The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses

The essays in The Weight of Glory originated as talks offering inspiration and moral guidance during and after World War II, and wartime and postwar themes pervade the book. Especially relevant to Lewis’s student audiences, the theme of searching for vocation and moral courage during wartime informs a number of the chapters. 

Two essays deal with the war in particularly explicit terms. Chapter 2, “Learning in Wartime,” encourages students to continue their studies during the war, arguing that civil strife cannot stop the pursuit of knowledge and beauty and that the scholarly life is a God-given vocation. Chapter 3, “Why I Am Not a Pacifist,” takes the subjects of war and morality head-on, defending the necessity of supporting a just war. Lewis defends Britain’s involvement in World War II as righteous and argues that citizens should be willing to sacrifice personal safety and even life itself for a noble cause—a view with ample support in the traditions of all nations, argues Lewis. 

At first glance, these two essays’ stances might seem contradictory: The first suggests that civilian life and activities remain essential in wartime, while the second makes a moral case for participation in the war itself.