[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Niggle is I think unique in Tolkien's career in that it is the only work I can think of which is explicitly religious.

I first read it a long time ago before I had any inkling (heh, heh, pun not intended, but...) about Tolkien's own religious affiliation, but I remember thinking 'hm, this sounds like an obvious allegory for purgatory'." Which on top of that was very interesting given what I knew Tolkien said about allegory in the foreword to LotR and his generally negative attitude towards it.

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

It also contains probably my favourite vision of Heaven - the idea that you get to see all your imaginings brought to life and perfected! I strongly suspect this is Tolkien writing his own belief in what Paradise would (or should) be; I know it's mine.

I must confess that I am in the same boat. Also somewhere along my theology studies, I may have smuggled Tolkien into a paper we were supposed to write for one course. I don't remember the particularities, I only remember that it was quite a stretch, but in my defence, I was in my first year and I wanted to write about something I was comfortable with. It was a course with the overall theme of "work and theological ethics", and aside from some of the more obvious associations, there were various interesting niche sub-themes like "work and eschatology". And that was where I started from. I'm really sorry I can't dig it up. But it had something to do with the individual eschatology, just like in Niggle, and the ideas behind the Second Music of the Ainur (actually see below).

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

The whole story also casts something of a reflection of the Music of the Ainur. In both stories, there's an artistic creation which is interrupted and reworked during its making, which ends by being made real.

Nice catch with "Mr. Melkor Parish"!

What always seemed obvious to me about Leaf by Niggle/Music of the Ainur was the parallel reflecting what I think is truly "Tolkien's eschatology", if we can find any: the restoration of everything AND "upgrading" it using the creativity and skill of humans (and Elves).

Originally Posted by Ainulindalë

Never since have the Ainur made any music like to this music, though it has been said that a greater still shall be made before Ilúvatar by the choirs of the Ainur and the Children of Ilúvatar after the end of days. Then the themes of Ilúvatar shall be played aright, and take Being in the moment of their utterance, for all shall then understand fully his intent in their part, and each shall know the comprehension of each, and Ilúvatar shall give to their thoughts the secret fire, being well pleased.

That is very much what happens in Leaf by Niggle, too.

The whole concept is in broad terms very close to the ages-old theological idea of apokatastasis panton, or tikkun olam in Judaism and especially Hassidic mysticism. Hassidic mysticism and kabbalah contain a lot of these elements of "sub-creators" (for instance, the whole concept of Golem, if you're aware of the legend, is an example of sub-creation par excellence). There is an idea of worlds being created or of things literally coming into life by stories being told about them. And of course all this sub-creation is a part of the eschatology, too; so the idea is that by necessity one day, all these elements of sub-creation shall somehow be vowen into the restored World-To-Be.

And if that isn't the Second Music/"Niggle's Parish", I don't know what is.