The Discipline of War

Writing during the First World War, John Hasloch Potter treats Lent as a time to examine responsibilities made sharper by national crisis. His nine Christian addresses follow the church calendar from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, considering the will, body, soul and spirit alongside obedience, sorrow, bereavement and sacrifice. The opening address connects freedom of choice with everyday duty, using the decision to visit a sick friend as an example of competing motives.

Published in 1915, the book moves between biblical passages, practical advice and reflection on suffering. Potter urges careful preparation for Holy Communion, regular habits of worship and attention to other people's needs. An appendix supplies a subject for meditation and a Scripture passage for each day of Lent. Readers interested in Christian devotion or the religious response to wartime hardship will find a pastor's account of how faith might shape conduct under pressure.