I took time recently to watch the new release "All Quiet on the Western Front" that is streaming on Netflix. It is a hard movie to watch in many regards. You see the painful pointlessness of trench warfare in World War I, the differing experieces and perspectives of the "glory of war" - all those things that make the original novel one of the great works of the 20th century.
A few days later, while reading and discussing CS Lewis with a friend, I realized there was a fascinating story that could be connected to the film. Namely, that both CS Lewis (Mere Christianity, Chronicles of Narnia, God in the Dock, The Problem of Pain) and his friend JRR Tolkein (Lord of the Rings) had served in the British Army in the same setting. Both men saw some of the most inhumane experiences that the 20th century could dream up. One entered the war as a practicing Catholic, the other as a committed atheist. A decade later, both were deeply committed Christians, brilliant writers, Oxford professors and good friends.
I'd recommend that you take time to
- Read CS Lewis and the Great War by Joseph Loconte in the National Review - CLICK HERE for the article
- View A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and A Great War - 5 minutes on YouTube - CLICK HERE
Then go ahead and watch All Quiet On The Western Front with those men in mind.
