings shares many a connection with key motifs of the Bible – particularly in regard to that of sin, faith and wisdom. Tolkien himself denied that his books were in fact an outright Christian allegory, but he admitted that God was certainly on his mind throughout his writing process, due to his background as a “devout Roman Catholic”. As a result of this, countless books and articles have been written to help Christians ‘find God’ in the Lord of The Rings, thereby enabling them to share the Good News with their friends. And he is indeed there – but out of all the most notable biblical connections throughout this film series, Fellowship’s embodiment of Christ shines through as the brightest.
Without getting too carried away with explaining the intricacies of Tolkien’s plotting and the world of Middle Earth, the fundamental outline of Fellowship’s sprawling narrative is thus: Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) lives in the peace-filled region of The Shire, located within the north-western lands of Middle Earth. Mostly sheltered from the nefarious goings-on in distant lands, Frodo and his fellow hobbits enjoy the simple comforts of home, family and a warm hearth. But upon inheriting a mysterious gold ring which belonged to his adventurer cousin, Bilbo (Ian Holm), Frodo is informed by the wise wizard Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellen) that it is a long-forgotten object which can be wielded in order to commit unspeakable evils. As Ring-bearer, Frodo is tasked (alongside eight companions) with destroying the One Ring, so that he might save Middle-earth from the rule of the Dark Lord Sauron.
Standing at an average height of three feet six inches, Hobbits aren’t naturally well-suited to the heroic archetype so critical to fantasy narratives - from Jason and the Argonauts to Harry Potter. For instance, Frodo himself isn’t at all interested in embarking upon the quest for the sake of adventure or saving a damsel in distress, but rather, he chooses to embrace the role of a hero in order that he might save the Shire (and by extension, Middle-earth) which he so loves. He is a meek, human-like creature of average build for a Hobbit, isn’t of any nobility or great social standing, but derives instead from humble beginnings. And yet, he was nonetheless chosen for a purpose. Perhaps if we were to have chosen the hero of The Lord of The Rings, from the many colourful characters which populate the sprawling narrative, we would be more likely to have chosen the warrior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) or the powerful wizard, Gandalf. But Frodo was chosen because of his growing willingness to sacrifice himself completely for the sake of the world and his love for it, which naturally draws us to compare Frodo to Christ – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”, John 15:13 (NRSV). Yes, he is an ‘incomplete’ Christ figure, in that he eventually allows himself to fall prey to the schemes of Middle-earth’s very own Devil, Sauron. However, Frodo makes the initial, conscious decision to submit his will to that of the one who sent him, despite the realisation that taking the Ring to Mordor would almost certainly lead to his own death - destroying first his mind, soul and then his physical body.
Standing at an average height of three feet six inches, Hobbits aren’t naturally well-suited to the heroic archetype so critical to fantasy narratives - from Jason and the Argonauts to Harry Potter. For instance, Frodo himself isn’t at all interested in embarking upon the quest for the sake of adventure or saving a damsel in distress, but rather, he chooses to embrace the role of a hero in order that he might save the Shire (and by extension, Middle-earth) which he so loves. He is a meek, human-like creature of average build for a Hobbit, isn’t of any nobility or great social standing, but derives instead from humble beginnings. And yet, he was nonetheless chosen for a purpose. Perhaps if we were to have chosen the hero of The Lord of The Rings, from the many colourful characters which populate the sprawling narrative, we would be more likely to have chosen the warrior Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) or the powerful wizard, Gandalf. But Frodo was chosen because of his growing willingness to sacrifice himself completely for the sake of the world and his love for it, which naturally draws us to compare Frodo to Christ – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”, John 15:13 (NRSV). Yes, he is an ‘incomplete’ Christ figure, in that he eventually allows himself to fall prey to the schemes of Middle-earth’s very own Devil, Sauron. However, Frodo makes the initial, conscious decision to submit his will to that of the one who sent him, despite the realisation that taking the Ring to Mordor would almost certainly lead to his own death - destroying first his mind, soul and then his physical body.
