Socrates in the City

Joe Loconte: The War for Middle – Earth

13 snips
Oct 3, 2025
Joe Loconte, a historian and author specializing in C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, delves into the profound wartime influences behind their masterpieces. He explores how World War II shaped their friendship and literary output, discussing themes of good versus evil. Loconte emphasizes the importance of their Christian worldview and the enduring relevance of their works. The conversation highlights the moral imagination they cultivated as a response to totalitarianism and the scars of their past, ultimately celebrating the beauty found in their struggles and triumphs.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

War Shaped Their Creative Urgency

  • The Second World War created urgent pressure that shaped Tolkien and Lewis's literary callings and themes.
  • Understanding their wartime context is essential to appreciating their major works.
INSIGHT

Shared Trauma Bonded Them

  • Both men carried deep scars from World War I that influenced their imaginations and friendship.
  • Shared trauma and love of heroic myths drew them together at Oxford.
INSIGHT

Their Major Works Grew During Crisis

  • Tolkien wrote The Hobbit around 1933 and began The Lord of the Rings at the end of 1937, writing through the war.
  • Lewis's major works like Screwtape and Narnia also emerged amid wartime crises.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app