Christian theology as depicted in The lord of the rings and the Harry Potter books

Abstract

One way theologians can help make Christian theology more relevant is to illustrate important Christian themes using examples drawn from contemporary culture. In this paper, I offer one example of such an analysis. Using J.R.R. Tolkien&rsquo;s<em>Lord of the Rings</em>and J.K. Rowling&rsquo;s Harry Potter stories, I demonstrate how the vivid and creative portrayals of evil in the former and sacrificial love in the latter enhance our understanding of these two central Christian themes. Through this explication, I hope to show how contemporary books and movies can serve as an excellent resource for Christian theology.