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Message: <blockquote data-quote="omedon" data-source="post: 50500" data-attributes="member: 837">I find this point of view very interesting. I never really understood Gandalf as be such a holy being though I have often seen references him as being such. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that I read the books when I was age 8 and 9. Although the signifigance of Gandalf the White wasn't entirely lost on me I did not get all of this Istari, and Free peoples of Middle Earth stuff, At least in the sense that is being used here.This is interesting because if this Istari idea truly comes from Aquinas, someone who's work Tolkien would undoubtably familiar with, then it could be shown that he was an influence on Tolkien. I don't have time to dig out my Aquinas book right now (I don't have all of his works anyways), but if Isatari have knowledge of everything or most things and Gandalf is indeed modeled after them then your conclusion would seem to be correct.However I still think in most cases it makes sense to stick the simple rule if It is not in the book then it is not in the book and I am not suffiently convinced that this doesn't apply here. If Tolkien really intended all of this gun powder stuff then he would have made it apparent in his text. When authors have messages they want to get across in their stories they don't try to hide them.In any case I think it is an interesting topic, and believe it needs to be looked at closer. Could someone please post relevant quotes from the books regarding gunpowder so I may see why everyone is so convinced that this is the case. My books are 500 miles away.Also if someone could point me towards any essays regarding Tolkien and Aquinas or religious aspects in the books in general I would appreciate it.</blockquote>

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