Joy Marie Clarkson's Blog, page 8

The Romance of Orthodoxy

“It is customary to complain of the bustle and strenuousness of our epoch. But in truth the chief mark of our epoch is a profound laziness and fatigue; and the fact is that the real laziness is the cause of the apparent bustle. Take one quite external case; the streets are noisy with taxicabs and motorcars; but this is not due to human activity but to human repose. There would be less bustle if there were more activity, if people were simply walking about. Our world would be more silent if it were more strenuous. And this which is true of the apparent physical bustle is true also of the apparent bustle of the intellect...”

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter eight, “The Romance of Orthodoxy” This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

I can’t wait to hear all your thoughts on this chapter!Friends, don’t forget! Speaking with Joy is going on the road…

Joel and I are coming to North Carolina and Colorado to speak and sing about beauty and hope in a broken world! We'll be thinking about the importance of beauty in a broken world, sharing the stories, songs, and experiences that have shaped our hearts and minds, interweaving the events with live music (Two Benedictions unite!), dramatic readings, short talks, and Q&A.

We hope you will leave these events full souled, bright eyed, and ready to be a beauty bringer! I'd love to see you many of you there!

I would love to see you there. :)

Here are the event links:

NORTH CAROLINA:

August 8, 7:00-9:00pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Colonial Baptist, Cary, North Carlonia
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenEFEiHZS39HaI65XN518KzfkN8xcujnwYZnKEEF0f3FjjaQ/viewform

August 9, 10:00-12:00 (EVENT FULL — email me if you want to be on the waiting list)
Tea Time with Joy (and Joel!)
Brunch, Concert, and Conversation
Lynn's Custer's home (address on tickets)
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tea-time-with-joy-and-joelbrunch-concert-and-conversation-tickets-65399273989

COLORADO:

August 14,7:00pm – 8:30pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Colorado Springs
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaking-with-joy-live-tickets-65449897405?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing#tickets

Much love, friends!

See you next week!

The Eternal Revolution!

“the danger was not in man’s environment, but in man. ”

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter seven, “The Eternal Revolution.” This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

I can’t wait to hear all your thoughts on this chapter!Friends, don’t forget!























Speaking with Joy is going on the road…

Joel and I are coming to North Carolina and Colorado to speak and sing about beauty and hope in a broken world! We'll be thinking about the importance of beauty in a broken world, sharing the stories, songs, and experiences that have shaped our hearts and minds, interweaving the events with live music (Two Benedictions unite!), dramatic readings, short talks, and Q&A.

We hope you will leave these events full souled, bright eyed, and ready to be a beauty bringer! I'd love to see you many of you there!

I would love to see you there. :)

Here are the event links:

NORTH CAROLINA:

August 8, 7:00-9:00pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Colonial Baptist, Cary, North Carlonia
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenEFEiHZS39HaI65XN518KzfkN8xcujnwYZnKEEF0f3FjjaQ/viewform

August 9, 10:00-12:00
Tea Time with Joy (and Joel!)
Brunch, Concert, and Conversation
Lynn's Custer's home (address on tickets)
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tea-time-with-joy-and-joelbrunch-concert-and-conversation-tickets-65399273989

COLORADO:

August 14,7:00pm – 8:30pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Colorado Springs
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaking-with-joy-live-tickets-65449897405?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing#tickets

Much love, friends!

See you next week!

Reading with Joy — The Paradoxes of Christianity

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter six, “The Paradoxes of Christianity.” This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

This week, my friend Boze Herrington joined me to discuss chapter six.

You may know Boze for his excellent twitter profile the library haunter (@SketchesbyBoze). We both love Chesterton, so we had a lot of fun. Oh, and we also recorded a poetry podcast which we will post on both my Patreon and Boze’s Patreon soon. Patrons, keep your eyes peeled.

Oh, and friends. Meet G.P. Chesterton….(Guinea Pig Chesterton)

I met him on my visit to the Bruderhof community in New York, where the Plough Publishing house is located. I thought you all might get a kick out of him…

Friends, don’t forget! Speaking with Joy is going on the road…

Joel and I are coming to North Carolina and Colorado to speak and sing about beauty and hope in a broken world! We'll be thinking about the importance of beauty in a broken world, sharing the stories, songs, and experiences that have shaped our hearts and minds, interweaving the events with live music (Two Benedictions unite!), dramatic readings, short talks, and Q&A.

