12-14-2020, 11:46 PM
We note Gandalf’s challenge sounds very familiar ~ it mirrors the eternal sentence Christ will mete out to the reprobates on the day of Judgement: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25: 41) In fact, Gandalf’s new role as the White Rider and leader of the White Council is remarkably similar to the mystic representation of Christ near the end of the Apocalypse, riding into battle against the Beast and the evil kings of the earth:
We recall that just like Christ whose mystic name is known only to Himself, Tolkien’s Istari rarely reveal their true names known only to them and will allow themselves to be addressed by whatever name the peoples of Middle-earth call them. Only once do we hear Gandalf reveal what it is, Olórin, his name when he was still ‘young’, obviously before the time he arrived on Middle Earth since the Istari were not youths when they appeared:
Of importance, we discern that Gandalf may also be associated with Christ as ‘The Word of God’ in his capacity as a ‘pontifical’ servant of the ‘Secret Fire’ and ‘wielder of the flame of Arnor’. When we examine the theological and philosophical importance of the description of Christ as ‘The Word’, the connection with this mystical fire becomes clear. St. John, author of the Apocalypse, also commenced his Gospel with this description of Christ: “In the beginning was the Word.” However, ‘word’ is a weak literal translation from the original Greek and the full meaning of the passage is lost. The Gospel should read: “In the beginning was the logos.”
What is logos, and why is it so important? Logos conveyed the triple meaning of ‘word’, ‘reason’, and ‘ratio’. It was used by ancient Greek philosophers to describe the Divine Reason that permeates and orders the whole universe. At first, it was thought that this Logos was a fire-like being or essence, and that the actions of this being were mirrored in human reason. The Stoic philosophers associated this power with God and His actions through the Universe, or the active power of Divine Reason. This Greek concept of the Logos was introduced into Judaism in the first century AD by Philo Judaeus in an attempt to explain how God remained in contact with the earth via the Logos, or His Divine Wisdom. Apparently, Heaven itself confirmed this explanation of the Logos, for in St. John’s vision in the Apocalypse, Christ showed He was indeed the Logos, the Mediator between Heaven and Earth, revealing He verily was both human and divine. This was an important revelation from Heaven at the time as the heresy of Docetism was beginning to appear, that is, a belief that all matter was ‘corrupt’ or ‘evil’ while only the spirit could by pure and holy. This inferred that if matter was corrupt, Christ was God or of God, but could not become human and did not assume a human form, an Antichrist belief according to St. John. St. John combated Docetism and similar heresies by proclaiming in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word (the Logos),
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (...) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1: 1-5, 14)
Hence, is it possible that Gandalf as a servant of the ‘Secret Fire’ is presented as a symbolic follower of the Logos? The Logos was once thought to be a ‘fire’, and Christ was prophesied by John the Baptist as the Messiah who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire, (Matt 3:11). Christ also declared: “I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49) We recall the Holy Spirit later appeared above the heads of the Apostles as tongues of fire during Pentecost, and Catholic teaching declares one cannot enter the Church unless they are baptised and renewed by the Holy Spirit according to Christ’s words: “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) Christ is also described as the Light as well as the Logos, and the Holy Spirit represented as a Tongue of Fire as the giver of Grace and the sustainer of the Church. Without the Holy Spirit, mankind cannot do the least work deserving of salvation, even the apostles were frightened until the Flames of the Holy Spirit enlightened them and filled them with undaunted courage at Pentecost.
In comparison, Gandalf’s skills rest mainly in light and fire. We recall he drives away darkness and despair with light, and courageously fights the evil Balrog with a powerful white flame that emits from his staff when it shatters in the conflict. Furthermore, we cannot help but notice that if Gandalf is indeed a symbolic servant of the Logos and the Holy Spirit, Tolkien obviously made rare allusions to Catholic doctrine in Lord of the Rings, in particular, the doctrine of the Trinity, that the Son was indeed both human and divine and guided His Church through the Holy Spirit also represented as fire. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son therefore the entire Trinity is represented. As we have seen, Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of mankind and His resurrection are also alluded to, these are the doctrines on which the entire foundation of the Catholic Faith rests.
