WatcherWraith
Fairë Hyamië(Phantom of Prayer).
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2024
- Messages
- 858
Wish you two the best on your collaborative work!
Why, thank you.Ah, wait until I show you my dinkus!
A marvelous attitude.though I suspect my own beliefs may clash somewhat with the author's...well. There is always something to be learned,
You made me tear up. If possible, I would love to discuss your and my views on the faith anytime. It's rare to come across someone quite so thoughtful and filled with ponderings.A marvelous attitude.
When I was new in the faith decades ago, a pastor took me under his tutelage for personal one-on-one training.
The assembly we attended was of a particular line of thinking, and so he tried to 'bring me up' in my understanding on the same line.
When we went to bookstores together, he labored to insure I only purchased books by those authors holding that particular line of understanding
He was remarkable, intelligent, and an excellent teacher. BUT, in his teaching he included how to truly dig, research, and most of all, think.
Ultimately, I came to see I HAD to read works differing in their understanding (often "opinion,") if I were to correctly interpret, and rightfully maintain and defend, my particular view of what The Book taught. So I purposely pursued the fruits available in other gardens.
One minor misfortune: I came to understand the "great divide" (as I call it) between the two fundamental sides of the Protestant coin was an unfortunate fiction, driven by lack of rightly understanding all facets of what The Book said.
This study has been the greatest and most time consuming factor of my life, largely responsible for the 5 decade delay in beginning my pilgrimage into Tolkein. (Along with all the teaching, translation work, writing, etc. done along the way.) It is also what ultimately put me and my original pastor/trainer on separate paths, both in our understanding and in our works, though we loved each other dearly until the day he died. (And beyond.)
Note however: I did not come to a different view because of what the authors said, but because of what the best Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts said, what the meanings of the words were at the time they were spoken, and how they worked in form, function and syntax, with the resulting impact.
So must we do with Tolkien. All of those things are key. Thus regardless of what anyone says, our appeal is always to Tolkien's Text.
NOT Tolkien as a man, or his Catholic/Christian background, or his worldview, or our interpretations of how these things "must" come out of him because he's not able to set them aside. He himself never referred to himself regarding his works. He always referred to the text.
So I applaud your attitude, and am greatly encouraged by it.
My hope is you intentionally seek out works both supporting, and disagreeing with, every thing you think you know.
And always go deeply back into the text along the way.
If we are unwilling to eat anything but the same meal every day, we never learn what other foods really taste like, and whether we will be benefitted by them.
This, by the way, is the very territory into which my current book Elements is moving. We are going to appeal to Tolkien's text.
Indeed, Ent is a treasure and, I fear, the last of his kind. But I suppose, there is always a remnant.It's rare to come across someone quite so thoughtful and filled with ponderings.
You folks are always so kind and considerate - well beyond what is 'deserved' certainly.If possible, I would love to discuss your and my views on the faith anytime.
I would love that. I have no idea how to start it, so someone will have to tell me, but whenever we have the time and the thought-space, I would love to.We can always start a PM. Dapple in and at it as thoughts and time allow.
For now, it's off to the Introduction to introduce it to some changes.
It is true, such a book would need a good introduction. However, I guarantee you(since I actually read introductions), the moment I understood this was a book which delved into the theology and religious aspects of the books themselves instead of Tolkien's background, I would be swiftly intrigued. As you said, many people have worked on Tolkien's background before, and there is something lacking in this approach.Well. Today, Mrs. Ent gave me the blessing of a great span of time to write.
I believe I must be a distant relation of Tolkien.
After 7 1/2 hours, all I have done is the page and three quarters comprising the Introduction.
I found it more difficult to express why my book differs from the others writing in the field due to its inductive approach, as opposed to their deductive ones...and how such an apprach demonstrates for us in a practical way, what Tolkien said and meant about the issues of 'explicit Christianity' and 'the elements of morality and religion" in Middle-earth.
