The Porterbrook Network

Ultimately in Lord of the Rings the power of evil is not destroyed by any army. It is not destroyed by military power or human strength. ‘All our hopes,’ says Gandalf at one point, ‘lie with two little hobbits somewhere in the wilderness’. Frodo and Sam enter Mordor to destroy the ring in the volcanic fires of Mount Doom. And they doubt they will return. They accept ...Continue

We live in a time when nothing is worth living for and certainly nothing is worth dying for. Everything is relative. There are no absolutes, no great truths, no heroic causes. Part of the appeal of Lord of the Rings is that it contains a sense of moral purpose. It is a world of valour, honour and courage. But in our world these things have lost their meaning. We want meaning and purpose, ...Continue

When we first meet Aragon he is a stranger in the corner of an inn. He is anonymous, unknown – even sinister. It only gradually emerges that he is the king. There is a dramatic moment in the council of Elrond when Legolas the Elf tells Boromir that he should have more respect for Aragorn, the rightful king of Gondor. There is surprise written all over the faces of the hobbits. They ...Continue