Considering the antisemetic dogwhistling, sexism, anti-Islamic rhetoric, and apologism of the American Confederacy going on in Pearces' recent and republished articles at IC, I don't think he has changed much at all since his conversion. (Also, blaming your white supremacist racism on the "relativism" you were exposed to/"indoctrinated in" at public school instead of good Christian virtue ain't the way. A lot of us who went to public school came out, you know, *not* white supremacists, despite the horrors of relativism. :D)
Anyway. I fear Pearce and others will have to feature somewhat, but all of your commentary here is very helpful for organizing thoughts about upcoming episodes on Tolkien's religion!
Yes--I didn't go into a lot of detail, but everything I've read by him is playing the same old discordant song (although I guess he's no longer charging around the streets in violent protest these days).
Thank you -- I'm glad it was helpful -- I think that those of us working on Tolkien need to be aware of the complicated reception of Tolkien's work including the Christian nationalist and other far-right extremist interpretations and be willing to confront it. Ignoring Pearce and others like him, or not acknowledging the extent to which their religion/politics are one, which I think has been the tendency in the past, cannot go on.
Considering the antisemetic dogwhistling, sexism, anti-Islamic rhetoric, and apologism of the American Confederacy going on in Pearces' recent and republished articles at IC, I don't think he has changed much at all since his conversion. (Also, blaming your white supremacist racism on the "relativism" you were exposed to/"indoctrinated in" at public school instead of good Christian virtue ain't the way. A lot of us who went to public school came out, you know, *not* white supremacists, despite the horrors of relativism. :D)
Anyway. I fear Pearce and others will have to feature somewhat, but all of your commentary here is very helpful for organizing thoughts about upcoming episodes on Tolkien's religion!
Yes--I didn't go into a lot of detail, but everything I've read by him is playing the same old discordant song (although I guess he's no longer charging around the streets in violent protest these days).
Thank you -- I'm glad it was helpful -- I think that those of us working on Tolkien need to be aware of the complicated reception of Tolkien's work including the Christian nationalist and other far-right extremist interpretations and be willing to confront it. Ignoring Pearce and others like him, or not acknowledging the extent to which their religion/politics are one, which I think has been the tendency in the past, cannot go on.