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Is this group defunct?
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Skylar
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Mar 15, 2008 01:58PM
I'd love to discuss literature with orthodox Anglicans. Is this group in existence still? There appear to be no posts.
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I don't know whether it's defunct--seems so. Should we defunctify it?
Yes, let's defuncitfy it. Read any good books lately?
I'm in the middle of a bunch:1. The Far Side of the World, by Patrick O'Brian. I've re-read it in print, now I'm listening to the audiobook.
2. Trying hard--but failing--to like G. K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy and St. Augustine. Is it me, or does Chesterton make it a little too obvious that he thinks he's clever? Give me Lewis any day.
3. Just about to embark on a long overdue re-reading of the Barchester Chronicles, starting with The Warden.
You?
I'm reading Heretics/Orthodoxy now and, yes, Chesterton does make it a little too obvious he thinks he's clever. On the other hand, he IS clever. I find him much more amusing than Lewis but not a very good apologist. He writes for the initiated who every now and then need to feel just a little self-satisfied, smiling smugness; Lewis is more accessible to the uninitiated. I'm more "impressed" by Chesterton, but I'm more affected by Lewis and more likely to re-read him. I recently finished Dinesh D'Souza's What's So Great About Christianity, and I thought it a reasoned, fairly thorough response to the recent anti-Christian publications.
OK, here's my problem with Chesterton: I'm not a member of the group of readers he's addressing, so I get this sense of in medias res from him.For example, he seems to think that I must have decided to read his book on St. Thomas Aquinas because I've already read his book on St. Francis, and spends the entire first chapter of the Thomas Aquinas book comparing St. Francis and St. Thomas Aquinas. I know almost nothing and care even less about St. Francis (well, not that I have anything against him, but I certainly didn't pick up a book on one saint to find myself reading about another one.)
So that's tedious.
I agree with you that Lewis is a better apologist, and I probably feel that way because I am the uninitiated. Not that I'm completely ignorant, but I haven't spent the last 50 years reading theology and hagiography. I'm what Lewis described himself as; an ordinary layperson.
Another book I'm trying--and failing--to like is Newman's Apologia. More very long Victorian paragraphs; lots and lots of footnotes. (Actually footnotes are exactly what Chesterton could use.)
More successful recent reads are Girl Finds God, which I didn't like or necessarily agree with, but enjoyed, and An Intelligent Person's Guide to Judaism, which I liked. I also liked Swimming with Scapulars and Crunchy Cons.
It occurs to me that my reading material is everything BUT Anglican!
Is it defunct? I hope not. I just joined. Also James just joined. Do we need Fr. Bill the moderator to keep the group going? I am new to this thing. I am reading a bunch. Three Anglican books and some others. The one I am reading and liking most is not an Anglican one, but is Ravi Zacharias's "Jesus Among Other Gods." He is a brilliant man, but can tell stories for an ordinary lay person like me, that help me understand.
I want to read Chesterton. Though he is Roman Catholic, he is liked by Anglicans and Lewis loved his stuff.
Chesterton is funny and enjoyable but he's not as "easy" to read as some other Christian writers. I believe the group is intended for Anglicans to discuss any Christian works, not necessarily just Anglican works.
Why don't we make this an on-line book club--pick a title and read it together? Somehow I feel I'd have more tenacity with Chesterton if I had people to talk to about him. How about Heretics/Orthodoxy, since Skylar is already reading it?
Is this of any interest--am I being heretical? :D
I'd like to read/ discuss Heretics/Orthodoxy. I could order it to my local library, which takes anywhere from a few days to a week. We could give it a try? I'm flexible.
I think it would be a good idea to read a book together. I'd need a week to get Heterics/Orthodoxy too as I had it from the library and had to return it before I was done reading it.
I'll have to see if i can get it too. I'm kinda outta commission though until I finish my incompletes.
Well today I ordered Heretic/Orthodoxy from my local library. I don't think any of us are in any rush to do this. I'm willing to wait till we all have the book. So take your time James F :-) I am looking forward to this!
I found out from my library that I am 2nd on the list for getting the Chesterton book :(. However I found it online as a text to print out :) http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/b...
I just checked Karen's link and started reading the material about Chesterton, and it's just so typical of my luck. It turns out Orthodoxy was written as a response to the attacks provoked by Heretics. But just as I tried to read Chesterton's St. Thomas without having read his St Francis, I started reading Orthodoxy without knowing any of the back story.
No wonder I had such an in medias res feeling. I really was starting in the middle.
Obviously we should begin with Heretics. (And I know what you're thinking: well, duh.)
Poppy, It would be O.K. to start with the Heresy with for me. No prob :) I feel I am new to all this and learning. So I guess these were separate books and then got released later together? I do things backwards all the time (my family laughs at me often:) )I wish Fr. Bill could pop in and give us some direction.
Let's see what everyone else says. I'm kind of a geek and prefer to read things in order, but I'm good with reading either first, really. Especially since it's so easy to find them on line--no need to hit the library. Convenience--it's what's for breakfast!
I'd be up for this too. I just ordered some stuff from Amazon, but I was planning on ordering somethinge else. I'm sure I can get a used copy cheap for both. I have Orthodoxy in mp3 format (free from Christianaudio.com) on my Zune ready to be listened to as well. So Heretics first sounds great to me. I'll try to put in an order for it on Amazon ASAP.-Ted.
p.s. I love Chesterton's ficiton. "The Ball and the Cross" and "The Man Who Was Thursday" are awesome books.
