Notable Deaths: R. Scruton, C. Tolkien… and J. Van Impe

We are just a bit past midway through the first month of 2020, and there are already some notable deaths for Christians to consider.

First, there was philosopher Sir Roger Scruton. As an outspoken conservative, British thinker, many Christians have looked to Scruton as a defender of “beauty,” a concept that has taken quite a beating, in our post-modern, post-Christian world. Scruton’s personal convictions about faith were quite complex, describing his involvement in the Anglican church as “my tribal religion, the religion of the English who don’t believe a word of it.”

Secondly, there was Christopher Tolkien, the son of one of the Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien. The elder Tolkien had written much of his works on Middle Earth, with his son, Christopher, in mind. Christopher Tolkien managed his father’s literary estate, after his father’s death, publishing previously unpublished J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, including The Silmarillion. 

Lastly, from a different angle in the Christian world, there was the colorful Jack Van Impe, a television evangelist, who regularly appeared for years, with his wife, Rexella, on late night television, with his analysis of current events as they related to biblical prophecy. Van Impe, who was able to memorize thousands of Bible passages, lost his spot on a popular television network in recent years, after calling other prominent evangelical leaders as promoters of what he called “Chrislam.”

Here is Roger Scruton in dialogue with Jordan Peterson.

Here is Christopher Tolkien reading the last part of The Lord of the Rings.

Here is Rexella, the wife of Jack Van Impe, talking about the coming of the Rapture (and a link to one of Jack Van Impe’s final television appearances).