The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses

Written and delivered during World War II, the essays/sermons of The Weight of Glory respond to contemporary anxieties about violence, loss, and the future of civilization. This is particularly true of “Learning in War-Time,” “Why I Am Not a Pacifist,” “The Inner Ring,” and “Membership.” These essays are consistent with Lewis’s work as a whole, engaging with urgent social and personal concerns of his day in a way informed by his Christian faith.

In “Learning in War-Time,” Lewis speaks as a scholar addressing fellow scholars during wartime. Lewis initially delivered the speech in the fall of 1939—weeks after World War II began with the Nazi invasion of Poland. Though Britain had yet to experience the bombings and rationing that would characterize much of the war, this was a period of intense uncertainty; the rapid and devastating conquest of Poland raised questions about how other countries would fare against the German war machine. Thus, learning seemed an extravagance to some observers. Lewis meets this objection head-on, arguing that human beings cannot stop the quest for knowledge, even (perhaps even especially) during times of turmoil, because this quest is consistent with human nature and the survival of civilization.