J.R.R. Tolkien's Detached Aesthetics I Dr. Rebekah Lamb

Aug 19, 2025

In this enlightening discussion, Dr. Rebekah Lamb, a Lecturer in theology and the arts at the University of St Andrews, dives into J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of 'detached aesthetics.' She unravels how Tolkien’s Christian perspective on spiritual detachment emerges in his writings, particularly in 'The Lord of the Rings.' Lamb highlights themes of hope, selflessness, and the beauty found in despair, exploring how personal trauma and societal upheaval shaped Tolkien's artistic vision. Through 'Leaf by Niggle,' she illustrates the tension between ambition and duty in creative expression.

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ANECDOTE

Tolkien's Lifelong Devotion To Writing

Tolkien said losing the use of a pen felt 'as defeating as the loss of her beak would be to a hen,' showing his deep attachment to writing.
Stratford Caldecott called Tolkien an explorer who built a vast inner world layer by layer like 'a great tree of tales.'

insights

INSIGHT

Detachment Reframes Loving Care

Christian detachment is not indifference but a watchful, charitable care for God, self, others, and creation.
Detachment orders affections so goods are loved rightly without becoming idols.

insights

INSIGHT

Mary As Model Of Receptive Yes

Newman and Tolkien view Mary as the model of rightful detachment, opening herself wholly to God's will.
Tolkien's devotion to Mary shaped his imaginative willingness to receive inspiration rather than possess it.

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Tolkien's Spiritual Detachment and Narrative Depth

01:57 • 32min

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Tolkien's Exploration of Hope and Selflessness in 'Leaf by Niggle'

33:51 • 4min

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Beauty Amidst Despair

37:53 • 4min

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The Transformative Power of Tolkien's Fantasy

42:19 • 3min

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Leaf by Niggle

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Written in 1938-39 and first published in the 'Dublin Review' in January 1945, 'Leaf by Niggle' is an allegorical tale that reflects Tolkien's own creative process and life. The story follows Niggle, a painter who is obsessed with painting a perfect tree but is constantly interrupted by his obligations. When Niggle is forced to take a journey, he finds himself in a bureaucratic purgatory and eventually discovers his tree in a more perfect form in an afterlife. The narrative is a profound exploration of divine creation, human sub-creation, and the journey of life and death.

Dr. Rebekah Lamb explores J.R.R. Tolkien’s “detached aesthetics,” revealing how his Christian understanding of spiritual detachment shapes his writing, especially in "The Lord of the Rings," as a means of cultivating hope, wonder, and a rightly ordered love for the world.

This lecture was given on January 30th, 2025, at University of Edinburgh.

For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Rebekah Lamb is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in theology and the arts at the University of St Andrews, specializing in religion and literature of late modernity. Her research centres on the ways in which the arts can be distinctive and timely modes of theology in their own right, especially in light of liturgical, spiritual, and existential concerns. Key figures in her work include Joseph Ratzinger, St. John Henry Newman, Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ, Christina Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelites as well as their inheritors (JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, among others). Prior to joining St Andrews, she was an inaugural Étienne Gilson Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto. She is a trustee of the Christian Heritage Centre at Stonyhurst (Lancashire, UK) and frequently contributes to popular magazines and journals, including an interview with Robert Cardinal Sarah for the Catholic Herald.

Keywords: Aesthetics of Detachment, Beauty and Suffering, Christian Tradition, Detached Narrative Style, Leaf by Niggle, Lord of the Rings, Mary Mother of God, Providence and Hope, Spiritual Detachment, The Wanderer

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