Items related to Heretics and Orthodoxy
This edition brings together two of G.K. Chesterton's most lauded collections of essays on spirituality, society and Christian apologetics.
Heretics is a superb collection of twenty essays by G.K. Chesterton, which sees the author rail against aspects of society he views as unfair and discriminatory.
Starting with the terms ‘Orthodoxy’ and ‘Heretic’, Chesterton derides modern society for having denigrated these words to the extent that they are synonymous with being, rather than being right. The attitude of modernity is argued to be both hypocritical and ridiculous – simultaneously lauding and destroying certain artists who would hold unusual beliefs and act on them.
A quote from the first essay: “In the fifteenth century men cross-examined and tormented a man because he preached some immoral attitude: in the nineteenth century we feted and flattered Oscar Wilde because he preached such an attitude, and then broke his heart in penal servitude because he carried it out. It may be a question of which of the two methods was the more cruel: there can be no kind of question which was the more ludicrous. The age of the Inquisition has not at least the disgrace of having produced a society which made an idol of the very same man for preaching the very same things which it made him a convict for practising.”
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In Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton sets out his ideas and thoughts on the subject of Catholic and Christian principles, and how humans spiritual and worldly needs correspond to each.
The collection of essays each cover a topic specific to religion and its place in modern life.
Intended to be a companion for G.K. Chesterton's earlier work essays titled Heretics, this book is an ebullient rejoinder to the theological field after certain contemporaries had criticised his earlier efforts. The results are excellent: a succession of essays which combine the plain spoken and good humoured style which Chesterton made his own with the essential logic and reason that underpinned his arguments for faith and spiritualism.
Eternally fresh for its timeless arguments, Orthodoxy was lauded upon its original release in 1908, and is today considered a classic in the field of Christian apologetics. The legacy of Chesterton as an impassioned writer and author on themes of spirituality has led to calls for posthumous canonization by figures within the Catholic church.
Heretics is a superb collection of twenty essays by G.K. Chesterton, which sees the author rail against aspects of society he views as unfair and discriminatory.
Starting with the terms ‘Orthodoxy’ and ‘Heretic’, Chesterton derides modern society for having denigrated these words to the extent that they are synonymous with being, rather than being right. The attitude of modernity is argued to be both hypocritical and ridiculous – simultaneously lauding and destroying certain artists who would hold unusual beliefs and act on them.
A quote from the first essay: “In the fifteenth century men cross-examined and tormented a man because he preached some immoral attitude: in the nineteenth century we feted and flattered Oscar Wilde because he preached such an attitude, and then broke his heart in penal servitude because he carried it out. It may be a question of which of the two methods was the more cruel: there can be no kind of question which was the more ludicrous. The age of the Inquisition has not at least the disgrace of having produced a society which made an idol of the very same man for preaching the very same things which it made him a convict for practising.”
--
In Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton sets out his ideas and thoughts on the subject of Catholic and Christian principles, and how humans spiritual and worldly needs correspond to each.
The collection of essays each cover a topic specific to religion and its place in modern life.
Intended to be a companion for G.K. Chesterton's earlier work essays titled Heretics, this book is an ebullient rejoinder to the theological field after certain contemporaries had criticised his earlier efforts. The results are excellent: a succession of essays which combine the plain spoken and good humoured style which Chesterton made his own with the essential logic and reason that underpinned his arguments for faith and spiritualism.
Eternally fresh for its timeless arguments, Orthodoxy was lauded upon its original release in 1908, and is today considered a classic in the field of Christian apologetics. The legacy of Chesterton as an impassioned writer and author on themes of spirituality has led to calls for posthumous canonization by figures within the Catholic church.
Characterised by his easily digestible style, ready use and exposure of paradox, and his use of wit and humour to advance argument, Chesterton's fiction and non-fiction writings on the topics of human behaviour and wider society remain relevant and poignant to this day.
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About the Author:
G.K. Chesterton was born in 1874 in the district of Kensington - London, England. After studying art at the Slade School, and literature at University College in London, the young writer embarked on what was to become a daring and unique literary career. Although his greatest desire was to be known as a journalist, Chesterton would also author volumes of poetry, together with piercing criticisms of contemporary society and its views. His fiction works would sell well, with titles such as "The Man Who Was Thursday", a thriller combining espionage and metaphysics, and "The Everlasting Man", which chronicles mankind's spiritual journey. Following his authorship of many essays surrounding Christianity and Catholicism, Chesterton converted to Catholicism in 1922. The author is also popularly known for his Father Brown books - a priest and detective, this popular character first appeared in "The Innocence of Father Brown". Chesterton died of heart failure at home in 1936, and was posthumously lauded and venerated by figures both literary and religious. In the 21st century, he has been considered a possible figure for canonization for his ample writings on Christianity.
Review:
Heretics is one of Chesterton s most important books. It is also one of his most neglected books. Perhaps the reason has to do with the title. The word heretic conjures up frightful images of controversial characters being barbecued for their beliefs. It smacks of intolerance. The very word dogmatic is perceived as being intolerant. But Chesterton says that man is the animal who makes dogmas. Trees have no dogmas. Turnips are singularly broad-minded. There is something ironic about tolerance being an ideal, and that it is connected to religious freedom. In reality, tolerance has done more to suppress religion than has any persecution. It has left us not only afraid to debate about our beliefs, it has made us afraid even to discuss them. As Chesterton says, We now talk about the weather, and call it the complete liberty of all creeds. This strange silence about religion leaves the impression that religion is not important. There is one thing that is infinitely more absurd and unpractical than burning a man for his philosophy. This is the habit of saying his philosophy does not matter, and this is done universally in the twentieth century... A man s opinion... on Botticelli matters; his opinion on all things does not matter. Chesterton says that we can t get away from the fact that we have a general view of existence, whether we like it or not. It affects and involves everything we say or do, whether we like it or not. And our general view of things is based on our ultimate view of things. Religion is never irrelevant. This book is not an attack but a defense, a defense of the ancient truths that are under attack by modern heretics. Chesterton claims to have gained a deeper appreciation of the Christian Faith through the simple exercise of defending it. He says he never realized the great philosophic common sense of Christianity until the anti-Christian writers pointed it to him. Heresy, it turns out, is usually a distinct lack of common sense. A heresy is at best a half-truth, but usually even less than that. A heresy is a fragment of the truth that is exaggerated at the expense of the rest of the truth. The modern world praises science and hygiene and progress. These are all very well and good, but they have been elevated at the expense of larger truths, such as faith and tradition and permanent ideals. In this book, Chesterton takes on George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, and other heretics whose names may not be familiar, even if their heresies are still exceedingly familiar. The original objection to Heretics, which in fact compelled Chesterton to write Orthodoxy, is that his own criticisms of others were not to be taken seriously unless Chesterton himself declared what he stood for. This is perhaps why Heretics is considered the negative for which Orthodoxy is the positive. But any reasonable reader can see that Chesterton s criticisms are a defense of a well-defined position. By criticizing moral and artistic relativism, he is defending identifiable and absolute standards. By criticizing egoism and the cult of success, he is defending humility. By criticizing skepticism, morbidity and muddle-headedness, he is defending faith, hope, and clarity. Clarity. The truth which Chesterton is defending should be obvious. But because Chesterton has to defend it, it obviously isn t obvious. The heretics have obscured the truth, they have distracted us, they have won us over with lies. The first lie is that truth doesn t matter. --Dale Ahlquist, American Chesterton Society
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- PublisherCreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
- Publication date2016
- ISBN 10 1533693447
- ISBN 13 9781533693440
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages188
- Rating
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