We hope you will leave these events full souled, bright eyed, and ready to be a beauty bringer! I'd love to see you many of you there!

I would love to see you there. :)

Here are the event links:

NORTH CAROLINA:

August 8, 7:00-9:00pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Colonial Baptist, Cary, North Carlonia
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSenEFEiHZS39HaI65XN518KzfkN8xcujnwYZnKEEF0f3FjjaQ/viewform

August 9, 10:00-12:00
Tea Time with Joy (and Joel!)
Brunch, Concert, and Conversation
Lynn's Custer's home (address on tickets)
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tea-time-with-joy-and-joelbrunch-concert-and-conversation-tickets-65399273989

COLORADO:

August 14,7:00pm – 8:30pm
Speaking with Joy Live
An Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Music
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Colorado Springs
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaking-with-joy-live-tickets-65449897405?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing#tickets

Much love, friends!

See you next week!

Speaking with Joy — EVENTS!

Speaking with Joy is going on the road!Friends, I’m so excited to announce that I’m taking the podcast on the road. Joel and I will be hosting events in Colorado and North Carolina. We’ll be talking about the importance of beauty in a frantic world, sharing the stories, songs, and experiences that have shaped our hearts and minds. These events will be interwoven with live music (Two Benedictions unite!), dramatic readings, short talks, and Q&A. We hope you will leave these events full souled, bright eyed, and ready to be a beauty bringer. Find out more and sign up for the events at the links below. We can’t wait to see you there!NORTH CAROLINA EVENTS:























Speaking with Joy LiveAn Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and MusicAugust 8, 7:00-9:00PMColonial Baptist, Cary NC Does cultivating a love of beauty really matter in our urgent, broken world? This is the question Joy and Joel will explore in this creative, soul filling event. In the style of her podcast, Speaking with Joy, Joy and Joel will explore this question through short talks about cultivating a deep soul, the difference between wisdom and knowledge, and living a life of resilient hope. These inspirational segments will be interwoven with musical interludes, with Joel Clarkson's beautiful compositions, dramatic readings, and a mini concert with the Two Benedictions (Joy and Joel's band). This evening is guaranteed to lift your spirits and inspire your heart. NOTE: THIS EVENT IS FREE, but please fill out this form so we can have an idea of how many will be in attendance!Please note: while all ages are welcome, no childcare will be provided REGISTER HERE.























Tea Time with Joy (and Joel!)Brunch, Concert, and ConversationAugust 9, 10:00AMLynn's Custer's Home (address on tickets)Fuquay Varina, North CarolinaJoin Joy and Joel for an intimate morning of conversation, music, and delectable treats. Over a sumptuous morning feast at Lynn Custer's beautiful waterside home, Joy will talk about the books, experiences, and habits that have most shaped her soul, while Joel performs his original piano music to beautify the morning. NOTE: this is a ticketed event. You can get your tickets below.All proceeds from this event will go toward Joy and Joel's plane tickets to NC and Phd tuition payments in the fall. PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

COLORADO EVENTS























Speaking with Joy LiveAn Evening of Goodness, Beauty, and MusicFeaturing: Joel Clarkson and Two Benedictions
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Colorado SpringsWEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2019
7:00PM – 8:30PM $20 General Admission, $15 Anselm member artists and patrons. Does cultivating a love of beauty really matter in our urgent, broken world? This is the question Joy and Joel will explore in this creative, soul filling event. In the style of her podcast, Speaking with Joy, Joy and Joel will explore this question through short talks about cultivating a deep soul, the difference between wisdom and knowledge, and living a life of resilient hope. These inspirational segments will be interwoven with musical interludes, with Joel Clarkson's beautiful compositions, dramatic readings, and a mini concert with the Two Benedictions (Joy and Joel's band). This evening is guaranteed to lift your spirits and inspire your heart. Please note: while all ages are welcome, and all children under 16 can come for free, but no childcare will be provided.

Patrons get a $5.00 discount!

