Tolkien was a scholar, and also a deeply devout Roman Catholic from a young age. He stated that "The Lord of the Rings is a fundamentally religious and Catholic work." In personal letters to family members he related mystical experiences while praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

His varied life experiences, such as being a soldier in World War I, surely had an influence on his novels, but the bigger picture is that LotR explores aspects of the Redemption (Christ's victory over evil) while avoiding overt allegory and symbolism.