{"product_id":"9781072860204","title":"A Religião do Futuro","description":"\u003cbr\u003eIn this companion course to \u003cb\u003eThe Hidden Meaning of \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, Professor Joseph Pearce highlights the \"fundamentally religious and Catholic\" nature of Tolkien's famous novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit, or There and Back Again\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cp\u003eIn this course, Joseph Pearce shows that Tolkien's own words about \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e being a \"fundamentally religious and Catholic work\" also apply to \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e. Some readers mistakenly believe that J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e, is just a simple children's story. Tolkien might have written the book for his children's entertainment, but the best children's literature always has a deep level of meaning, and \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e is no exception.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProfessor Pearce gives you three keys to a true understanding of The Hobbit's applicability to everyday life: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eBilbo grows in maturity, wisdom, compassion, self-sacrifice, and heroism over the course of his journey to the Lonely Mountain. At the end of the novel, Gandalf proclaims that Bilbo is no longer the hobbit he was; and we know that he is changed for the better. The meaning of life is to grow in virtue and holiness by learning the lessons of our adventures so that we can return \"home\" to God in Heaven.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e, Bilbo is time and again protected and rewarded by \"luck\" or \"good fortune.\" The \"luck\" present in The Hobbit is nothing other than the hand of providence and grace. In order to survive our life's journey like Bilbo, we need the supernatural assistance of grace and providence.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eOver and over again in the book, Tolkien presents characters who have fallen prey to dragon-sickness: pride and the lust for gold and material possessions. \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e serves as a cautionary meditation on Matthew 6:21: \"Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003eBilbo Baggins of Bag End and his adventures can serve as a mirror for our journey through life. Even though we won't find ourselves travelling through goblin-infested mountains, chased by spiders, or threatened by trolls, we can see that virtue is only attained through grace by slaying the monsters and demons which try to prevent our passage into eternal glory. Tolkien's profoundly Catholic worldview allows us to transcend the literal meaning of the story and apply its theological lessons to our own lives.","brand":"Beach Umbrella Books LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47036266643696,"sku":"9781072860204","price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781072860204_p0.jpg?v=1763669904","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781072860204","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}