A new book explores how J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic faith — and especially the Mass — shaped his stories and sustained his soul. Ben Reinhard’s The High Hallow looks at how Tolkien was influenced by the Mass and how, in his eyes, it was life’s greatest drama. Ben has more.

Further Reading

The High Hallow: Tolkien’s Liturgical Imagination

Guest Info

Ben Reinhard is Professor of English at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he teaches courses in medieval literature, mythology, and the Inklings. A graduate of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame, he has written articles and essays for a wide range of scholarly and popular publications, and his translation of Beowulf was published in 2022. He lives in southeast Ohio with his wife and five children, where they attempt to live a sanctified and orderly life in a chaotic and disintegrated world, fighting the long defeat.

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