In our second of of three episodes examining the life and legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien, Dr. Helen Freeh joins Bishop Wall to discuss Tolkien's upbringing, faith, and friendships.

Tolkien was acquainted with death from an early age, losing his father as a little boy and later 2 close friends in the horrors of World War 1. Throughout it all, his Catholic faith was a constant source of strength, as were his later friendships with a group of Oxford writers and professors. They called themselves The Inklings, and famously smoke, drank, argued philosophy and literature, and critiqued each member's writings. Besides Tolkien, a notable member of the Inklings was C.S. Lewis, and the two men formed a deep and lifelong friendship that will forever impact English literature. Tolkien was instrumental in Lewis's conversion to Christianity, and Lewis, for his part, helped Tolkien's work reach publication.