A New Word

I came across a new word the other day. I was reading the forward to a book, and the editor closed by writing, “22 April, 1973 Easter Day: The Festival of Great Eucatastrophe.” Is eucatastrophe new to you, too?

I learned that it was a word coined by J. R. R. Tolkien to describe his Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Literally, in Greek it is “eu” = good and “katastrophy” = sudden turn. It is a massive turn in fortune from a seemingly unconquerable situation to an unforeseen victory, usually brought by grace rather than heroic effort. A great evil or misfortune has been averted.

Using it to describe Easter? Well done, John Warwick Montgomery! Well done!