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

...

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter five, “The Flag of the World.” This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

This week, I’m on the road, so there will be no show notes. Listen to the podcast to hear my thoughts!























An Exciting Announcement…Speaking with Joy is coming to Colorado!Come join me for an evening of Goodness, Beauty, and Live Music, featuring Joel Clarkson and the Two Benedictions!

Does cultivating a love of beauty really matter in our urgent, broken world? This is the question Joy and Joel will explore in this creative, soul-filling event. In the style of her podcast, Speaking with Joy, Joy and Joel will explore this question through short talks about cultivating a deep soul, the difference between wisdom and knowledge, and living a life of resilient hope. These inspirational segments will be interwoven with musical interludes, with Joel Clarkson's beautiful compositions, dramatic readings, and a mini concert with the Two Benedictions (Joy and Joel's band). This evening is guaranteed to lift your spirits and inspire your heart.

Refreshments will be provided in the fellowship hall at 7PM, and the main event will begin at 7:30PM. While all ages are welcome, no childcare will be provided.

You can buy tickets here. General Admission are $20, but Anselm Society Members and my supporters on Patreon will get tickets for $15. Sign up soon while seats are available!

Can’t wait to see you there!p.s. coming soon: tickets for North Carolina events. SAVE THE DATES!

Reading with Joy — The Ethics of Elfland

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter four: “The Ethics of Elfland.” It is one of my favourite essays ever. This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

This week, I’m on the road, so there will be no show notes. Listen to the podcast to hear my thoughts!

“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 to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

If you enjoy the podcast, consider becoming a supporter on Patreon!

Reading with Joy — The Suicide of Thought

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter two: “The Suicide of Thought” (dramatic, I know). This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

Orthodoxy

By G. K. Chesterton






I’m writing this week’s notes to you from my new flat in St Andrews, Scotland.

It’s been a whirl of a week for the Clarksons (kind of like this whirl of a chapter!). My mother flew back to the states on Saturday, my brother in law ordained a Deacon on the same day, Joel (brother) and I took the train with all my worldly possessions the next day, and Sarah (sister) took her final exam at Oxford. I can only speak for myself, but I know that I am both tired and very thankful. I love, love this new flat and am so excited to see what the coming year will hold. If all goes according to plan it will be the last year of my Phd… a year from now I could be Dr. Joy! Ah! Anyway, I somehow managed to still record this podcast, surrounded by packing boxes as I was. I like to think this shows my keen dedication to the literary life… or something.

I digress. Let’s dive into this week’s chapter!

Chapter Summary:Why won’t the car of modern thought go?If you’ve made it this far: congratulations!You’ve slogged through the hardest chapters of Orthodoxy.

In the first chapter, Chesterton set out to tell us the story of how he arrived at believing what he does. He described this as created his own philosophy which corresponded as closely with the wild and varied world that he encountered; he tells us that in trying to create a heresy, we ended up discovering Orthodoxy. Up to this point, Chesterton has been attempting to give an account of why it is so difficult for us to even set out on that journey. In the last chapter, he described the madness of an over-dependence and trust in reason— the starting point of our journey must be an attitude of wonder which understands that it cannot understand everything. In this chapter he swings back to the defence of reason, describing how, in the modern world, we have lost the ability to use Reason in a proper and fruitful way. He attributes this to the fact that we have given up a belief in eternal values. Because of this, Chesterton argues, we no longer value the intellect for its ability to help us think our way toward the Truth, but simply for its ability to help us think at all. But valuing something for its mere function rather than its proper end eventuall leads to a damage of its actual function; we think to discover truth. To learn to use our intellects properly, then, we must first put our faith in the idea that there is truth out there to begin with.

My Three Take Aways:

Virtues can become overgrown and turn into vices.

The intellect is a tool meant to accomplish a specific task

Limitation is the key to freedom.

Tune in next week for my favourite chapter of Orthodoxy: “The Ethics of Elfland”! Much love and happy reading!

Happy Patreon Anniversary!























Thank you, Patrons! You keep Speaking with Joy (and Joy herself) running!

