Abstract
Coutras addresses the tension between pagan myth and Christian theology in Tolkien’s writing, arguing that this tension is resolved when taken in light of transcendental beauty. This chapter lays the foundation for Tolkien’s theological framework by engaging the theological aesthetics of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Coutras expounds upon the theological implications of creation and sub-creation, drawing upon Tolkien’s letters and essays to construct a theology of beauty. This approach supplements existing scholarship with a comprehensive framework of interpretation that does justice to Tolkien’s faith alongside his mythic imagination.
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Coutras, L. (2016). A Theology of Beauty. In: Tolkien’s Theology of Beauty. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55345-4_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55345-4_2
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-55344-7
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-55345-4
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