Learning in Wartime: C.S. Lewis on Purpose Amidst Conflict

Timothy Chester

Today, we’re diving into an essay by C.S. Lewis called “Learning in Wartime.” But before we go there, let’s set the stage by talking about the book it comes from: “The Weight of Glory.” “The Weight of Glory” is a collection of talks and essays that C.S. Lewis gave during some of the most challenging years of the 20th century. These writings were originally delivered as sermons and public addresses in England during World War II. In them, Lewis invites us to think beyond our daily struggles, beyond even our biggest fears, and to consider the eternal realities that give true weight and purpose to our lives.

Timothy Chester

Now, “Learning in Wartime” was first preached in October 1939, just after Britain entered the Second World War. Lewis was speaking to university students at Oxford — young people who suddenly found themselves torn between academic pursuits and the looming threat of war. Imagine sitting in a lecture hall knowing that any day you might be called to fight, or that loved ones might be in danger. What place, then, does learning have? Is it even meaningful to study philosophy or poetry when the world is seemingly falling apart?

Timothy Chester

Lewis’s answer was both surprising and deeply reassuring. He argued that war doesn’t create a new human situation; it simply amplifies the permanent one we already live in. We always live on the edge of eternity, always facing the fundamental question of how to spend the precious, limited time we’ve been given. He challenges the idea that we must choose between “practical” duties and intellectual or cultural pursuits. Instead, he insists that all parts of life — study, work, art, relationships — can and must be offered to God, becoming acts of worship.

Timothy Chester

In this episode, we’ll unpack these ideas together and think about what they mean for our lives today — as parents, workers, neighbors, and followers of Christ.