Tolkien becomes an agnostic
- Thread starter Byzantion
- Start date
If this occurs when he's writing LotR or shortly after he's finished, I imagine he would make massive changes to his unpublished works. Even if he decides to leave the creation myths and such in (reasoning that it's just fiction and not meant to be allegorical), ideas such as the original "fall" of Man (caused by men's early worship of Melkor) would seem somewhat Catholic-inspired and might well be excised.
Yun-shuno
Banned
He wouldn't be writing LOTR. It might not be obvious but Catholicism is sublimely embedded in the soul of the story.
May I ask why you ask this question?
I was responding to the OP. His scenario is that Tolkien becomes agnostic after finishing LoTR or while he is writing it.
You could see Men having a much larger importance in LotR, if it ever gets published, since Men are the allegorical agnostics/atheists according to the whole theory that each race represents a religion.
Much of LotR backstory and fluff was influenced by Tolkien's religious beliefs, so yes, the writing would be fundamentally different.
Well lets us suppose that the change in his beliefs occurs AFTER the printing of the LOTR trilogy.
With that out if the way, I think Tolkien will revise his backstory of the Elves and the Eldar. He might also go to the time and trouble to revise the books when they may be reprinted. If so, this could really cause conflict with his fans and readers down the road.
With that out if the way, I think Tolkien will revise his backstory of the Elves and the Eldar. He might also go to the time and trouble to revise the books when they may be reprinted. If so, this could really cause conflict with his fans and readers down the road.
Yun-shuno
Banned
The man was deeply religious and that influenced his works in subtle and profound ways.
Maybe people can't appreciate that or the fact that he was a Catholic turns them off(ew religion) but to change his beliefs-which by the way was never gonna happen in a million years. The man went to mass every DAY.
Unless it was C.S. Lewis who "turned" Tolkien, rather than the other way around!
Of course that would necessitate an earlier PoD.
Yun-shuno
Banned
Lewis was the atheist originally and Tolkien converted him.Unless it was C.S. Lewis who "turned" Tolkien, rather than the other way around!
The difficulty here is twofold:
1. Catholicism was a part of his identity. His mother had been shunned by her family for converting, and he never forgot or forgave the treatment of her. You would need to avoid this particular childhood trauma.
2. As C.S. Lewis once mentioned, Tolkien was so unbelievably set in his ways that "you might as well try to influence a bandersnatch".
The most plausible scenario is that Tolkien's mother never converts, and him and his brother never end up in the care of the Priest after her death. Tolkien is raised Protestant instead, but isn't as committed to religion, since no-one suffered for it. He still falls in love with Norse myths, et cetera, but such a person would produce an altogether different sort of fiction from the Tolkien we know.
1. Catholicism was a part of his identity. His mother had been shunned by her family for converting, and he never forgot or forgave the treatment of her. You would need to avoid this particular childhood trauma.
2. As C.S. Lewis once mentioned, Tolkien was so unbelievably set in his ways that "you might as well try to influence a bandersnatch".
The most plausible scenario is that Tolkien's mother never converts, and him and his brother never end up in the care of the Priest after her death. Tolkien is raised Protestant instead, but isn't as committed to religion, since no-one suffered for it. He still falls in love with Norse myths, et cetera, but such a person would produce an altogether different sort of fiction from the Tolkien we know.
But Lewis became Christian well before Tolkien even started writing LOTR, so Tolkien becoming atheist then wouldn't meet OP's requirement.
(As well as being effectively impossible; as Yun-shuno said...)
It was mostly a joke, and I even said a PoD earlier than writing that provided in the OP would be necessary... Jeez.