This morning Patreon informed me via email that exactly a year ago today I launched this page. Launching this page was a step of faith. I felt called to my Phd and my podcast, but I was exhausting myself doing both and trying to make enough money to live. With the support each one of you has offered, I can now throw myself fully into both. I consider all of you as being a part of my Phd journey, and as I look back on this year, I can't help but be deeply, deeply thankful... and a little surprised at how generous you all have been!

Today I did a secret podcast with my brother Joel about his new album, Story Book Soundscapes.

This is an album of full orchestral compositions each based on a story or scene drawn from Joel's imagination. It is unique from his other albums in that it is composed with a full orchestra. I have already listened through nearly the whole album (sister privileges, you know) and I can say this without flattery or prejudice: it is a masterful work of art.

Go purchase your copy at the link below! It will become a soundtrack to your life.

Story Book Soundscapes
If you join Patreon today you can listen to it and here one of the tracks on Joel’s new album.

Many thanks to all of you for your support!

I’ll see you all around here next week!

Joy

Reading with Joy — The Maniac

Welcome to my summer book club, friends!

If you’re just joining us now, let me catch you up. This summer we’re reading Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton, and this week we’re on chapter two: “The Maniac.” This book is a collection of essays in which Chesterton, a socialist journalist, essayist, and mystery novelist at the turn of the twentieth century, explains how he came to believe in the Christian faith. It is a raucous intellectual adventure, an intellectual and spiritual autobiography which combines the style of Augustine’s Confessions with postmodern pastiche. One friend described reading the book as “doing intellectual push ups while chortling.” It will make you laugh, learn, and think.

This is how the book club works: each week you read the assigned chapter by Tuesday, I put out a podcast on said chapter, and then, the folllowing day, you engage in discussion on either my Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.

You can find the book for free on Project Gutenberg or at the link below.

So, what do you think, friends? Shall we dive in?














Orthodoxy

By G. K. Chesterton






Chapter Summary

“The ancient masters... began with the fact of sin—a fact as practical as potatoes. Whether or no man could be washed in miraculous waters, there was no doubt at any rate that he wanted washing. But certain religious leaders in London, not mere materialists, have begun in our day not to deny the highly disputable water, but to deny the indisputable dirt.”

— Orthodoxy, Chesterton

What do sin, madness, and rationalism have to do with each other? Quite a lot if you ask Chesterton. In this chapter, Chesterton finally begins with his own deep intuitions about the world, for which he will seek a philosophy to satisfy or answer these convictions. The first conviction he begins with is that of sin: that something is terribly wrong with the world and with ourselves. The trouble that Chesterton observes, however, is that we’ve lost the ability to describe this problem in spiritual terms. So, he seeks terms that moderns can understand: sickness, and more specifically, mental illness. He describes madness as a kind of minute, infinite rationality. The man who thinks he is Jesus Christ sees everything as evidence of this fact: he cannot be refuted. Madness, then, cannot be fixed by more rationality, but by an acknowledgement of its limits. The opposite of madness is health. Chesterton then argues that the modern world is afflicted with this kind of madness. It is stuck in the single, suffocating argument of materialism which explains everything and makes everything not worth explaining. For Chesterton, then, we must seek a philosophy which gets our heads into the heavens, and doesn’t attempt to get the heavens into our heads. We must value not only truth, but health. We must prize mystery.

My Take Aways…

“But though moderns deny the existence of sin, I do not think that they have yet denied the existence of a lunatic asylum. We all agree still that there is a collapse of the intellect as unmistakable as a falling house. Men deny hell, but not, as yet, Hanwell.”

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

The Medicalisation of Spiritual Illness

Chesterton helpfully points out that because, as a culture, we no longer possess the language do describe spiritual states, we describe every disturbance of heart and mind in medical terms. This fact has only intensified with the passing years. This is not to say that some things are not genuinely medical issues (I am from a family riddled with mental illness, and deeply thankful for medical intervention), but that not all issues can be satisfactorily described in these terms. It makes me think of the problem of addiction. There are deeply medical elements of addiction (family predispositions, withdrawal, etc), but when the addiction to the substance is cleared away, almost always there is a great chasm of pain and questions which cannot be explained or fixed medically. Addiction has become the single suffocating argument, the God that will help, and the person becomes less and less recognisably themselves. This helps us see the connection between madness (for Chesterton at least) and sin, but also helps us see the inadequacy of describing all problems as merely medical… there is a brokenness in human nature, a fragility that no balanced chemicals can mend. And ignoring that wound will only make it fester.

