Loyola Philosophy Professor Dr. Graham McAleer on "Tolkien, Philosopher of War"

With book sales that match the Bible and 40 million people tuning into Rings of Power, the latest TV adaptation of his writing, there is no denying the popularity of J.R.R. Tolkien.   Given his influence, there are many books analyzing Tolkien's writings, however none have addressed the philosophical and theological understanding of war in his novels.

Philosophy professor Graham McAleer fills that gap in Tolkien scholarship with his new book, Tolkien, Philosopher of War (Catholic University of America Press), which argues that Tokien's interest in art and beauty influenced the way he thought about war.

 Graham dives deep into all things Tolkien, like: Why does Tolkien remain such an intriguing figure in popular culture? What is it about Tolkien’s stories that has led his books to capture such a large part of popular culture - from book sales to TV and film adaptations to video games? With war a core theme of Tolkien’s stories, why is understanding his philosophy on war important as a consumer of his works? Why are things like jewels and rings the primary triggers of war in all of his stories? Was Tolkien a Luddite (anti-technology) or was it that he was concerned about the radical Futurist movement of a century ago that was fascist, anti-Christian, and determined to fight wars until the strongest was the winner?