Chesterton's classic explanation of the essentials of the Christian faith and of his pilgrimage to belief. Written in 1908, it displays all the int...
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Aug 01, 2011
jenn
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I bought it because I heard this quote recently
"A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that G More...
"A child kicks its legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that G More...
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Mar 23, 2010
Shane
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It is with extreme reluctance that I condemn this work as worthless. The person who recommended it to me is one whose opinion and learning I respect greatly.
Chesterton seems to think (although I'm not entirely sure of anything in this book, inasmuch as the author refuses to write in anything but figurative language and metaphor. In fact, the term "mixed metaphor" is an entirely inappropriate descriptor. One would need to use exponents to keep track of the metaphors and s More...
Chesterton seems to think (although I'm not entirely sure of anything in this book, inasmuch as the author refuses to write in anything but figurative language and metaphor. In fact, the term "mixed metaphor" is an entirely inappropriate descriptor. One would need to use exponents to keep track of the metaphors and s More...
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Dec 16, 2009
John
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imagine walking into a dangerous and violent bar with the biggest, baddest ufc champion ever to grace the octagon. or walking into a house party with the hottest date ever. or entering a church basketball tournament with an nba caliber ringer on your team. i'm guessing that's what it would have felt like to walk with gk chesterton into a room full of skeptics and post-modern christian haters.
okay, that whole paragraph did not work. but this book deserves credit for being mostly More...
okay, that whole paragraph did not work. but this book deserves credit for being mostly More...
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Dec 17, 2009
Fr.Bill
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This is an absolute must for either Catholics or Protestants, as Chesterton addresses an aspect of mere Christianity (it's profound and monumental common sensensicalness!) in a way that sparkles with wit, humor, and intellectual derring-do.
Incidentally, if you set yourself to reading it out loud, you will put yourself through a training in diction and oral expression that far surpasses anything you could ever hire.
Incidentally, if you set yourself to reading it out loud, you will put yourself through a training in diction and oral expression that far surpasses anything you could ever hire.
Dec 15, 2011
Gwen
rated it:
I have to think of Chesterton as happy nitroglycerin. This book sends your head up into the clouds while driving your feet deep into the earth. It spins you dizzier than you've ever been, yet makes you walk straighter than you've ever walked.
Read this first in 2007, again in 2011.
Read this first in 2007, again in 2011.
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Jul 06, 2007
Andrew
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this review first appeared on [http://intraspace.blogspot.com]
i've finally finished reading his book 'orthodoxy'. it looks little, like a quick read, and then it isn't.
this book seems to have had a revival in the last couple of years. it's recommended by philip yancey, john eldridge mentions it a lot in his writings, and relevant media (purveyors of christian cool) have just released a version under their imprint. i suppose it was also considered a 'christian classic' bef More...
i've finally finished reading his book 'orthodoxy'. it looks little, like a quick read, and then it isn't.
this book seems to have had a revival in the last couple of years. it's recommended by philip yancey, john eldridge mentions it a lot in his writings, and relevant media (purveyors of christian cool) have just released a version under their imprint. i suppose it was also considered a 'christian classic' bef More...
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Jun 03, 2008
Skylar
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Chesterton is witty but dense; his reasoning requires concentration. If I am reading him and not paying close attention to the trajectory of his thought, I find myself saying, "What is he babbling about? What does this have to do with anything, let alone Christian orthodoxy?" If I am paying attention, however, I often find him extremely insightful, and I wish to highlight nearly ever line. I also find him quite contemporary; what he says seems to apply somehow to every age. This is not
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May 03, 2010
Jamie
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I learned that the Orthodoxy of the Catholic faith is what keeps it (and the world) sane. It calls to us from our fairy tales while at the same time appealing to our logic.
I also learned why so many people, like C.S. Lewis, Scott Hahn, and J.R.R. Tolkien have made reference to G.K. Chesterton - he is brilliant. His mastery of the English language is second to none.
