Alchemy in Middle-earth

From Tolkien Gateway
Alchemy in Middle-earth: The Significance of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
Alchemy in Middle-earth.jpg
AuthorMahmoud Shelton
PublisherTemple of Justice Books
Released6 May 2003
FormatHardcover
Pages124
ISBN978-0974146805

Alchemy in Middle-earth: The Significance of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings investigates topics of Islam, alchemy, and Sufism in The Lord of the Rings.[1]

From the publisher[edit | edit source]

Never before has the esoteric significance of the "Novel of the Century" been explained. At last its profound symbolism is made clear in light of the Hermetic tradition, establishing The Lord of the Rings as the work of an illuminated imagination. Alchemy in Middle-earth traces J.R.R. Tolkien's motifs to unexpected connections with Scotland, the Middle East, and legendary Atlantis, unveiling the ancient wisdom in Tolkien's great work not only with the Alchemy of the past, but also with the living mystical alchemy of Sufism. In the process, the mysterious relationship between the spirituality of Islam and Tolkien's Christianity is revealed, signifying nothing less than the completion of the Grail quest at the end of an age.


Mahmoud Shelton studied at the University of Edinburgh before taking a degree in Medieval Studies at Stanford University. He has travelled in search of Hermeticism's legacy from the Western Mediterranean to the Far East. Shelton has numerous magazine articles to his credit, and was a contributor to The Royal Book of Spiritual Chivalry.[2]

References

  1. "Alchemy in Middle-earth", Amazon.co.uk (accessed 18 August 2013)
  2. "Alchemy in Middle-earth: Contents", Templeofjustice.net (accessed 18 August 2013)