[Saxon]

Yes, Tolkien was through and through a Catholic and it shows in his work, but you have to look for it. Earlier, C.S. Lewis was mentioned and his blatant "Aslan is Christ." Lewis was a much heavier handed writer, but both tackled the same themes. They met at Oxford in the 20's and had regular drinking and discussion sessions through the 40's. A number of other authors took part in this and drafts of The Lord of the Rings, The Screwtape Letters and so forth were first discussed in the sessions. It is clear that the group were first and formost christians exploring the intellectual side of their faith, particularly through writing.

Anyone who is interesting in some academic readings on Tolkien, with a focus on the christian side, should check out "Tolkien, A Celebration." I think it falls short in examining his Green side, but it does cover a lot of other territory well.