The only difficulty of this book is that it may come off as "high-brow" because it was written in More...
I also learned why so many people, like C.S. Lewis, Scott Hahn, and J.R.R. Tolkien have made reference to G.K. Chesterton - he is brilliant. His mastery of the English language is second to none.
The only difficulty of this book is that it may come off as "high-brow" because it was written in More...
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Dec 06, 2010
Chris
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When I first started reading this book, I was dumbfounded, and I quickly sensed my vulnerability. I’m used to reading challenging authors who work hard to drop-kick your old paradigms and hold you teeth-down to the grinding concrete they’re speeding recklessly over in pursuit of truth. I can sense when an author is sliding towards sensationalism and theatrics in his attempt to convince readers that their life is a sham and essentially a waste of time. I even like it when authors do that, because
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Jun 06, 2010
LeAnn
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Reviewing G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy is a daunting task, given the purpose of the book, his sophisticated and subtle commentary, and the nature of the subject. Nevertheless, I'll try to write a response that will enable potential readers to determine what Chesterton wrote about, why, and how successfully.
Already I find myself laboring to pull salient points and summarize arguments from Chesterton's book. The main thing to understand is that this book isn't an apologia for Christiani More...
Already I find myself laboring to pull salient points and summarize arguments from Chesterton's book. The main thing to understand is that this book isn't an apologia for Christiani More...
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Oct 26, 2007
Jason
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G.K. Chesterton is a rhetorical master, and nowhere is his virtuosity on better display than in Orthodoxy. This book is saturated with classical rhetorical devices, so it may be a bit heavy-handed for modernists. If you enjoy a clever turn of phrase and a top-notch wit, Chesterton is hard to beat.
Orthodoxy is noteworthy for its substantive content as well. In this book, G.K. defends Christianity against the amoral relativism of his day (the turn of the 20th Century). His primary More...
Orthodoxy is noteworthy for its substantive content as well. In this book, G.K. defends Christianity against the amoral relativism of his day (the turn of the 20th Century). His primary More...
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Jul 26, 2008
Frank
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This is an old classic that I finally got around to read. Chesterton is called the "Apostle of Common Sense" and he has a lot of common sense in this book but I must admit it was boring. I kept falling asleep reading it. Maybe I'm not the old classic reader I thought. I found the book just rambled on about nothing for great importance. There was good bits of information in it but I didn't find it worth the effort to ferrit them out. I tossed my book out. I still like Chesterton but thi
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Aug 09, 2011
Excellent read! In his introduction, Philip Yancey suggests this very book - of the very many that he has written - as the starting point for those wanting to become familiar with the work of Chesterton. His humor is unique. His writing style engaging.
In Chesterton's words, "It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, no of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it."
Favorite quote: "It is impossible without h More...
In Chesterton's words, "It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, no of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it."
Favorite quote: "It is impossible without h More...
Jan 28, 2009
Ben
rated it:
I first heard of GK Chesterton by watching EWTN's show about him. It mainly highlighted some themes and would give a bunch of his quotes. I found his words very intriguing, so I began listening to one of his better known works, Orthodoxy. It is available on Project Gutenberg here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16769/167...
However, I find it more convenient to listen to it on librivox:
http://librivox.org/orthodoxy-by-gk-ches...
I have listened to it a few times now and More...
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16769/167...
However, I find it more convenient to listen to it on librivox:
http://librivox.org/orthodoxy-by-gk-ches...
I have listened to it a few times now and More...
Jan 24, 2009
Bob
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One of the most interesting, convincing cases made for orthodox Christian theology, but made in a distinctly non-dogmatic way. Though the text is 100 years old (I believe it was published in 1908), the arguments still make sense - indeed, perhaps make more sense - today. Mr. Chesterton uses logic to show just how illogical rationalist beliefs are, and then links his own ideas (and ideals) gained over time to orthodox Christian beliefs.