2. Reason Alone is Insufficient

“If you or I were dealing with a mind that was growing morbid, we should be chiefly concerned not so much to give it arguments as to give it air, to convince it that there was something cleaner and cooler outside the suffocation of a single argument … Or it might be the third case, of the madman who called himself Christ. If we said what we felt, we should say, “So you are the Creator and Redeemer of the world: but what a small world it must be! What a little heaven you must inhabit, with angels no bigger than butterflies! How sad it must be to be God; and an inadequate God! Is there really no life fuller and no love more marvellous than yours; and is it really in your small and painful pity that all flesh must put its faith? How much happier you would be, how much more of you there would be, if the hammer of a higher God could smash your small cosmos, scattering the stars like spangles, and leave you in the open, free like other men to look up as well as down!””

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

An important part of developing a worldview is recognising the limits of reason. The capacity to think, to organise things into categories, to notice similarities, to make arguments is one of the great hallmarks of humanity. But, we must always keep this in mind: the world about which we reason, and from which we draw these comparisons, is always more generous, abundant and complicated than our thoughts about it. To think about it, we must make it smaller and simpler. Our intellects can do wonderful things, but we must always approach them with a degree of humility, acknowledging what they cannot do: contain reality. They can only describe it. It is like Chesterton’s eloquent quip: “The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits.”

3. The Necessity of Mystery

“Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. The ordinary man has always been sane because the ordinary man has always been a mystic. He has permitted the twilight. He has always had one foot in earth and the other in fairyland. He has always left himself free to doubt his gods; but (unlike the agnostic of to-day) free also to believe in them. He has always cared more for truth than for consistency. If he saw two truths that seemed to contradict each other, he would take the two truths and the contradiction along with them. His spiritual sight is stereoscopic, like his physical sight: he sees two different pictures at once and yet sees all the better for that. Thus he has always believed that there was such a thing as fate, but such a thing as free will also. Thus he believed that children were indeed the kingdom of heaven, but nevertheless ought to be obedient to the kingdom of earth. He admired youth because it was young and age because it was not. It is exactly this balance of apparent contradictions that has been the whole buoyancy of the healthy man. The whole secret of mysticism is this: that man can understand everything by the help of what he does not understand. The morbid logician seeks to make everything lucid, and succeeds in making everything mysterious. The mystic allows one thing to be mysterious, and everything else becomes lucid.”

— Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton

If we are to be sane, to be healthful, we must retain a posture of mystical unknowing. If we are to escape the fate of the logician who goes mad, we must star up at the heavens, and desire to get into them, not to own them. This is where our spiritual and intellectual journey must begin.

That’s all for this week, friends! Tune in next week for Chapter Three. Happy Reading!























Do you want more out of Speaking with Joy? Consider supporting me on Patreon!

Patreon is a way for people to support me as I produce the podcast and work on my Phd. It’s also a way for me to connect personally and provide fun podcast extras. Every month, as a thank you for the support, I post a Joynal (my monthly newsletter about what I’m learning, thinking about and enjoying),Playlists:I(’m always making playlists for my most recent mood, or the oncoming seasons, or themes I’ve explored in the podcasts), Monthly Reading Lists, Secret Podcasts (sometimes these are uncut interviews with people, or an exploration of something I’m exploring in my phd, or, like this week a Virtual tour of Vienna, with history, pictures, and food descriptions included. These are usually less “polished” than my normal podcasts, and I really enjoy speaking in a different mode)…. and lots of other fun things as inspiration strikes!

right now, about 3% of you keep the entire show going! you’re amazing!

However, as I go into my final year, it would really help me if that number were closer to %5. This would help me not have to take out any more student loans, and be able to pay all my expenses.

In short, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider checking out the Patreon.

(okay, I’m done making my pitch, carry on with your lives)

Reading with Joy — Orthodoxy, In Defence of Everything Else

Dear Friends, Welcome to our summer book club!

