MAGA influencer Jack Posobiec faced widespread ridicule from “Lord of the Rings” enthusiasts on Thursday after asserting that the series is not “overtly Christian.” This claim contradicts author J.R.R. Tolkien’s own words, describing his work as “fundamentally” Catholic.
Posobiec addressed the topic in a clip from his “Human Events Daily” podcast, stating, “I’ve heard people try to make the argument that ‘Lord of the Rings’ is overtly Christian and I hate to burst the bubble, guys, but you’re just wrong,” Posobiec said in a clip published Thursday from his “Human Events Daily” podcast.
Continuing his argument, he remarked, “There’s nothing overtly Christian about ‘Lord of the Rings.’ Uh, there’s no church in it, there’s no faith in it, there’s no Christ figure — there’s none of these things. And honestly, ‘Lord of the Rings,’ if it’s anything, ‘Lord of the Rings’ is overtly pagan.”
Posobiec seemed unaware of Tolkien’s 1953 letter stating, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work.”
His comments were quickly criticized on X, with speed likened to the Eye of Sauron.
“This may be one of the stupidest takes to ever have been uttered,” wrote one user, while another person noted: “Tolkien literally said ‘The Lord of the Rings is of course fundamentally religious and Catholic.’ Not hard guys. On what level that occurs is another question.”
Although the religious themes in the books might be more symbolic than explicit, they are indeed present. Tolkien explained in his letter that he excluded direct references to religion because “the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism” itself.
Left: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images; Right: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
Posobiec further complicated his argument by questioning, “You got these libtards like [Stephen] Colbert who, like, love it. And if this thing is like, oh, it’s overtly Christian, I’m like, well then why does a guy like Colbert love it so much?”
Stephen Colbert, host of “The Late Show,” is a Catholic, a fact he frequently acknowledges on his program. He announced on Wednesday that he is set to write the script for a new “Rings” franchise installment directed by Peter Jackson.
Posobiec’s assertion that the series is “overtly Pagan” did not resonate well, as Tolkien was a devout Catholic who contributed to the translation of The Jerusalem Bible. This background gave critics further reason to mock Posobiec’s statement on social media.
