John J Miller has a great editorial about Tolkien in the 12.6 edition of the WSJ called Myth at the Multiplex.

Specifically, he picks up Gandalf's line about being 'a servant of the Secret Fire', asking why Jackson would leave it in when it is so obscure.

Answer: because it's a wicked-cool line, no matter where you're coming from and this sort of subtle magic is key to Tolkien's spells (see the attendant post The enormous power of reticence and discussion on Collaboratory).

By way of further explanation, Miller quotes Bradley J Birzer's new book 'JRR Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth' which says this is the 'most important religious statement in the book'. That statement is moot (ie to say, unendingly arguable). However, Birzer goes on to write 'The Secret Fire, Tolkien once told a friend, is really the Holy Spirit.'.

Now, there are a bunch of people who want to say Birzer is wrong here and that Gandalf is just talking about Nenya, the ring of fire (cue Johnny Cash).

But if this is what Tolkien said, which we can't prove but seems highly likely, then there's really no arguing or reinterpreting it.

(In fact, I think most of the ideas asserted as facts over on the Opinion Journal Reader's Responses, eg Christian appropriation of a pagan feast to observe Christ's birth being a myth, are wrong compared with Miller's facts.)

Tolkien's work continues to inspire me (though I have a lot of trepidation about TTT's departures).