How does death and resurrection form the heart of the LOTR? How can self sacrifice be so desirable? This episode, I interview British Tolkien expert Danny Cote Davis, who sheds light upon Tolkien's vision of life and death through the Eucharist and Mother Mary!
 
Practical Pilgrim reflection: 

• To watch Danny's documentary: Tolkien about Faith: The Call to Beauty
•  A trailer for the amazing Silverion Camps 

Except from episode
 
"Danny and I then went on to discuss what he felt was the quintessentially Catholic theme in the LOTR. Here, the theme of the glorious death first arises, the idea that for a Christian, death is never the enemy, nor is it something even to avoid. Rather, the full embracing of death is the authentic hallmark of a Christian, whether that death means literal bodily death, or the death of self will, or a worldly way of living. Dan now breaks open how the three main characters in LOTR, Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn, were willing to embrace the glorious death … and by doing so, embody the threefold offices of Christ as priest, prophet and king."