I have selected G.K. Chesteron as my main historical mentor for 2007. Chesterton's influence is prodigious. The list of thinkers and influencers that Chesterton shaped included such luminaries as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mahatma Ghandi, Michael Collins, Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, Orson Welles and Philip Yancey. C.S. Lewis, in fact, looked to Chesterton as his spiritual father.
Chesterton died the year my father was born [1936] at his home in England. Fortunately, Chesterton left us a few things to read. He wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, some 200 short stories, 4000 essays and several plays. It is said that he dictated most of his books to his secretary and ostensibly made very few revisions to the first drafts. Chesterton was famous for his debates with the skeptics of his day. He usually won and developed cordial relationships with them at the same time.
I invite you to join me in making Chesterton your historical mentor for 2007. That includes you atheist readers as well. Let's sit at his feet and learn.
First up will be Chesterton's apologetic for his Christian faith. A book known as . It is 9 bucks plus shipping ... or you can go check it out from your library. At 168 pages long, it should be within the reach and attention span of any blog reader.
You are up for a good read my friend. I have taken a deep dive on Chesterton befor and I like his style a lot. Very applicable for our day and time as well.
Have Fun
Posted by: Carl Holmes | December 29, 2006 at 13:20
I'm a big Chesterton fan as well. For those who are interested, here's a great link to a fairly exhaustive online library of his works. You'll even find (for those who aren't keen to buy a copy) the full text of Orthodoxy. (And I consider "The Ballad of the White Horse" to be one of the finest and most underappreciated poems in the English language.)
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/index.html
Posted by: csheidler | December 30, 2006 at 10:24
Thank you for that link!
Can I interest anyone else in reading Orthodoxy along with me?
I am on Chapter 2.
Posted by: Mr. D | December 30, 2006 at 12:13
I'm going to try to pick it up in a few days and read along with you...but I'm not sure if it'll pan out with all the reading due to school starting this week.
Posted by: Joel Haas | January 02, 2007 at 14:13
Bravo for choosing Chesterton! I re-read Orthodoxy about every 18 months. If you'd like I can follow along again for a fourth (fifth?) tour. You'll notice so much of Chesterton that rubbed into Lewis.
I am a first-time reader to your blog. Wonderful graphic up top!
Posted by: Anna | January 05, 2007 at 15:44
Anna,
Please read along. Share your wisdom and insight.
Posted by: Mr. Dawntreader | January 05, 2007 at 17:49
Chesterton works can also be found at Project Gutenburg.
My paperback copy of Orthodoxy is well-worn, and the insight in chapter 6 of Christian balance being "the collision of two passions apparently opposite" is something that I've kept in the back of my mind ever since I read it. I may dig it out again and follow along with you.
Posted by: oloryn | January 06, 2007 at 23:33