J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings are fundamentally but not overtly Christian. As Tolkien himself explained, “The religious element is absorbed into the story.”

In his beloved story The Hobbit, Tolkien takes the reader into a world unlike any other, yet so much seems familiar. From Bilbo to the elven, glimpses of the spiritual are seen. Previous guides to Tolkien’s work have often made one of two wrong turns: they have either entirely overlooked the Christian elements of The Hobbit or claimed to find “Christian” elements everywhere, going far beyond the fundamental aspects that have been absorbed into the story.

The Christian World of The Hobbit will serve as a balanced guide for readers who want to uncover the essential Christian aspects that lie at the center of the classic book.