‘Into the Heart of Middle-earth’ is a treasure trove for the soul

Kaitlyn Facista's new book is a book for all who want to journey in a closer relationship with Jesus and His Church. (Courtesy photo/Ave Maria Press)

By Emily Woodham

Staff Writer

The popularity of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing has inspired many authors over the years. It would seem that commentary on his rich fantasy world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings has been exhausted. However, a new book by Kaitlyn Facista brings a fresh and uplifting look at the Catholic spirituality in Tolkien’s world.

Into the Heart of Middle-earth: Exploring Faith and Fellowship in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings (Ave Maria Press) is being released at the end of February. Readers do not need to be hardcore, Elvish-speaking Tolkien fans to appreciate Into the Heart of Middle-earth. Facista does an excellent job explaining Tolkien’s world in the preface and introduction. For those who want to understand his world in more depth, Facista has provided several appendices in the back.

Although some Tolkien fans border on snobbery, rejecting the movies and TV shows that have followed Tolkien’s “canon,” Facista has an approachable and open attitude to readers. Her blog, “Tea with Tolkien,” is a popular and welcoming online platform for Tolkien fans of all backgrounds, levels of interest and religious beliefs.

In the preface of her book, she explains her own journey as a fan of Tolkien’s works and into the Catholic Church. Anyone with even a mild interest in Tolkien and only a cursory knowledge of his tales will find her book engaging. Her intention is to provide insights and food for thought into the Catholic spirituality and virtues of Middle-earth, and she achieves this beautifully. Her tone is one of encouragement and friendship.

The first two chapters, “Establish Your Shire” and “Open the Door to Providence,” provide the groundwork for the rest of the book. These two chapters lay out the importance of daily formation. Using examples from life in the Shire (one of the two regions where hobbits live), Facista explains how everyday, ordinary habits prepare one for the journeys brought by Providence. Although Tolkien was a devout Catholic, he was careful not to write his books as explicitly religious or an allegory. However, Catholic truth is woven into his stories. Facista shows readers how Tolkien’s ideas on formation are not so much in having second breakfast, gardening or indulging in teatime, but come from practicing Catholic virtues and values even when no one is looking.

The following 12 chapters delve into Catholic spirituality beginning with “Discover the Little Way to Let Go of Your ‘Ring.’” Facista uses examples from different characters and stories to explore virtues such as mercy, hope and wisdom. Woven throughout, she approaches the difficulty of Fate and the free will of characters. Tolkien’s view of Fate in his book was based on his Catholic view of Providence (as opposed to a predestined or fatalistic view). Time and again, the characters make their choices through virtues that they have formed over time. Providence has brought the opportunity to them, but the characters must choose. Their choices come from what they have cultivated in their lives.

Facista includes questions at the end of each chapter, with the heading “The Road Goes On,” to help readers consider how to apply the virtues and values of Middle-earth to their own lives. These questions could be used in a group setting, such as in a prayer group, or by individuals as journal prompts.

The amount of research Facista did to write the book shows from beginning to end. She is able to take complex theological ideas and problems (such as the Eucharist and suffering) and explain them through Tolkien’s books with ease. It is often said that one does not understand a subject unless one can explain it to a child. It is clear that Facista knows Tolkien, his works and Catholic beliefs well. She writes without talking down to her audience with long, overdrawn explanations. She also writes without oversimplifying ideas to the point of being trite. This book is an excellent choice for teenagers and older.

Author Kaitlyn Facista

The Idaho Catholic Register reached out to Kaitlyn Facista with some questions about her work:

You put so much research into this book. Are you working on a graduate degree in literature and Tolkien?

I would love to do something like that someday! For now, this is something I enjoy in my free time. I’ve learned so much! But perhaps I could go back to school someday when my children are older.

You point out Tolkien’s love of St. Thomas Aquinas and his metaphysics. How has this understanding of metaphysics through Tolkien impacted your faith journey?

I’ve found that Tolkien’s works can almost serve as an introduction to philosophy and metaphysics in an approachable and applicable way. While I’ll admit that I find the great teachers of our Church history like Aquinas very intimidating, I’ve discovered that a lot of underlying yet more complex principles have become much easier for me to grasp after becoming so familiar with Tolkien. So it’s almost as if Tolkien’s works have been a bridge into a deeper understanding of my own faith - quite unexpectedly.

You emphasized that though Fate/Providence bring opportunities, Tolkien’s characters still have free will and must make a choice. How do you think this would change the story if there was no free will?

A world without free will is Sauron’s endgame. So, to put it plainly, the story would’ve been over before it even began. Tolkien places an emphasis on his heroic characters freely choosing good, while at the same time, his villains freely choose their own descents into evil. Nothing is created evil, and so to become evil is a choice. It’s in this choice that the story lives.

You mention the circumstances that impacted Tolkien’s formation, including his connection to St. John Henry Newman through the Brompton Oratory. What have you found most helpful in your own formation and/or in the formation of your family?

The simplest thing that we’ve done is trying to center our lives around our church community, whether that’s as simple as attending Mass at the same time every week, participating in as many church events as we can, or even taking on volunteer responsibilities. In a culture that is often so disconnected from one another, I’ve found that fully committing to my own parish has really cemented both a sense of belonging and of duty.