While some may think that this text is too diffic More...
While some may think that this text is too diffic More...
Jan 27, 2012
Russell
rated it:
"I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy." Chesterton write of his own conversion, it’s a personal foray into his reasoning, his discoveries and his faith. The beautiful paradox is that it's quite universal.
For me, this is my favorite introduction to Chesterton. He's witty, insightful, brilliant, and an engaging author. I've read Manalive, and a collection of Father Brown stories, and had wondered a More...
For me, this is my favorite introduction to Chesterton. He's witty, insightful, brilliant, and an engaging author. I've read Manalive, and a collection of Father Brown stories, and had wondered a More...
Nov 15, 2011
Marlan
rated it:
I really liked this book (GK Chesterton's philosophical explanation of why he is a Christian), but that doesn't mean I agreed with all of it.
I liked it because it contained a large number of phenomenally quotable portions, paragraphs or ideas that I found immensely intriguing or persuasive. He himself said it was not meant to be a work of perfect logic, but more just a walk through why he believes what he believes. Because of that, it is infused with an earnestness that, while off-pu More...
I liked it because it contained a large number of phenomenally quotable portions, paragraphs or ideas that I found immensely intriguing or persuasive. He himself said it was not meant to be a work of perfect logic, but more just a walk through why he believes what he believes. Because of that, it is infused with an earnestness that, while off-pu More...
Jul 27, 2011
Vanessa
rated it:
First, this is an incredibly well-written work work many ideas worthy of consideration regardless of your religion/creed. It was kind of like reading Shakespear in that aha-ness of coming across the source of so many oft-quoted passages that I had never known the source of.
That said, I can't say that I ultimately found Chesterton's arguments to be persuasive. They were too often based on comparisons that employed exaggeration and/or over simplification that painted opposing points of view very More...
That said, I can't say that I ultimately found Chesterton's arguments to be persuasive. They were too often based on comparisons that employed exaggeration and/or over simplification that painted opposing points of view very More...
Apr 27, 2011
Holly
rated it:
A treasure trove of thoughts from a remarkable thinker who influenced C.S. Lewis, my intellectual hero. I have had a lot of questions I didn't even know how to put into question form and here a book of answers about the dangers on the path on which modern man had already set on at the time this book was written (1909ish). For example, WHY should people put desires in check? Why should they NOT run free? How DOES natural law promote freedom? I assumed one controled himself because it was the Ch
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Apr 26, 2011
Stephanie
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Ah, Chesterton. You never cease to awaken me to the paradoxes and perplexities of life. The foremost being, "How can Christians actually like you when you're paradoxically narrow-minded and a god-awful writer to boot?" Life never ceases to amaze me.
So following is not my review of the book, but the "Ten Things I Hate About Chesterton." This was part of my Torrey notes when I actually had to read the book in school last year. After struggling through a monstrosity su More...
So following is not my review of the book, but the "Ten Things I Hate About Chesterton." This was part of my Torrey notes when I actually had to read the book in school last year. After struggling through a monstrosity su More...
Apr 23, 2011
Peter
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I have recently been exposed to Chesterton and glad. What an interesting writer, very insightful, knowledgeable, and an amazing wordsmith. This is his statement on why he is a Christian (moving toward Catholicism). Though written towards the beginning of the twentieth century has addresses all the current arguments against religion and Christianity. His writing is universal, as it transcends the time in which he wrote. This work requires a good deal of thought when engaging it. After More...
Feb 26, 2011
Eric
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Notes on Chesterton's Orthodoxy
Second time through
July - August 2010
I. Introduction in Defense of Everything Else
Author describes his autobiography like a man setting sail for a new world and returning to England under the impression of being in South Africa. "I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I put the final touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
II. The Maniac
Holding too tightly to logic and rules produces More...
Second time through
July - August 2010
I. Introduction in Defense of Everything Else
Author describes his autobiography like a man setting sail for a new world and returning to England under the impression of being in South Africa. "I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I put the final touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
II. The Maniac
Holding too tightly to logic and rules produces More...