56 Ibid. The Two Towers, p. 696-697.
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and with justice
doth he judge and fight. And his eyes were as a flame of fire, and
on his head were many diadems, and he had a name written,
which no man knoweth but himself. And he was clothed with a
garment sprinkled with blood; and his name is called, THE
WORD OF GOD. And the armies that are in heaven followed
him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
(Apoc. 19:11-14)
We recall that just like Christ whose mystic name is known only to Himself, Tolkien’s Istari rarely reveal their true names known only to them and will allow themselves to be addressed by whatever name the peoples of Middle-earth call them. Only once do we hear Gandalf reveal what it is, Olórin, his name when he was still ‘young’, obviously before the time he arrived on Middle Earth since the Istari were not youths when they appeared:
“Many are my names in many countries, he (Gandalf) said.
Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Dwarves; Olórin I
was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South
Incánus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not.”56
Of importance, we discern that Gandalf may also be associated with Christ as ‘The Word of God’ in his capacity as a ‘pontifical’ servant of the ‘Secret Fire’ and ‘wielder of the flame of Arnor’. When we examine the theological and philosophical importance of the description of Christ as ‘The Word’, the connection with this mystical fire becomes clear. St. John, author of the Apocalypse, also commenced his Gospel with this description of Christ: “In the beginning was the Word.” However, ‘word’ is a weak literal translation from the original Greek and the full meaning of the passage is lost. The Gospel should read: “In the beginning was the logos.”
What is logos, and why is it so important? Logos conveyed the triple meaning of ‘word’, ‘reason’, and ‘ratio’. It was used by ancient Greek philosophers to describe the Divine Reason that permeates and orders the whole universe. At first, it was thought that this Logos was a fire-like being or essence, and that the actions of this being were mirrored in human reason. The Stoic philosophers associated this power with God and His actions through the Universe, or the active power of Divine Reason. This Greek concept of the Logos was introduced into Judaism in the first century AD by Philo Judaeus in an attempt to explain how God remained in contact with the earth via the Logos, or His Divine Wisdom. Apparently, Heaven itself confirmed this explanation of the Logos, for in St. John’s vision in the Apocalypse, Christ showed He was indeed the Logos, the Mediator between Heaven and Earth, revealing He verily was both human and divine. This was an important revelation from Heaven at the time as the heresy of Docetism was beginning to appear, that is, a belief that all matter was ‘corrupt’ or ‘evil’ while only the spirit could by pure and holy. This inferred that if matter was corrupt, Christ was God or of God, but could not become human and did not assume a human form, an Antichrist belief according to St. John. St. John combated Docetism and similar heresies by proclaiming in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word (the Logos),
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (...) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1: 1-5, 14)
Hence, is it possible that Gandalf as a servant of the ‘Secret Fire’ is presented as a symbolic follower of the Logos? The Logos was once thought to be a ‘fire’, and Christ was prophesied by John the Baptist as the Messiah who would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire, (Matt 3:11). Christ also declared: “I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?” (Luke 12:49) We recall the Holy Spirit later appeared above the heads of the Apostles as tongues of fire during Pentecost, and Catholic teaching declares one cannot enter the Church unless they are baptised and renewed by the Holy Spirit according to Christ’s words: “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5) Christ is also described as the Light as well as the Logos, and the Holy Spirit represented as a Tongue of Fire as the giver of Grace and the sustainer of the Church. Without the Holy Spirit, mankind cannot do the least work deserving of salvation, even the apostles were frightened until the Flames of the Holy Spirit enlightened them and filled them with undaunted courage at Pentecost.
In comparison, Gandalf’s skills rest mainly in light and fire. We recall he drives away darkness and despair with light, and courageously fights the evil Balrog with a powerful white flame that emits from his staff when it shatters in the conflict. Furthermore, we cannot help but notice that if Gandalf is indeed a symbolic servant of the Logos and the Holy Spirit, Tolkien obviously made rare allusions to Catholic doctrine in Lord of the Rings, in particular, the doctrine of the Trinity, that the Son was indeed both human and divine and guided His Church through the Holy Spirit also represented as fire. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son therefore the entire Trinity is represented. As we have seen, Christ’s sacrifice for the salvation of mankind and His resurrection are also alluded to, these are the doctrines on which the entire foundation of the Catholic Faith rests.
56 Ibid. The Two Towers, p. 696-697.