An introduction sets the stage for the whole book. I've a feeling, since I'm dappling in an arena already filled with writers, positioning my book through its Title, the Preface, and Introduction is even more critical than usual. After all, "who wants to read another book about Tolkien and his Catholic/Christian views." (Though my book isn't about those at all. It is about Middle-earth's moral and religious elements as infused by Tolkien into his text - and the text itself must do the talking.)
If I don't capture how and why it's different, and will both settle some contention and argument along its way and open up a whole different vista of Tolkien's work for review, the potential audience narrows.
But, I got the core there, so it's ripe for editing now.
I must confess, a bit of the 7.5 hours went to a 3rd editing of the Preface. Needing to be sure the Preface and Introduction sing harmoniously rather than in Melkor's discord, I went in to niggle a couple things - only to have a couple critters with sharp little teeth ripe for improving hurl themselves at me from the sidelines.
So of course, why not just edit the whole Preface again? Sheesh.
Have taken a break now, and am about to dive back into the Introduction for its first full editing.
Soon - Chapter 1. "I am a-quiver with anticipation." (Bilbo: Bakshi's 1977 Rankin/Bass Hobbit production.)
I've started a PM. Later in there we'll discuss how you start one, so you'll know for the future.I have no idea how to start it, so someone will have to tell me,
The annal entries are sometimes very terse, just a bald statement of fact. At other times, they are fleshed out into miniature stories. This seems to be at the whim (or perhaps due to the skills) of whoever made the entry into the annals. The first entry we present here is close to the minimalist style (much to our regret).
One other note. Some scribes appear to have written down the year's events as they happened, while others waited until the end of the year to do so. Others did both! As an editor, our inner grammarian cringes at the random switch in verb tenses. Despite that, we have chosen to present them as written.
The handwriting of the entries varies from time to time, as does the writing and storytelling style. Sometimes, a hand disappears from the annals for years and reappears later. Other times, it disappears forever.
For me personally, start at the beginning of SIL and unfold the characters and events chronologically as they are introduced. Ever since I was in my formative years Sil and its opening line is still my favourite.Nice to know it might have application.
So here's the final decision as I lay out the future... and the question I put to you.
Do I handle it somewhat like a 'dictionary/encyclopedia' layout? Or do I start at the beginning of SIL and unfold the characters and events chronologically as they are introduced - who/what they are, why they're there, what they reveal to us, and how they speak to the moral and religious elements Tolkien infused.
For example, the 'encyclopedia type', would place character "Bilbo" under B, unveil Bilbo and his fit within the whole, what he reveals for us, and speak to how he demonstrates the 'moral and religious elements'.
The event "Khazad-dûm," with its myriad revelations, what they are, show, and how they fit into the 'moral and religious' elements they incorporate, would naturally be under "K".
However, working chronologically starting at SIL and simply unfolding characters and events as they are introduced and occur in the timeline could be handled much more narratively, and feel more like an unfolding story than a research presentation. The entire mode and manner of handling is different.
Personally, I'm leaning toward the chronoligical narrative form. Will be much more exciting to write...and I suspect, more engaging to read. And anyone wanting to know "where to find it" would easily know to simply go to the chronological section within the stories to review.
(Thus the need for a decent Index, too. If one wants to look up, for example every place I note the moral character of jealousy, or envy, or lust, or such being demonstrated, the Index will provide.)
Either way, it is going to be a very large work... likely separate works for SIL, TH and LoTR in the end.
So the concept of an initial version one-volume, and a revised and expanded edition later in 3 volumes, surfaces again.
Great news!So this weekend my progress has been:
1. Did a 3rd full edit of the Preface.
2. Completed the Introduction and edited twice.
3. Completed the Acknowledgements page and gave it one full edit.
4. Set up the Title Page, the Contents page, and the page for Chapter 1, which is titled 'Setting Our Stage'. It will establish the inductive view and lay the groundwork for the direction and handling of the rest of the book.
I feel like I got some things done.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Are you happy to accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Are you happy to accept cookies and these technologies?