0. Work in Progress

[John]

0. Use this thread to share thoughts that come to mind while reading Literary Converts: Spiritual Inspiration in an Age of Unbelief.

[Sheila]

This book will hold many surprises for me because right off the bat, I'm learning that Oscar Wilde was a convert.

[John]

Sheila wrote: "This book will hold many surprises for me because right off the bat, I'm learning that Oscar Wilde was a convert."

That surprised me as well - I had never heard that.

[John]

Another surprise - I assumed Chesterton was Catholic when he wrote Orthodoxy.

[Manuel]

John wrote: "Another surprise - I assumed Chesterton was Catholic when he wrote Orthodoxy."

He was a Catholic in pectore :-)

[Jill]

Many of these writers were totally unfamiliar to me (Baring...) and I'm finding it hard to keep them straight as they intersect in their journeying. I think I like the chronological approach rather than telling one individual's complete conversion-and-beyond story, but much of this isn't sticking with me. The author also assumes the reader has more understanding of British history and politics than I do.
I usually think of "conversion" as sinner-to-saint, something more profound than changing from the Anglican to the Roman communion, though I don't want to minimize the difference/importance/difficulty of this change.
Nice to see a reference to something we've read together, Come Rack, Come Rope!

[Jill]

I really like Benson's poem on p. 24-25
Reflection at end of chapter 7 on the importance of Christianity to Europe is interesting. I think most modern Europeans consider themselves to have moved far beyond Christianity.
I like Chesterton's critique of the two-party system "unduly limit the outlook of the ordinary citizen. They make him barren instead of creative, because he is never allowed to do anything except prefer one existing policy to another." Ouch. He further reflects that more important than what policy to choose is what problem government should address. A bit more of this is happening today due to social media, e.g. all the support native Americans have recently drawn as they oppose a pipeline being built through their sacred land.
I'd never heard of the Ditchling community but it sounds wonderful. Also nice to hear of Dorothy Day's connection with Father McNabb.

[John]

Manuel wrote: "John wrote: "Another surprise - I assumed Chesterton was Catholic when he wrote Orthodoxy."

He was a Catholic in pectore :-)"

:-)

[Sheila]

Am enjoying this fascinating book. A scholarly cleansing & departure from today's wacky world. Love the history embedded throughout. Letter writing, woo-hoo! Poets, authors, essayists seen through the prism of conversion and its effects of their family, friends, art. Super.

[John]

Sheila wrote: "Am enjoying this fascinating book. A scholarly cleansing & departure from today's wacky world. Love the history embedded throughout. Letter writing, woo-hoo! Poets, authors, essayists seen through ..."

Letter writing - now there's a lost art. I am also enjoying it immensely - have almost finished.

[Jill]

We've come to the end of the month and I'm going to stop here, just over halfway through, feeling bogged down and overwhelmed by all the riches I can't explore.
I did make special note of the references to C.S. Lewis, as our local Christian college mounted a pretty good performance of "Shadowlands" last night. Oversimplified (thesis: He had the right theory of suffering but everything changed when he actually loved enough to experience it) but well done.
References to Ditchling intrigue me. Anyone know more about how long this lasted (lasts)?
A relative expected one of the converts to "go over" and then "return" (to Protestantism). Did that happen to some?
Part about Chesterton indicates how difficult it is to become Catholic without one's spouse. I have a very dear friend who would be received into the Church except for the quiet but firm opposition of her (retired) Lutheran pastor husband.
I would have liked a table of dates (birth, conversion, death).
I like Waugh's analysis that the essential issue isn't Protestant vs. Catholic but Christianity vs. Chaos.
I needed translations of some of the Latin.
I like the quote, "A man does not grow old without being bothered; but I have grown old without being bored."

[Manuel]

Jill wrote: "References to Ditchling intrigue me. Anyone know more about how long this lasted (lasts)?..."

According to the Wikipedia, it lasted until 1989:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gui...