Tolkien assigned divine inspiration to pagan myths...
"Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it Really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God's myth where the others are men's myths; i.e. the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of the poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things' ... namely, the actual incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection." (Tolkien)
"Not merely the abstract thoughts of man but also his imaginative inventions must originate with God, and in consequence reflect something of eternal truth. In making a myth, in practicing 'mythopoeia,' and peopling the world with elves and dragons and goblins, a story-teller .. is actually fulfilling God's purpose, and reflecting a splintered fragment of the true light." (Tolkien)
"[Myths] are not [lies]. . . We have come from God, . . . and reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal-truth that is with God. Indeed, only by myth-making . . . can man aspire to the perfection he knew before the fall." (Tolkien)
Tolkien's original inspiration was pagan...
"Initially, Tolkien was intending to create a pantheon of deities similar to that of the Norse gods, but eventually became uncomfortable with a created belief system that was so opposite his own. Thus, he created a Judeo-Christian deity in the Silmarillion and associated works, to oversee the angelic, fallible creatures that sang the world into being and the creatures that they oversee." (L.A. Solinas)
Ilúvatar means "'All-father' [which] was also a title of the Norse god Odin, a fact of which Tolkien must certainly have been aware." (Mark Fisher)
"The forest of Mirkwood, which played a prominent roll in both 'The Hobbit' and in The Lord of the Rings was borrowed from Icelandic mythology. The names of many of the dwarves in 'The Hobbit' were actual placenames in the myths." (Bill Baugher)
"Tolkien was very well acquainted with Norse mythology, as can be seen by the use of it in his books. The name of one of his main characters, Gandalf, is found in The Poetic Edda. Gandalf is, in some ways, reminiscent of Odin, the leader of the Norse pantheon. Even the name Middle-earth, the setting for Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, comes from Norse mythology." (Nicole Cherry)
"The Finnish Kalevala, a 19th-century compilation of old Finnish ballads and poems, parallels the real history of the Finns. Tolkien was fascinated by the Kalevala, finding in it timeless themes and archetypal characters. The hero of the Kalevala is a wise old shaman named Vainamoinen, who has a flowing beard and magical powers, reminiscent of Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings." (National Geographic)
Tolkien's pantheon is contrary to Scripture...
"Together, Ilúvatar and the lesser gods suggest an unbiblical blend of impersonal monotheism and personal polytheism, for only the lesser gods become involved in the lives of the people. In contrast, Christian faith rests on a clear understanding of God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. He alone is Creator and Lord of all, and He continues to be intimately involved in the lives of His people. He does not delegate that Lordship to any other deity." (Berit Kjos)
"An initial glance at 'Fellowship of the Rings' indicates that the world of Middle-Earth is polytheistic if not atheistic. The Elves sing praises to Elbereth Gilthoniel (also called 'Varda'), an Ainur partially responsible for the overseeing of Middle Earth. The Ainur appear to be modelled in part after the Norse deities, though they have no innate form and probably no 'real' names." (L.A. Solinas)
"The Bible condemns all forms of communication with the spirit world except communication with God through the Holy Spirit in the name of the Son. In other words all interaction with the spirit world, if it takes place apart from God is prohibited by Scripture." (Karen Harrison)
Tolkien defends the concept of reincarnation for elves...
"'Reincarnation' may be bad theology (that surely, rather than metaphysics) as applied to Humanity... But I do not see how even in the Primary world any theologian or philosopher, unless very much better informed about the relation of spirit and body than I believe anyone to be, could deny the possibility of re-incarnation as a mode of existence, prescribed for certain kinds of rational incarnate creatures." (Tolkien)
Tolkien presents magic as a neutral force used for both good and evil...
"I'm afraid I have been far too casual about 'magic' and especially the use of the word; though Galadriel and others show by the criticism of the 'mortal' use of the word, that the thought about it is not altogether casual. But it is a v. large question, and difficult; and a story which, as you so rightly say, is largely about motives (choice, temptations etc.) and the intentions for using whatever is found in the world, could hardly be burdened with a psuedo-philisophic disquisition! I do not intend to involve myself in any debate whether 'magic' in any sense is real or really possible in the world. But I suppose that, for the purposes of the tale, some would say that there is a latent distinction such as once was called the distinction between 'magia' and 'goeteia'1. Galadriel speaks of the 'deceits of the Enemy'. Well, enough, but magia could be, was, held good (per se), and goeteia bad. Neither is, in this tale, good or bad (per se), but only by motive or purpose of use. Both sides use both, but with different motives. The supremely bad motive is domination of other 'free wills'. The Enemy's operations are by no means all goetic deceits, but 'magic' that produces real effects in the physical world. But his magia he uses to bulldoze both people and things, and his goeteia to terrify and subjugate. Their magia the Elves and Gandalf use (sparingly): a magia, producing real results (like fire in a wet faggot) for specific beneficent purposes. Their goetic effects are entirely artistic and not intended to deceive: they never deceive the Elves (but may deceive or bewilder unaware Men) since the difference is to them as clear as the difference to us between fiction, painting, and sculpture, and 'life'." (Tolkien)
1 Greek equivalent of goetia; the English form Goety is defined in the O.E.D. as 'witchcraft or magic performed by the invocation and employment of evil spirits; necronamcy.'
"Tolkien at no point defines what the limits of Gandalf's magic were. As a Maia, he had many natural abilities that would seem magical to mortal races, but he also had a great store of knowledge of more 'mechanical' magic, worked through spells and incantations, and especially through the agency of his staff. It is clear that he had far greater power, especially after his return as Gandalf the White, than he ever displayed in Middle-earth. His magical powers seem to be particularly associated with fire, a fact that is perhaps related to the Ring of Fire, Narya, that he bore." (Mark Fisher)
Tolkien's concept of incarnate angels is from the occult...
"This incarnate 'angel' wouldn't fit into the host of Biblical angels. But he could well fit in the hierarchy of 'devas' or 'angels' and ascended masters in the elaborate spiritual system called Theosophy or 'Ancient Wisdom.' Founded by Madame Helena Blavatsky, this esoteric blend of Hinduism and Western occultism received its doctrines from 'ascended masters' or spirit guides such as Djhwal Khul who channeled his messages to the medium Alice Bailey." (Berit Kjos)
Tolkien's books portray good people engaged in occult activities forbidden by Scripture...
What does Tolkien lead to?
A fascination with Tolkien can lead to a fascination with darker fantasy. Many have graduated from Tolkien to darker authors like Terry Goodkind. Ultimately, this can lead to the occult. As one person wrote, "But the allusions could easily stir a child's curiosity about occultism -- perhaps enough for that child to one day dabble in it."
An example of this is the personal web page that said, "I practice mild occultism and I am in most cases a good Christian... My Favorite Authors are... J.R.R. Tolkien."
Rather than be fascinated by the make-believe heroes of fantasy, I prefer to be inspired by the true heroes of World War II.
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