Aug 21, 2010
John
rated it:
This book is an astonishing whirlwind of romanticism. I didn't know what to expect from this book when I began reading it, but when I got to the end I found that I had just plunged headlong into a hidden pool of crystalline water in the middle of a desert. It was a breath of fresh air, a relief for the soul, filling for the spirit, and just a work of happiness.
This is not an apologetics book. In fact, it might make for an utterly horrible apologetic, because Chesterton is not making an More...
This is not an apologetics book. In fact, it might make for an utterly horrible apologetic, because Chesterton is not making an More...
Jun 27, 2010
Karyn
rated it:
G.K. Chesterton was a journalist, poet, novelist, playwrite, apologist, debater, theologian, and an all around astounding individual. It's a shame that he was all but lost to a generation, but refreshing that much of his material is regaining popularity. In this book Chesterton explains how he began to form his own heresy, but when he was finished he found that he had instead re-discovered orthodoxy. This is the kind of book you read and two months later find yourself trying to find that thou
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Mar 09, 2010
Keiki
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Not so much a step-by-step handbook, more of a progressive recounting of the intellectual road to Truth, G. K. Chestertons ‘Orthodoxy’ is a classic for those who love to hear the Truth in fleshed out terms. In short, I simply loved it and could see from the first few pages why this work is a classic must read.
Much like C. S. Lewis (of whom I greatly admire), Chesterton is a wordsmith painting pictures, giving examples, drawing out the facts in real life form.
From ‘The Sui More...
Much like C. S. Lewis (of whom I greatly admire), Chesterton is a wordsmith painting pictures, giving examples, drawing out the facts in real life form.
From ‘The Sui More...
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Feb 11, 2010
Chad
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*****
It would be easy enough to say Chesterton was a pompous blowhard, but it would be far more difficult to explain that he is my new favorite pompous blowhard. This man wrote so effortlessly yet so beautifully, and with such candor about his contemporaries, their thoughts, about his own beliefs and how he arrived at them. Reading this was like reading the most arrogant mysticism, and in Chesterton's case arrogance is not something to be scolded. He had such a truly original mind and an e More...
It would be easy enough to say Chesterton was a pompous blowhard, but it would be far more difficult to explain that he is my new favorite pompous blowhard. This man wrote so effortlessly yet so beautifully, and with such candor about his contemporaries, their thoughts, about his own beliefs and how he arrived at them. Reading this was like reading the most arrogant mysticism, and in Chesterton's case arrogance is not something to be scolded. He had such a truly original mind and an e More...
Mar 24, 2009
David
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I had read this book years ago and I definitely did not appreciate it as much then. Upon a re-read, I am amazed by Chesterton's literary excellence and theological and philosophical depth. This book should be a must read for any Christian. Chesterton's words may especially strike contemporary skeptics, not because he offers an air-tight apologetic for Christianity but rather because he invites the reader on his own journey filled with questions and shows how he came to faith. His discussion
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Dec 27, 2011
Keren
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Orthodoxy is Chesterton’s 1908 addition to an earlier work, Heretics, and was also written in response, according to Chesterton, to Mr. G.S. Street. It is his self-acclaimed essay on how he came to believe the orthodoxy of the Christian faith (specifically, he converted to Catholicism later in life), tracing the path of his searching for the meaning of life and realizing the answer had been answered again and again throughout the history of the church. Much of this work and his accounting for hi
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Oct 21, 2007
Jon
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Chesterton is very clever--both witty in words and deeply insightful about the faith. At times his wit became almost tedious to listen to (I listened to an AudioBook version) but his way of summing up intellectual history of various movements and insight into the nature of the Gospel was well worth wading through it all. The book is really an autobiography of sorts--I guess an autobiography of his intellectual journey to faith. Very enlightening, inspiring, and fun.
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