Frodo’s noble desire to aid his fellow man in defeating the powers of darkness, is perhaps best illustrated by a scene in which Frodo, and a whole host of representatives from powerful kingdoms throughout Middle-earth, are debating whose responsibility it is to destroy the One Ring. Frodo and his fellow Hobbits are paid little to no attention, but this is especially true once those attending this council meeting, begin arguing and shouting unintelligibly. This cacophonic display of anger and hate takes centre stage, with physical fights threatening to break out before him. The council members never stop to wonder if Frodo is suited to this task, or that he could even complete it. Instead, they exclude him totally from the conversation. Frodo, accepting that this is his calling, shouts as loudly as he can above the noise: “I will take it”. His decision is not made so that he would purely receive power, glory, honour or praise, but because it is what must be done, in order to save the world.
Those present within the council meeting, turn to face Frodo in complete shock. To nominate the ‘halfling’ as the one who will destroy the One Ring, is preposterous to them who are men of worldly mind. And yet, both in spite of him and because of him, Frodo is later revealed to be the only one who could take the ring to Mordor, thereby accomplishing this impossible task. It is his purely noble reason for taking this difficult task upon himself (love), which allows him to succeed in the long run. But think of those who would have prevented him from embarking upon such a quest - not only would they perish, but their entire world around them would also. Such characters remind me of the Jews and Gentiles to whom Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 (NIV):
Those present within the council meeting, turn to face Frodo in complete shock. To nominate the ‘halfling’ as the one who will destroy the One Ring, is preposterous to them who are men of worldly mind. And yet, both in spite of him and because of him, Frodo is later revealed to be the only one who could take the ring to Mordor, thereby accomplishing this impossible task. It is his purely noble reason for taking this difficult task upon himself (love), which allows him to succeed in the long run. But think of those who would have prevented him from embarking upon such a quest - not only would they perish, but their entire world around them would also. Such characters remind me of the Jews and Gentiles to whom Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 1:23-25 (NIV):
“…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
For them, the very notion that Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth, the carpenter’s son, would be the Messiah, the key prophetic figure of the Torah, was simply unbelievable. He wasn’t of noble birth (that they could easily deduce anyway), or exactly ‘special’ in a godly sense. And yet, He was the One sent by God to save humanity, who the Bible teaches achieved victory on the cross, submitting his will to that of His Fathers’ in Heaven. Like Frodo, Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross “in all its weakness and foolishness when measured by human standards”, “is presented by God as His power and wisdom, both infinitely greater in saving capacity than all man’s mightiest efforts can produce” (A Bible Commentary for Today, by G.C.D. Howley et all.). Jesus was called to save humanity from the weight and grip of their sin, which was achieved through His sacrifice on the cross and subsequent resurrection. Jesus, unlike Frodo, brings perfect "completion to this task by being” the “sacrificial animal that faces death and wrath for the sake of others”. But just as it was foolishness to the ‘wise’ of Middle-earth, “…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV) and living in rebellion to Him. To us who “are being saved” and have been saved, however, “it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18) which we experience in our lives today and for eternity.
Challenge:
Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring for themselves? Use the film’s themes to ask them what they thought of the film, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.
If you feel able to, ask them what they think about Frodo taking on the role of saviour throughout The Fellowship of The Ring. Which qualities do they see in Frodo? Is he a perfect saviour/hero? Ask them what they think about the author/filmmaker's choice to make Frodo the hero, despite initially being the opposite of one. Do they see the parallels between Frodo and Jesus? Later, if they're open to hearing it, take an opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them.
Prior to watching the film for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the film. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film-watching experiences:
Dear Lord, As I watch this film, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.
The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring is available to rent through Amazon Prime, Apple TV and YouTube.
Why not prayerfully invite a friend or family member who doesn’t yet know Jesus, to watch The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring for themselves? Use the film’s themes to ask them what they thought of the film, if they spotted any links to Christianity and what they might think of the Gospel’s response to this subject.
If you feel able to, ask them what they think about Frodo taking on the role of saviour throughout The Fellowship of The Ring. Which qualities do they see in Frodo? Is he a perfect saviour/hero? Ask them what they think about the author/filmmaker's choice to make Frodo the hero, despite initially being the opposite of one. Do they see the parallels between Frodo and Jesus? Later, if they're open to hearing it, take an opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel message with them.
Prior to watching the film for yourself, however, take a moment to pray that God would speak to you through the film. If you feel comfortable, pray this prayer over all of your future, film-watching experiences:
Dear Lord, As I watch this film, I ask that you would be present here with me. Highlight to me anything within it that is honourable, anything that can be used in conversation for your Kingdom purposes. Amen.
The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring is available to rent through Amazon Prime, Apple TV and YouTube.
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