Orthodoxy
by G.K. Chesterton
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Nick by:
Seton Home Studyrecommends it for: postmodern anti-rationalists, devotees of the well-turned phrase, suburbanites
After reading this cover-to-cover for the first time since high school, I am struck not only by Chesterton's delightful rhetoric but by just how relevant his insights are to contemporary discourse. I take this as a clear indication as to just how far off the mark our contemporary discourse has wandered, since so little progress has been made. There is very little outright philosophy in this book; nonetheless, it is a systematic overview of decades of poetic reverie thoroughly conditioned by a ...more
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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 God say...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 God say...more
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Chesterton's Orthodoxy and Lewis's Mere Christianity are classics of contemporary Christian apologetics. Both write to a similar audience, namely, secular academics. Lewis' appeal was broader, however, for he was reaching out to those people influenced or educated by these academics. Consequently, these books are full of reason and logic but are devoid of Bible quotes. This might dismay some fundamentalists, but this type of apolo...more
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Read in August, 2006
this review first appeared on 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 ...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 ...more
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Read in September, 2008
Excellent book. Too hard to describe, but he shows the poetry in the Gospel. Quotes:
"Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination." -ch.2
"Here is the peculiar perfection of tone and truth in the nursery tales. The man of science says, 'Cut the stalk and the apple will fall'; but he says i...more
"Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination." -ch.2
"Here is the peculiar perfection of tone and truth in the nursery tales. The man of science says, 'Cut the stalk and the apple will fall'; but he says i...more
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Read in April, 2002
recommends it for:
postermodern folk, atheists OR die-hard believers, philosophers
This was one of those books that rocked me hard. I do love me some Jesus, and I tend to follow him quite sincerely, but this was one of those books that called for a real, critical understanding of that faith. Chesterton relates his story of skepticism and firm adherence to genuine philosophy without the need for any deity. Yet the book itself is a powerful story that traces his movement towards faith and his ultimate conclusion that orthodoxy itself provides the only real structure and meani...more
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Read in February, 2008
I thoroughly enjoy G.K. Chesterton's writing. I think he is a brilliant intellectual, and one of the best modern writers incorporating the history and theology of Catholicism--certainly one of the best in the first half of the 20th century. Without quoting the Bible chapter and verse, he alludes to the more unfamiliar and subtle supporting ideas presented in the past. He also brilliantly manipulates current (early 20th century) thinkers as foils to his theories. Unfortunately, in his book Orthod...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone interested in Christian apologetics or top notch rhetoric
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 foil is ...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 foil is ...more
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recommends it for:
anyone who wants to understand why people would believe Catholicism
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 the U.K. (and t...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 the U.K. (and t...more
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Read in June, 2006
I found this text especially inspiring. This apparently is Chesterton's "Mere Christianity." And it is steller. Whereas Lewis attempts to pragmatically explain why Christianity works--Chesterton says the beauty of Christian is its mystery. And he argues the evidence for it exists in its wonder. My favorite chapter discusses the prevailing paradoxes that exist in Christian faith--it's the first time I really understood what the lion and lamb imagery really meant.
This book is a stro...more
This book is a stro...more
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Read in October, 2007
I'm sure people will want to hang me for this, but I didn't love this book. It didn't quite live up to its acclaim in my opinion. I agree with Chesterton on most of his points, but I think if I didn't I would complain that he didn't back them up very well. He presented a lot of opinions as understood facts. He sometimes went into long discussions of issues that didn't have much to do with the overall point of the book. It didn't seem like an incredibly focused book. It is however, smart, w...more
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
people who love history and would like to view it from another perspective
The Incarnation (the conception and birth of Christ) is the focal point, not just of the Christian creed, but of all of history. This single event, combined with the Passion and Resurrection, was (literally) earth-shattering. It made sense of history and rescued civilization from a dark future of paganism gone to rot.
Again, like Chesterton's other works, a grasp of "British English" is necessary for American readers, but it is definitely his masterpiece. (I am currently reading ...more
Again, like Chesterton's other works, a grasp of "British English" is necessary for American readers, but it is definitely his masterpiece. (I am currently reading ...more
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Read in January, 2001
My girlfriend actually has a funny story about this book ... but I'll let her tell it, if and when she has the desire to do so.
But, truly, why bother reviewing a book like this... it isn't meant to be discussed, either one swallows it whole or one doesn't... and I don't. But the wit and insight (so voluminously praised) are apparent on occassion, and I love the bit about the human body being all symmetrical with two ears and two eyes and two lungs, till you come to the human heart, and then ...more
But, truly, why bother reviewing a book like this... it isn't meant to be discussed, either one swallows it whole or one doesn't... and I don't. But the wit and insight (so voluminously praised) are apparent on occassion, and I love the bit about the human body being all symmetrical with two ears and two eyes and two lungs, till you come to the human heart, and then ...more
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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 a pre-m...more
okay, that whole paragraph did not work. but this book deserves credit for being mostly a pre-m...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who is interested in christianity or theology in general
I am currently reading this book, but it is already amazing. It has provided me with an entirely new way of looking at my Christian faith. Also, I appreciate the approach that Chesterton takes which is intellectual yet emotional. He is an incredibly complex and, I believe, wise thinker but he doesn't deny that emotions and passion play a part in following this faith. He is also funny, usually at the expense of himself and I can respect any author who can pull off all of these things at once, whi...more
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Read in March, 2007
Perhaps one of the most influential books on my spiritual life, this book is one that I always wish to have with me wherever I go. Chesterton's appeal to reason and the freedom of Christians really helped turn my life around at a time when I really needed to make a positive change. Intellectual and humorous, this book takes on many of the competing philosophies of his time with sound arguments. I highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking into Christianity and doesn't want to ge...more
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A terribly challenging book which proves fascinating for all thinking people religious or not. Chesterton is an extremely erudite and pithy man, to the point that this book almost requires a second reading to form a full opinion. I was enchanted by the fantastical, wonder-filled lens that he looks at things through. C.S. Lewis was heavily influenced by this book and it shows. I would call it a must-read for any patient and philosophically-inclined reader, though i regret to admit I require anoth...more
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Read in August, 2004
This is my favorite Chesterton book by far. It is full of beautiful thoughts and wisdom and Chesterton's characteristic wit. Chesterton gives an intuitive, almost existentialist defense of his faith, in the sense that he appeals to his own experience of things like, wonder, meaning and truth, and how he finds that the Christian world-view "fits" and explains aspects of that experience in shockingly unexpected ways. Chesterton is an amazing and often hilarious writer.
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Read in February, 2007
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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Read in October, 2007
A wonderful contrapuntal to be read along side more logic-based apologetics. Chesterston writes in a personal and emotional style about his innate vision of how to make sense of the world, and then his discovery that Christianity answers his inner vision. As an example, he does not view the order of natural science as originating from iron hard consistent laws but from a God who delights every day in doing the same thing again in the same way.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.32 (528 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.34 (325 ratings) number of reviews: 85popular shelves
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quote
"[Fairy tales] make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water."
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