Transcript

Emily: It’s interesting to imagine how a pair of police officers in England might have affected The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Late one night, probably in the 1930’s or 40’s, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien decided to walk the streets together after a late meeting at a pub in Oxford. As they wandered the foggy streets, their conversation strolled among mythology, literature, and faith. They began arguing passionately and failed to notice just how loud their voices were becoming. 

They also failed to notice…the Bobbies (as the British call them). Two police officers watched as two men in the street dressed as college professors looked to be on the verge of taking a swing at each other. They assumed these men drank too much and stepped closer to intervene. However, on closer inspection, they recognized these apparently drunken professors as none other than C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – two of the most respected academics at Oxford. The police officers quickly apologized and left the two friends to continue their debate. Lewis and Tolkien, after realizing what had happened, shared a good laugh and jokingly boasted from then on that they could argue with the best of them – sober or not. 

This story highlights just how lively and boisterous the friendship between these two authors really was. Lewis and Tolkien first met as colleagues at Oxford, where they quickly formed a deep friendship based on their shared love of literature, myth, and storytelling. One could easily argue that these two authors—and their most famous works—wouldn’t have been the same without their friendship. 

In the 1930s, both Lewis and Tolkien were part of the Inklings, a group of writers and intellectuals who met regularly to discuss literature, critique one another’s work, and share ideas. During one of these meetings, Lewis famously told Tolkien that he needed more stories like his poem The Lay of Leithian—stories set in Middle-earth. Tolkien, who had been working for years but had yet to produce a full-length narrative, took this encouragement to heart.

But these two brilliant writer friends didn’t always take the same approach to encouraging each other. When Lewis first began to feel the stirrings of what would eventually become The Chronicles of Narnia, he was initially hesitant to pursue the project, thinking it might be too fanciful. Tolkien, known for his more serious and mythic approach to storytelling, wasn’t particularly fond of the Narnian world. Tolkien found the mixing of mythologies (such as talking animals and Father Christmas) somewhat jarring. Despite this, Tolkien’s criticisms helped Lewis refine his work, ensuring that the themes of Christianity and morality were subtly and effectively woven into the narrative.

Their friendship was unique because it was a true partnership of equals, each pushing the other to achieve greatness. Without their mutual support and constructive criticism, it’s possible that neither The Chronicles of Narnia nor The Lord of the Rings would have come to fruition as we know them today. 

But their friendship changed a lot more about each other than just their writing. Tolkien’s friendship played a crucial role in Lewis’s conversion to Christianity. Tolkien, a devout Catholic, engaged Lewis in deep conversations about faith, reason, and mythology. Lewis’s journey from atheism to Christianity was heavily influenced by these discussions with Tolkien.

C.S. Lewis has written beautifully about friendship. In his book The Four Loves, Lewis explores different types of love, including friendship (philia). While not mentioning Tolkien by name, his thoughts on the value of friendship are often seen as reflecting the close bond they shared: “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival” he writes. 

If you were to stop to think about your friendships, you might realize that the ones that change you the most are the ones you value the most. Lewis and Tolkien’s friendship illustrates the power of a deep relationship that challenges, inspires, and ultimately transforms both individuals. The story of their friendship invites us to consider how entering into such a relationship can lead us to new insights, personal growth, and a deeper understanding of our purpose. 

What if there is a relationship waiting for you that could change everything, leading you to new truths and deeper understanding about yourself and your place in the world?