You Tube Theology

As the result of a reader survey, J.R.R.Tolkien was once recognized as "Author of the Century." Karl Barth, in turn, has often been regarded as the most important theologian of the 20th century. This paper will bring the Author of the Century into relation with the Theologian of the Century. It will do so by reflecting on the eschatology of agape, a relatively neglected theme. Tolkien's Lord of the Nazgl will be considered in relation to Barth's concept of das Nichtige (the power of "nothingness"). Tolkien's eschatology of the "long defeat" will then be regarded in light of Barth's exegetical discussion of 1 Cor. 8a, "Love never fails."