A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War

June 22, 2015
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien are two of the best-known Christian writers of the 20th century. Their works have influenced millions of readers and have informed spiritual discussion in the public square for many decades. What is less well known about these two men is that they enjoyed a deep friendship and a shared life experience as soldiers in WWI. Loconte, associate professor of history at the King's College in New York City, explains that the fighting in the trenches and the thrill of survival all provided context for their later fictional writing; echoes of the war can be found everywhere in their powerful stories. Loconte offers the real-life tale behind the optimism and final triumph of good over evil that shine from Lewis and Tolkien's works: "No matter how desperate the circumstances... the characters in their stories retain the capacity to resist evil and choose the good," and it is in this choosing that redemption is finally achieved. This is a wonderful account of two remarkable Christian writers.