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# The Ainulindalë and the Theology of Tolkien's Legendarium (Mythic Mind, ep. 169)
- URL: https://mythicmindfellowship.com/the-ainulindale-and-the-theology-of-tolkiens-legendarium-mythic-mind-ep-169/
- Published: 2026-06-01T13:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:06:40.000Z
- Author: Andrew Snyder

Mythic MindEpisode 169

# The Ainulindalë and the Theology of Tolkien’s Legendarium (Mythic Mind, ep. 169)

Dr. Andrew Snyder

1 June 2026

[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEIDwrI0kso&ref=mythicmindfellowship.com)

## In this episode

We begin our Lord of the Rings study with the beginning of Tolkien’s world: the Ainulindalë, which tells of the making of Arda and the primordial fall of the devilish Melkor.

After a presentation of the story, I briefly discuss the theology of Tolkien’s world and its relationship with Tolkien’s own Christianity.

In the next video, I will discuss the Prologue - Book 1, Chapter 5 of The Lord of the Rings.

### People

**Dr. Andrew Snyder**Host and speaker

### Key themes

- The making of Arda
- The primordial fall of Melkor
- The theology of Tolkien’s world and Tolkien’s own Christianity

## Books mentioned

- [**The Silmarillion**J.R.R. Tolkien](https://bookshop.org/a/129785/9780544338012?ref=mythicmindfellowship.com)

## Go deeper

The Cosmos

### [The Primum Mobile](https://mythicmindfellowship.com/cosmos/)

The Ninth Heaven

Find it on the Cosmos

The Reading Room

### [The Wisdom of Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings](https://mythicmindfellowship.com/the-wisdom-of-tolkien-the-lord-of-the-rings/)

Tracing the Wisdom of Arda. For Fellows and Companions.

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[Previous in Mythic MindThe Lord of the Rings with Mythic Mind](https://mythicmindfellowship.com/the-lord-of-the-rings-with-mythic-mind-mythic-mind-ep-168/)[Next in Mythic MindThe Fellowship of the Ring, Part 1: Getting on the Road](https://mythicmindfellowship.com/the-fellowship-of-the-ring-part-1-getting-on-the-road-mythic-mind-ep-170/)

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