Dr. Joseph Loconte joins Joe for a powerful exploration of faith, imagination, and courage in times of crisis—how two Oxford professors used story to resist the darkness of their age and inspire generations to come.
As a historian and author of The War for Middle-earth: J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945, Dr. Loconte reveals how the trauma of the First World War and the rise of totalitarianism shaped the moral imagination of both Tolkien and Lewis. While fascism, communism, and nihilism were eroding meaning across Europe, these two friends responded with mythic tales that reawakened the timeless virtues of courage, friendship, sacrifice, and faith.
In this conversation, Joe and Dr. Loconte unpack what it means to lead with conviction in an age of cynicism—how to confront “the gathering storm” of fear and confusion not through force, but through imagination, integrity, and truth. They explore how literature can serve as resistance, how belief can ground moral clarity, and why cultivating the inner life is essential for any leader facing dark times.
Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of the moral lessons behind The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia—and how these works still speak to the leaders, soldiers, and citizens called to stand in the breach today.
In this episode, Joe and Dr. Loconte also explore:
- How the First World War shaped Tolkien and Lewis’s understanding of evil and heroism
- Why the 1920s and 1930s created a “crisis of meaning” across the Western world
- How their friendship became a creative alliance and a moral counteroffensive
- Why The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia are, at their core, acts of defiance against despair
- What “the cataract of nonsense” teaches us about propaganda and the need for historical literacy
- The spiritual courage required to use one’s gifts—even when the world seems to be falling apart
- How both men modeled leadership through faith, fellowship, and imagination
Whether you’re leading in the military, education, or business, this episode offers timeless lessons on how conviction, creativity, and courage can help us navigate our own modern storms—and remind us that even in the darkest times, grace and goodness still have the final word.
Meet Joe
oseph Loconte, PhD, Director of the Rivendell Center in New York City, is a Presidential Scholar at New College of Florida and the C.S. Lewis Scholar for Public Life at Grove City College. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at Sagamore Institute, and as a Senior Fellow at Founding Forward and at the Trinity Forum. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 (Harper Collins, 2015)
Mr. Loconte previously served as a an Associate Professor of History at the King’s College in New York City and as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University.
Mr. Loconte’s commentary on religion and public life appears in the nation’s leading journals and newspapers, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, National Affairs, the New Criterion, National Geographic, Law and Liberty, the National Interest, and National Review. For 10 years he served as a commentator for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. He was the winner of the 2017 Best Article award from the Tolkien Society for his article How J.R.R. Tolkien Found Mordor on the Western Front.
Mr. Loconte’s other books include: God, Locke, and Liberty: The Struggle for Religious Freedom in the West (Lexington Books, 2014); The Searchers: A Quest for Faith in the Valley of Doubt (Thomas Nelson, 2012); The End of Illusions: Religious Leaders Confront Hitler’s Gathering Storm (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004); and Seducing the Samaritan: How Government Contracts Are Reshaping Social Services (The Pioneer Institute, 1997).
Mr. Loconte has testified before Congress on international human rights and served as a human rights expert on the 2005 Congressional Task Force on the United Nations, contributing to its final report, “American Interests and U.N. Reform.” From 2001-2003, he was an informal advisor to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He also served as a speechwriter for British MP Andrew Mitchell, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.
Mr. Loconte is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a forlorn fan of the NY Mets, and a frequent traveler to sunny Italy.
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