A Thesis Theater by Jeffrey Wade
Abstract:
This thesis concerns itself with the question of whether the inhabitants of Tolkien’s Arda possess an awareness of their creation’s eschatological end. It is not a study of Christian doctrine, Tolkien, or outside analysis. It is a study of how myth carries the weight of a telos through music, memory, and hope. This thesis’ conceit is the same as Tolkien’s, the entire legendarium has been recorded and passed down from the Valar to the Elves and subsequently through the Hobbits. Therefore, all of Arda is revealed to be undergirded by the Music of the Ainur, which is more than a creation hymn – it is a sustaining breath, echoing through waters, songs, and the hearts of every individual. This Music is heard beside hearths, in dreams before perilous roads, and wherever water is found. Drawing from the legendarium, with modern scholarship simply providing context, this study argues that Arda is alive and looking forward to a final eucatastrophe where all sad things come untrue.
Bio:
Jeffrey E. Wade, Concordia Seminary, M.Div. ’14, became a student again shortly after discovering Signum University. What started as a hope to be a better reader, researcher, and writer soon blossomed into enrollment in the MA program with the desire to better communicate and inculcate hope using Tolkien’s legendarium as a foundation. Bringing hope is Jeffrey’s primary vocation as a pastor and head of school in Michigan. When not teaching, conversing, or residing in a good book, Jeffrey spends his time outdoors with his wife and three living children.
