pIn a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. So begins J.R.R. Tolkien's marvellous tale of wizards, elves, dragons, and dwarves in the children's book, The Hobbitem. Since Bilbo Baggins entered the hearts and minds of readers in 1937, millions of people around the world have gone on to read, watch, and study Tolkien's epic masterpieces The Lord of the Ringsem and The Silmarillion. emYet, in spite of the legacy and the world-wide fame of Tolkien's Middle-earth, many people know more about hobbits, trolls, and magic rings than they do about the man behind it all. So who was J.R.R. Tolkien, the maker of Middle-earth In his own words, he says, I am a Christian and plainly states that he wrote The Lord of the Ringsem to be consonant with Christian thought and belief. This is why Tolkien's Christian faith is the linchpin for fully understanding and appreciating his voluminous writings. This biography is intended to show readers that Tolkien's Christian faith was central to his life and wor