This summer we’re working our way through Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton. This is our very first week, so you found us just in time! We’re looking at “Introduction: In Defence of Everything Else.” This is how each week works: you read the assigned chapter, I do a podcast where I summarise the main themes, explain things, make some observations, and then ask some questions which you all can discuss here in the comments, or on my Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook pages. If you’re feeling really cool, you might even want to start your own book club and discuss the chapters with a friend over tea and coffee in real life.

Sound good? If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

You can get the book on Project Gutenberg for free. Or, if you prefer a physical copy, pretty much any edition will work on Amazon. And I’ve been told the Kindle versions are only fifty cents! So find a copy, and let’s dive in!

Orthodoxy

By G. K. Chesterton

Oh, and if you’re wondering why I have a picture of that weird little puppet/statue man, well, it’s kinda a fun story actually. I recently went to Vienna with my mom. While peering in the windows of close shops, I saw this little fellow and thought “Oh my goodness! It’s a tiny, wooden, Austrian Chesterton!” Don’t believe me? Check this out…

They’re cousins at the very least, don’t you think? I thought it was a rather fun find. :)

Without further ado… let’s dive in!























Chapter One : Introduction — In Defence of EverythingSummary of the Chapter:

This chapter almost isn’t a chapter, it’s more of a preparation. Chesterton explains to us why he’s writing this book and he what he hopes to accomplish. It seems he has come under fire for being an enthusiastic critic of other people’s philosophies while remaining unwilling to show his hand by asserting his own. Chesterton was known for having many merry opponents— people with whom he disagreed deeply, yet maintained open, honest, and cheerful friendships. It was through the inspiration of one of these friends that Chesterton composed Orthodoxy. He writes:

“...It was perhaps an incautious suggestion to make to a person only too ready to write books upon the feeblist provocation.”

This phrase has always made me chortle. And it reminds me of my own dispositions toward podcast. I am certainly a person only too ready to record a podcast upon the feeblist provocation…

I digress. To learn more, you’ll have to read the chapter and listen to this week’s episode. Below are the themes I drew out of this chapter, themes which will, I think revisit us throughout Orthodoxy.

Making Sense vs. Sense Making

“The book is therefore arranged upon the positive principle of a riddle and its answer. It deals first with all the writer’s own solitary and sincere speculations and then with all the startling style in which they were all suddenly satisfied by the Christian Theology. The writer regards it as amounting to a convincing creed. But if it is not that it is at least a repeated and surprising coincidence.”

— G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Many apologetic books take similar approaches. They either defend a Christian doctrine or belief, demonstrating its intellectual integrity in the face of contrary evidence, or they build a case toward a Christian doctrine. Chesterton does something rather different here. He begins with all his intuitions and observations about life and asks “What kind of philosophical system would make sense of these intuitions and this complicated world?” This is the difference between testing Christianity to ensure it makes sense, and using Christianity to see if it makes sense of what we already believe or know to be true about the world.

Chesterton describes this in terms of Satisfaction.

As a non-believer (an odd phrase as everyone believes some things!), he had certain intuitions about the world, the moral order, and humanity. These intuitions were to Chesterton like a hunger which Christianity satisfied. Yes, Christianity made sense to him, but it also made sense of many things that would otherwise have remained opaque.

I think this is an important aspect of philosophical and apologetic conversations to keep in mind. Not only should we ask if what we believe makes sense, but also if it has sense-making capacities. Does it satisfy or answer our deepest unanswered intuitions, longings and questions.

2. The Story of Belief

“ It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it”

— G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy is less like a book of apologetics, and more like one of the great apologias of holy men past. His goal is not to systematically defend each principle in Christianity, but to tell the story of how he came to be a believer. In this sense, he is writing in the tradition of authors of Saint Augustine (Confessions), Saint Patrick (Confessions of Saint Patricks), and, after Chesterton, Lewis (Surprised by Joy). Like all of these authors, this story involves moments of defence of his beliefs, but these defences are communicated less like abstract principles and more like discoveries along a treasure hunt.

