WWI

Lessons & Leftovers of the Great War
Lessons and Leftovers of the Great War

A century after the Great War’s end, we still have much to learn from its lessons and still wrestle with its consequences and leftovers.

Keep Your Eyes on the Trees: An Essay on 1917, the Most Profound Film Since Tree of Life
Keep Your Eyes on the Trees: An Essay on 1917, the Most Profound Film Since Tree of Life

1917 certainly is not a “one trick” movie, nor is it “soulless” or “bad” or “bombast” or a mere slice of cake. No, it is a work of art. It is a beautiful film. It is a deceptively deep inquiry into the value of life, the treasured heritage of Western civilization, and the importance of martial courage.

Christian Realism and Fires that Won’t Go Away: A Book Review of William Brodrick A Whispered Name
Christian Realism and Fires that Won’t Go Away: A Review of William Brodrick’s A Whispered Name

William Brodrick’s “A Whispered Name” is a lyrical reflection on responsibility, judgment, grief, the elusiveness of justice, reconciliation, and human longing.

Christian Influence on US Foreign Policy

Formal religious adherence is declining, but America’s longtime religious self-identity as a lodestar of democratic responsibility in the world continues unabashed.

The Treaty of Versailles and Religious Freedom
The Treaty of Versailles and Religious Freedom

The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, was signed one hundred years ago this week. What is often forgotten is that this treaty—or better yet, set of treaties—did recognize and advance, albeit in a limited way, the religious freedom of average citizens.

1919: Wilson, the Covenant, and the Improbable League
1919: Wilson, the Covenant, and the Improbable League

Perhaps an insight from the character of Elrond in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, about the nature of our mortal lives, offers a measure of Christian realism in the face of Versailles: “And the Elves believed that evil was ended forever, and it was not so.”

From the Trenches to the Shire & Narnia: Review of Joseph Loconte’s A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War
From the Trenches to Narnia: Review of Loconte’s A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War

While Lewis and Tolkien’s faith and contributions are well-known, most do not realize they both fought in the First World War as young men. Even fewer recognize how their time in the western front’s trenches influenced their faith and later works. However, in A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War, Providence senior editor Joseph Loconte explains in his typical, approachable prose how the war affected these two men deeply and how those experiences influenced their writings and faith.

they shall not grow old WW1 Peter Jackson
One Film to Rule Them All: Middle Earth Returns to WW1

Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old harnesses all the power of Middle Earth to celebrate the men who fought the Great War