I have no idea if Tolkien intended for The Hobbit to have quite so many biblical parallels, but he was a Christian and a very educated man, so it is entirely likely. Regardless, each of the sixty daily devotionals are well thought out, providing a brief quote from The Hobbit, followed by some information around the background to the quote, then the biblical principle that is being illustrated. As the devotional progresses, we move with Bilbo and the dwarves through their journey, facing the trials along with them.

Yes, it's a bit of a gimmick, a cash-in on the upcoming movie release. No, it's not the most theological of devotionals. It's a light devotional, not a heavy Bible study. But, for what it is, it's good - readable, entertaining and thought-provoking, and suitable to be used with children of all ages. Recommended for Tolkien fans, or anyone who wants to consider the Christian background to the movies.

Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

I first met Bilbo Baggins as a Junior in college. Though a children's book, The Hobbit held my attention. I was a young believer at the time - but even then I could see spiritual connections throughout the book. With the soon to be released movie, it was a pleasure to see Ed Strauss' look at those connections in a devotional setting.

As Strauss moves through J. R. R. Tolkien's original book, we find ourselves introduced to the places and people which are familiar to those who have read The Hobbit. Each of the 60 devotions reviews a portion of Tolkien's book, concludes with a clear application and an appropriate scripture.

I have look forward to reading each day's snippit (of course, I never cheated and looked ahead [:)].) Reading the devotional has made me even more eager for the movie's release this holiday season.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

For all you J.R.R. Tolkien fans and Christians looking for a great new devotional just in time with the release of the movie, The Hobbit, comes Ed Strauss' The Hobbit Devotional: Bilbo Baggins and the Bible. I was so thrilled to see what this book would contain, I knew I had to review it. Being a Christian, I was more than excited to see how chapters of the book The Hobbit would be blended together in 60 different devotional lessons that could be completed once a week.

Each devotion begins with a reading from a chapter in the Hobbit and ties in such great teaching with the Bible such as one such lesson on wisdom. In the book, the Hobbit, the elves are the race of beings that the Hobbits or even Gandalf will consult because they are basically immortal, so their wisdom comes from being around so long and their life experience. The devotion picks up and tells the reader how wise it is to use the sage wisdom that comes from parents and grandparents not because things are so different between their time and ours, but because they have been seasoned by life's experiences. It teaches us that not everything is so easily learned in our age of technology.

Sound scripture from the Bible accompanies each chapter, story and shows how in our current lives these lessons are still vital to the Christian walk. One such chapter "Checking Things Out" deals with the secrets hiding within the caves from the Hobbits and how vital it was for the party to thoroughly search the cave before deciding to stay the night. One never knew if there was danger lurking nearby or perhaps a trap set, and one time the dwarves Kili and Filir reported back they had found the perfect dry cave. Even Gandalf himself searched the cave and was assured they were good for the night. Suddenly in the middle of the night, goblins rushed out and seized the travelers and their ponies and vanished back inside the mountain.

The lesson goes on to teach how easy it is to be fooled by our present day circumstances, while some are easy to see others are difficult to expose. Con artists lurk not only in the financial world but also in religious settings. Jesus likened these deceivers to wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15) and Paul cautioned Christians not to be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." The lesson goes on to warn the readers that some traps are capable of fooling even the veterans and we have an obligation to warn others to watch out for it.

This book is filled with great lessons for the die hard Hobbit or J.R.R. Tolkien fan and is bound to be a great discussion point for youth group and church leaders as well as we near the release date of the Hobbit on the big screen. This book is bound to make learning from the Bible fun in a completely new way and makes the life lessons more relevant when you can relate them back to not only the story of the Hobbit but back to the Bible as well.

I received The Hobbit Devotional: Bilbo Baggins and The Bible by Ed Strauss compliments of Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. My entire family have had so much fun sharing biblical insights along with our love for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy as well as the Hobbit and I can easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars. This book is available in paperback and eBook formats from your favorite book retailer.

A Hobbit Devotional by Ed Strauss is fun for Tolkien fans. There is a highlight from the Hobbit with sometimes some geekier notations from the whole series and then a related Bible situation. It isn't a deep look at scripture by any means, but I would recommend this to fans of LOTR or people who want a light read to get them thinking about their life with Jesus every day. I could have given this to my young reader if it was available when I had a young reader :)

I read A LOT but this is the first time that I've felt compelled to write a review. I ordered A Hobbit Devotional for my daughter who is a huge Tolkien fan. Originally, I was just along for the ride - watching The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with her as well as acquiring all of the books. I decided to read some in this devotional (I bought 3 copies and I plan to order more for gifts) before presenting it to her and I was hooked! Not only does Mr. Strauss make the actual book (The Hobbit) clearer in this easy to read devotional, but he expertly applies situations throughout the book with coordinating Bible stories/ scriptures and ends with real life applications for the reader. I LOVE this! I gave a copy to my dad, who also gives it a rave review and I'm thinking about getting copies for my daughter's Tolkien friends.