And there is something extremely valuable in this. How often do we attempt to explain ourselves and our beliefs in a vacuum without describing the long and arduous series of quandaries, complications, and discoveries that lead us to our present convictions. We sometimes consider the narrative aspects of our beliefs insignificant, but this is a mistake. If we discovered our own beliefs in the rushing river of experience, aren’t others more likely to be convinced or at least understand us better if we tell them that story?

I wonder how much better we would understand our own beliefs and the beliefs of others if instead of proclaiming our out of context convictions, we told the story of how we discovered them?

3. Romance of Reality

“I have often had a fancy for writing a romance about an English yachtsman who slightly miscalculated his course and discovered England under the impression that it was a new island in the South Seas. I always find, however, that I am either too busy or too lazy to write this fine work, so I may as well give it away for the purposes of philosophical illustration. There will probably be a general impression that the man who landed (armed to the teeth and talking by signs) to plant the British flag on that barbaric temple which turned out to be the Pavilion at Brighton, felt rather a fool. I am not here concerned to deny that he looked a fool. But if you imagine that he felt a fool, or at any rate that the sense of folly was his sole or his dominant emotion, then you have not studied with sufficient delicacy the rich romantic nature of the hero of this tale. His mistake was really a most enviable mistake; and he knew it, if he was the man I take him for. What could be more delightful than to have in the same few minutes all the fascinating terrors of going abroad combined with all the humane security of coming home again? What could be better than to have all the fun of discovering South Africa without the disgusting necessity of landing there? What could be more glorious than to brace one's self up to discover New South Wales and then realize, with a gush of happy tears, that it was really old South Wales. This at least seems to me the main problem for philosophers, and is in a manner the main problem of this book. How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? How can this queer cosmic town, with its many-legged citizens, with its monstrous and ancient lamps, how can this world give us at once the fascination of a strange town and the comfort and honour of being our own town?”

G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy.

One of the greatest quandaries that Chesterton seeks to satisfy is the simultaneous comfort and estrangement of existence. We feel both at home in this world, and dreadfully afraid of it. In Chesterton’s writings there is always this urgency to encounter reality with open eyes and open hearts, awake and alert to the other-worldliness of this world of ours. And so as Chesterton sought a philosophy of his own, he sought one which could hold these intuitions in tension, not in merely paradox, but in a paradox that rang true. It was in this endeavor that he discovered Christianity. He writes…

“The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. 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.”

— G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Well, friends. That’s week one!But before you go, I have two assignments for you:

This week, I want you to find one person and ask them the story of how they came to believe what they believe about one of their central convictions (religious, political, ethical). Prompt them to tell it in a story— when did they first start thinking about this? What were important moments along the way? Where there any moments along the way that challenged this belief? Ask them to describe the moment or season in which they realised they believed this thing. How has this shaped their lives sense? Your goal here is not to challenge or argue or even to add, but to listen. Afterward, reflect on their story. Does their conviction in this area (particularly if it’s one you disagree with) make more sense to you?

Either in the comments on this blog, on my Facebook (I’ll post about this later), my instagram, or my twitter, tell me the story of one of your beliefs. Follow the questions above. Does this help clarify your own sense of conviction? Does it make you question any of the beliefs?

I’ll look forward to seeing you all next week for Chapter Two “The Maniac” !

Patreon is a way for you to support me as I produce the podcast and finish my Phd (two full time jobs!), and for me to share fun extras like secret podcast, monthly updates, playlists and more. You can support the Patreon $2 or $10 a month. Your support means the world, especially as I enter this last year of my Phd. At the moment %3 of you keep the podcast going, and I’m hoping to raise that to %5 by this fall. I’d be honoured if you considered supporting me on Patreon! Find out more at the link below.

Patreon — Speaking with Joy
Much love, bookish friends!See you next week!xx,joy

Summering with Joy!

I’m so happy you stopped by. Listen in to the podcast above to hear about my Summer Book Club, live Speaking with Joy events near you, and more!Hello, Friends!

After a short (and unexpected!) break, I’m happy to say that Speaking with Joy is back and brewing with Summery goodness. This recent furlough was as surprising to me as to you— I was buried in Phd-ing you, see, and rather than make a half-hearted podcast on a topic I loved, I decided to wait till I had enough time to do it justice. So, did you all miss me? Selfishly, I hope so…

In the meantime, I’ve been writing furiously on my Phd, sniffing roses in Vienna (not at the same time), and plotting the summer episodes of Speaking with Joy. Which is why I am so very excited to announce the return of …

Reading with Joy, a summer book club!

