What if "Church of Iluvatar" was made

[Elthir]

I'm fairly certain that JRRT himself would have been absolutely horrified by any such thing ...

Agreed by the way.

 

[The Void]

Thanks Elthir. You are 'write' - it is one L .

 

[Elthir]

I'm convinced it is but a visual trick, as I've seen folks quote from texts, but still include the second L.

Eru is easier, unless one gets it mixed up with Elu [Thingol]

 

[Olorgando]

If this Forum was a 'Temple' (Church, Synagogue, Mosque, etc) of Tolkien's work - would the Mods be considered 'Priests' or Holy Ones?
Would they be the Valar ...

No, no! Our mods are doing a much better job with TTF than JRRT showed his sometimes overburdened Valar doing with Middle-earth; I'd prefer to keep it that way, no degeneration to Valar-standard!

 

[ZehnWaters]

Agreed by the way.

He's a religious man, so I'd imagine.

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

No, no! Our mods are doing a much better job with TTF than JRRT showed his sometimes overburdened Valar doing with Middle-earth; I'd prefer to keep it that way, no degeneration to Valar-standard!

 

[Áramandë Amaniel]

I’m already “degenerated” to Valar standard then...

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

As for the word "mainland" referring to continental Europe.

"Heavy fog in the channel. Continent cut off" Times newspaper 22 October 1957.

 

[The Void]

I guess Eru Iluvatar had a reason for making Melkor straight up mightier than the rest of the Valar?
With the admission that any 'corruption' of the song that Melkor contributed in doing in 'despite' of Iluvatar, would just make things more 'wonderful'.

 

[Olorgando]

I guess Eru Iluvatar had a reason for making Melkor straight up mightier than the rest of the Valar?

As far as the (heavily) edited "Silmarillion" posthumously published by JRRT's son and literary executer Christopher goes (I'm paraphrasing here), Melkor "had a share" in the talents, capabilities, whatever ... "of all of his brethren". He might have not been able to confront even the more powerful Maiar in their "specialty".
But what Christpher Tolkien mainly used in constructing the published "Silmarillion" appears to be the "middle sections" of his father's (unpublished during JRRT's own lifetime) writings ...

The early sections - mainly the "Book of Lost Tales", volumes 1 and 2 of HoMe - and the later volumes 10 and 11 each depict an "over the deep end" depiction of Melkor, and much else, IMO ...

 

[Áramandë Amaniel]

As far as the (heavily) edited "Silmarillion" posthumously published by JRRT's son and literary executer goes (I'm paraphrasing here), Melkor "had a share" in the talents, capabilities, whatever ... "of all of his brethren". He might have not been able to confront even the more powerful Maiar in their "specialty"

Having a share of a portion of each of the 14 Valar seems to diverge the poignancy of Melkor's might and power.

 

[Arauka]

Apropos of nothing ...

I used to dream of living a simple life in a small surviving colony in post-apocalyptic times after the inevitable collapse of modern civilization. One of the evening activities was reading to the children from the Good Book (i.e. the Silmarillion). I imagined after several generations this would simply be taken as Truth. No need for prophets, no need for cult status, no need for temples (you see how that went in Númenor!).

But ya, maybe not quite where this topic was going ...

 

[d4rk3lf]

Just curious to how big that religion would be? If it were made by cult followers?

Wait.
So you don't believe Illuvatar exist?

 

[Áramandë Amaniel]

Wait.
So you don't believe Illuvatar exist?

I certainly do...for I do not rule out anything.

 

[Radaghast]

If we're talking about the real world, the "Church of Iúvatar" would just be another Judeo-Christian sect.

 

[Will Whitfoot]

In my understanding, the services of any "Church of Iúvatar" would consist entirely of music. All contributions to any "conversation" pertaining thereto would be in the language of tone, harmony, and rhythm. Ordinary linear speech would simply be too devoid of depth of meaning to be appropriate. In other "words" only a being of maia or vala status would be capable of contributing anything, so there would be no point in organizing such a religious group for ordinary mortals, whether of this world or a fantasy one.

 

[The Void]

Well Judaism is the Middle-East's theme or 'portal' on Asia and all things Holy 'city'.
Christianity is the Middle-East's theme or portal on Europe and all things 'Healing' (and a supper in a restaurant)
Mohommedism is the Middle-East's theme or portal on Africa and all things Holy 'land' (as is Australian Aboriginal culture being a portal to Africa and all things 'land').
So what would the Religion of Tolkienism be based upon, besides being set up as a fabricated mythology for Britain based upon mainland European mythologies before Europe was 'conquered' by a Middle-Eastern Religion?
Maybe the Holy Religion of Tolkienism needs to find a 'New World' to find a home? It's gaining popularity in North America, even if the 'Media' side of the USA needs to change Tolkienism to suit its own narrative (like Melkor changing the Song to suit himself )

 

[Olorgando]

Maybe the Holy Religion of Tolkienism needs to find a 'New World' to find a home?

There's the matter of Humphrey Carpenter's 1981 book "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien".
Anyone bent on starting a new "religion" based on JRRT's writngs would have to relate to this book in one of three ways

1. be utterly ignorant of it
2. utterly misunderstand it
3. utterly ignore it (this would be a sort of an Amazon approach ... 😈 )

 

[Deimos]

There's the matter of Humphrey Carpenter's 1981 book "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien".
Anyone bent on starting a new "religion" based on JRRT's writngs would have to relate to this book in one of three ways

1. be utterly ignorant of it
2. utterly misunderstand it
3. utterly ignore it (this would be a sort of an Amazon approach ... 😈 )

Bingo.

 

[1stvermont]

It's definitely interesting to think about what a Church of Iluvatar would look like in our world.

Welcome!!!