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Professor Pearce unlocks, in two six-week courses, the Catholic meaning of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (see the Lord of the Rings class with Professor Pearce for a follow-up course).
Total classes: 6
Prerequisite: The ability to read and enjoy the book
Suggested grade level: 8th to 10th
Suggested credit: ½ semester Literature
Description
Professor Pearce unlocks, in two six-week courses, the Catholic meaning of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (see the Lord of the Rings class with Professor Pearce for a follow-up course).
Outline
Class 1: Bilbo as Everyman. Introducing the author J. R. R. Tolkien, a lifelong practicing Catholic. Tolkien’s Catholic philosophy of creativity. Bilbo Baggins as an Everyman figure who holds up a mirror to the reader.
Class 2: Home-Loving Hobbits, Deadly Dragons and Clever Orcs. Following Bilbo from the Shire to the Misty Mountains. The danger of creature comforts. The necessity of adventure. The demonic nature of dragons. The wisdom of wizards and elves. The wicked cleverness of orcs.
Class 3: Gollum, the Ring and the Power of “Luck”. The role of Gollum and the Ring in The Hobbit versus their role in The Lord of the Rings. The role of “luck” in the riddling game between Bilbo and Gollum. The euphemistic use of “luck”. The relationship between luck and the freedom of choice. Providence and free will.
Class 4: Bilbo’s Ring and the Return of the King. The Franciscan spirit of Radagast and Beorn. Gandalf flies the nest. Bilbo comes of age. The return of the King in The Hobbit versus the return of the King in The Lord of the Rings. Thorin versus Aragorn.
Class 5: Dragon Sickness. The sun as a signifier of God’s omnipotence and omnipresence. “Above all shadows rides the sun.” The wickedness of Smaug. The contagiousness of dragon sickness. The dragon sickness as a prefigurement of the power of the Ring.
Class 6: The Death and Resurrection of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo’s return home. The wisdom of the elves. Bilbo’s “death” and resurrection and its overarching significance.
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Recommended (Not Required) is Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering Hidden Meaning in The Hobbit by Professor Joseph Pearce. (Click on book titles for ordering information.)
Homework: Reading, weekly quizzes.