Some of you may remember that I hosted a book club last summer on C.S. Lewis’ strange and wonderful book The Great Divorce. Both at random, and when I have asked for feedback, many of you have requested that I host another book club this summer, and it is my great pleasure to do so!

I’m so excited.

This year, we’ll be reading G.K. Chesterton’s excellent book Orthodoxy























Despite Chesterton’s rather foreboding glare in this image, this book is an absolute delight.

I wanted something that would be fun, accessible and enjoyable to read, but also foster good conversation and sustain it for 9 weeks. I think this book is just the ticket. It chronicles Chesterton’s gradual journey to Christian belief. It is like a mixture between an intellectual biography, a book of apologetics, a personal testimony of conversion to Christianity, all while managing to contain some of the most delightful, dizzying essays about fairy tales and natural law.

I hope I’ve made you want to read it.

It’s really marvellous.

Orthodoxy

By G. K. Chesterton






This is how the book club will work…

Each week, you will read one (1) chapter. I will summarise the chapter, and then discuss it in the podcasts (if you don’t get a chance to read the chapter, still listen in because I’ll try to provide a pretty full summary). I will post discussion questions for you to contemplate in the show notes on this website, and then I will open up discussions on my Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages, where you can discuss each week’s chapter with other readers.

I’m bringing back the book club by popular demand, so I hope many of you listen in.

I think it will be so much fun.

Oh, and expect the first episode to air on June 17!

Oh, and I have something else fun to announce..

Speaking with Joy is going on the Road!























With the help of some friends, I’ll be hosting Live Speaking with Joy evenings in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Colorado in the first two weeks of August.

My idea for the events would be to host a “live” episode, and make it an immersive, inspiring evening— not just me lecturing. I will explore why cultivating the good, true, and beautiful in our lives is not a frivolous pursuit, but a battle cry against the cynicism of the world. Like in my podcast, we’d explore that through works of literary, visual, and musical art.  I’m planning on bringing Joel with me for the musical portion (and we may sing some of our Two Benedictions stuff). My hope is that people would leave feeling refreshed by a reprieve from the weariness of the world, and that they would leave inspired to go cultivate spaces of beauty and wisdom in their own lives. This is generally my hope with the podcast :)

So keep your eyes peeled for more info, and join me in real life!

Help me forge the road ahead!

Last year I made a big decision. I was nearly drowning as I tried to do a good job on my Phd, keep Speaking with Joy running, and work enough to support myself and pay tuition. When I prayed about it, I felt deeply that God was calling me to throw myself into my Phd and the podcast, and to trust Him to provide for me financially. As a step in that direction, I stopped my other work and started my Patreon, asking anyone who was willing to sponsor the podcast and help me complete my Phd.

Patreon is a way for people to support me as I produce the podcast and work on my Phd. It’s also a way for me to connect personally and provide fun podcast extras.

Every month, as a thank you for the support, I post a

Joynal: my monthly newsletter about what I’m learning, thinking about and enjoying,

Playlists: I’m always making playlists for my most recent mood, or the oncoming seasons, or themes I’ve explored in the podcast. I love to share these on the Patreon with my dear supporters.

Monthly Reading Lists: each month I post the books I’ve reading for pleasure and what I’ve thought about them. And I love to hear what you’ve been reading too.

Secret Podcasts: sometimes these are uncut interviews with people, or an exploration of something I’m exploring in my phd, or, like this week a Virtual tour of Vienna, with history, pictures, and food descriptions included. These are usually less “polished” than my normal podcasts, and I really enjoy speaking in a different mode.

right now, about 3% of you keep the entire show going! You’re amazing!

However, as I go into my final year, it would really help me if that number were closer to %5. This would help me not have to take out any more student loans, and be able to pay all my expenses.

In short, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider checking out the Patreon.

(okay, I’m done making my pitch, carry on with your lives)

Well, that’s all for now, friends! I hope you’ll spend the summer with me.

So much love,
joy