Lewis, Tolkien, and Nature
Door Jam: July 14, 2025
The Door Jam is a place to squeeze in articles about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, their work, adaptations of their fantasy worlds, news from other franchises, and interesting articles. Unless otherwise stated, I’m not endorsing (or criticizing) any of these but merely sharing them with you.
Peter Jackson, most well-known for directing The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, is working to “resurrect” an extinct New Zealand bird. The idea of nature conservation and appreciation resonates with both Lewis and Tolkien, who were keen lovers of creation.
Jackson is lending his support to an effort to bring back to life a long-extinct bird from New Zealand.
In a partnership that sounds like it belongs in one of his epic fantasy films, Jackson has teamed up with Colossal Biosciences and the Ngāi Tahu Research Centre to bring the massive, long-extinct moa back to life.
The South Island Giant Moa, which stood up to 12 feet tall, vanished hundreds of years ago.
However, if this new alliance succeeds, it might once again roam the wild landscapes of New Zealand.
Colossal Biosciences, the same company leading efforts to revive the dire wolf, is providing advanced genetic engineering and computational technologies to make this dream a reality.
The idea of resurrecting an extinct species may have been foreign to Lewis and Tolkien, but both had a fondness for nature that is evident in their writing.
Tolkien had talking trees in the Ents and was especially fond of plant life. “I am (obviously) much in love with plants and above all trees, and always have been,” he wrote in a 1955 letter, “and I find human maltreatment of them as hard to bear as some find ill-treatment of animals.”
As one who made a world of talking animals when he was both a child, Boxen, and as an adult, Narnia, Lewis loved animals. He frequently wrote about man’s responsibility to care for animals. Works like The Problem of Pain directly deal with animal suffering.
He wrote an essay, “Vivisection,” reprinted in God in the Dock, dealing directly with animal cruelty and experimentation.
In justifying cruelty to animals, we put ourselves also on the animal level. We choose the jungle and must abide by our choice.
…
If we cut up beasts simply because they cannot prevent us and because we are backing our own side in the struggle for existence, it is only logical to cut up imbeciles, criminals, enemies, or capitalists for the same reasons.
Much like how talking beasts make it to Aslan’s Country in Narnia, Lewis felt animals would be part of God’s new creation. In a 1950 letter, he wrote, “If (as I hope) the new earth contains beasts, they will not be a mere continuation of (the present) biological life but a resurrection, a participation (to their appropriate degree) in Zoe.”
Sources:
Not Safe But Good
C.S. Lewis quote of the week
… one needs the sweetness to start one on the spiritual life but, once started, one must learn to obey God for his own sake, not for the pleasure.
1931 letter to Arthur Greeves, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis: Vol. 2
Tumnus’ bookshelf
More books by or about Lewis or Tolkien
In introducing the 19 essays included in this book, Walter Hooper says it gives us the most complete picture of C.S. Lewis the journalist. “It was a role which suited Lewis admirably, for he possessed to an astonishing degree the gift of saying what needed to be said clearly and briefly.” Hooper said the variety of essays not related to theology and literature included in the book answers the question, “What else was Lewis concerned about?”
Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays (ebook) — $1.99 (-83%), paperback $9.41 (-28%)
Other works on sale
That Hideous Strength (ebook) — $1.99 (-83%)
The Reading Life (ebook) — $1.99 (-85%)
The Allegory of Love (ebook) — $1.99 (-83%)
Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics (ebook) — $0.99 (-84%)
It may also be worth checking to see if some of the recent Lewis and Tolkien sales are still available if you missed those last week.
Also, if you missed my review of Superman (with both spoiler-free and spoiler-filled sections), you can read that.
Behind the Wardrobe
Sneak peek at the bonus articles
Below, paid subscribers can read how the stars of the previous Narnia films feel about the upcoming adaptation, why Screwtape remains relevant in a digital age, what the connection is between Narnia and Hogwarts, and what Peter Jackson says about his filmmaking future. There is also an audio recording of Tolkien himself reading the introduction of Gollum from The Hobbit.
