Matthew T. Dickerson

I really enjoyed this book. I heard Dickerson at a recent conference and picked up his book. I'm a huge Tolkien fan and enjoyed Dickerson's themes. Morality is central to Tolkien's works, and Dickerson really showed that to be true, through references to LoTR, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion and Tolkien's letters. I really liked his exploration of Gandalf's character. He explored the religious themes in the trilogy, without getting too allegorical, and proves that taking the moral high road is central to the lead good characters.… (más)

Dickerson draws upon philosophy, science, psychology, and literature as well as theology to draw his conclusions about the human experience in a digital age. He uses analogies to simplify some concepts. He draws heavily from the writings of B. F. Skinner, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien in his arguments. The second part of the book was far more engaging than the first. This is one of the better treatments of the subject from a Christian perspective. It should appeal to the academic community. The second part will also have some appeal to a much broader community.… (más)