Tolkien’s Subtle Christianity: Biblical Symbolism in "The Lord of the Rings"

The past few years have seen a renewed surge of interest in Tolkien's “The Lord of the Rings”, with recent releases including Amazon’s prequel series "The Rings of Power", the action anime film "The War of the Rohirrim", and the video game "Return to Moria", with various upcoming projects still in the works.

As the stories of Middle-earth continue to find new audiences, readers and viewers alike often inevitably find themselves drawn to the deeper religious themes woven into Tolkien’s work, an influence that stems from his profoundly Catholic upbringing.

However, Tolkien himself was clear about his intentions. While his faith inevitably shaped his imagination, he resisted the idea of his stories being seen as direct allegories. “I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence”, he once wrote.

Instead, Tolkien preferred the idea of "applicability," believing that readers should find their own meanings in his stories rather than be led by the author’s hand. For him, true storytelling offered freedom, not instruction.

Despite this disclaimer, many have noted the undeniable presence of biblical symbolism in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, particularly in the characters of Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn.

Frodo: The Christ-like burden bearer

Perhaps the most obvious Christian parallel is between Frodo and Christ. Although Christ was without sin, he took on the sins of the world, ultimately sacrificing himself for humanity. Similarly, Frodo, innocent himself, accepts the burden of the One Ring and journeys toward its destruction at Mount Doom. The Ring’s increasing weight mirrors Christ’s struggle bearing the cross, a burden that grows heavier the closer he gets to Calvary.

Tolkien’s imagery is striking: Sam discovers the Ring’s crushing weight after briefly carrying it himself, his head bowed "as if a great stone had been strung on him" (The Two Towers, p. 434). Similarly, Christ collapses under the cross’s weight, requiring help from Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26). In a subtle linguistic echo, Frodo too is helped by Sam, whose name notably resembles "Simon".

Temptation further ties Frodo’s journey to Christ’s. Just as Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11), Frodo faces the seduction of the Ring multiple times. Early in The Fellowship of the Ring (p. 112), Frodo is overwhelmed by a sudden urge to slip on the Ring when a Black Rider approaches.

Later, at Weathertop, he gives in to temptation and wears it, nearly revealing himself to his enemies (Fellowship of the Ring, p. 262). Although Christ resists temptation, both figures face intense inner battles where giving in would mean catastrophic failure.

Finally, Frodo, like Christ, is permanently scarred by his experience. Even after the Ring's destruction, Frodo continues to suffer from his wounds. On anniversaries like October 6, the date he was stabbed by a Morgul blade, Frodo is visibly ill and confesses, “I am wounded; it will never really heal” (The Return of the King, p. 377–78). Similarly, Christ retains the marks of crucifixion, as seen when he shows his wounds to Thomas (John 20:24–29).

Gandalf: Death, Resurrection, and the White Rider

Gandalf serves as a second Christ figure. After battling the Balrog in Moria and falling to his apparent death, Gandalf is resurrected and returns to Middle-earth transformed, from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. This transformation earns him the title of the White Rider, a possible allusion to Revelation 19:11: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True”.

Tolkien captures Gandalf’s dramatic arrival at Helm’s Deep: “There suddenly upon a ridge appeared a rider, clad in white, shining in the rising sun... ‘Behold the White Rider!’ cried Aragorn. ‘Gandalf is come again!’” (The Two Towers, p. 186).

The most striking parallel between Gandalf and Christ is their shared experience of death and resurrection. After His resurrection in John 20:17, Christ tells Mary Magdalene, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to my Father”, hinting at His imminent return to Heaven. Similarly, Gandalf, after his deadly struggle with the Balrog, tells the Fellowship, “Naked I was sent back for a brief time, until my task is done” (The Two Towers, p. 135). This suggests that Gandalf, too, passes into another realm, perhaps a heavenly one, before returning to Middle-earth transformed as Gandalf the White.

Moreover, both figures’ deaths carry profound symbolic weight. Christ’s crucifixion conquers Satan and redeems humanity from sin. In parallel, Gandalf’s sacrifice defeats the Balrog, an embodiment of ancient evil, and frees his companions from Moria’s oppressive darkness. In both stories, death becomes not an end, but a triumphant act of liberation.

Aragorn: The Hidden King and Healer

Aragorn, the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor, emerges as another Christ-like figure. Although destined to rule, Aragorn must first wait and prove himself before claiming his kingdom. Tolkien hints at Aragorn’s true identity throughout the story, though most characters remain unaware of his significance, a reflection of how Christ’s divine kingship was both hidden and future-oriented during His time on earth.

This theme of hidden greatness mirrors the skepticism Christ faced. In John 1:46, upon hearing of Jesus, Nathanael famously asks, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Similarly, Aragorn, introduced to readers and characters as the weather-beaten Ranger “Strider,” is met with suspicion. When Frodo decides to trust him, the innkeeper of Bree, Barliman Butterbur, warns, “Well, you know your own business, maybe, but if I was in your plight, I wouldn’t take up with a Ranger” (The Fellowship of the Ring, p. 229).

Aragorn’s role as a healer further strengthens his parallels to Christ. Known for his ability to heal grievous wounds, Aragorn fulfills an ancient prophecy from Gondor: “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known” (The Return of the King, p. 169). Throughout the saga, Aragorn heals Merry after the Black Riders’ attack, tends to Frodo following his Morgul blade wound, aids his companions after battles, and later revives Sam and Frodo after the ordeal on the Pelennor Fields. Christ's ministry was similarly marked by miraculous healings and even the raising of the dead, intertwining kingship with compassion.

In weaving these traits into Aragorn’s character, Tolkien crafts a portrait of a hidden king whose authority is rooted not just in power, but in service and restoration, a distinctly Christ-like image embedded deep within the epic’s mythic framework.

Tolkien’s Faith at the Heart of Middle-earth

The profound Catholic faith of J.R.R. Tolkien is inseparable from the fabric of The Lord of the Rings. In a letter to his friend Father Robert Murray, Tolkien himself acknowledged this influence, writing, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like ‘religion’, to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.”

Though Tolkien did not explicitly aim to create a religious narrative, his deep Catholic upbringing and scriptural knowledge naturally flowed into his storytelling. The result is a richly symbolic epic that resonates with biblical themes of sacrifice, resurrection, kingship, and redemption, woven subtly but powerfully into the mythic world of Middle-earth.