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Encyclopedia > G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Born: 29 May 1874
London, England1
Died: 14 June 1936, age 62
Beaconsfield
Occupation: Journalist, Novelist
Genres: Fantasy, Christian apologetics, Catholic apologetics, Mystery
Influences: Christianity, Catholicism, George MacDonald, William Blake, Charles Dickens, Hilaire Belloc
Influenced: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marshall McLuhan, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Karel Čapek, Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie, Ronald Knox, Anthony Burgess, E. F. Schumacher, Orson Welles, Dorothy Day, Franz Kafka, Brian McLaren, R. A. Lafferty, Philip Yancey, Rich Mullins, Terry Pratchett, J K Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, Alan Watts, Don Miller, Garry Wills, Susanna Clarke, and Carl Amery.

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874June 14, 1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. His prolific and diverse output included journalism, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy, and detective fiction. Public domain image from http://www. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Beaconsfield is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England lying almost 25 miles NW of London. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... A literary genre is one of the divisions of literature into genres according to particular criteria such as literary technique, tone, or content. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian apologetics is the... Main article: Christian apologetics Catholic Apologetics is similar to the greater category of Christian apologetics in that it defends and explains the beliefs of the Christian faith in general, but different in that it defends the beliefs of the Catholic Church in particular. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic... George MacDonald George MacDonald (December 10, 1824 – September 18, 1905) was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. ... “Dickens” redirects here. ... Photograph of Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (27 July 1870 – 16 July 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. ... Clive Staples Lewis (November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an author and scholar. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1916. ... “McLuhan” redirects here. ... Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH (October 2, 1904 – April 3, 1991) was a great English playwright, novelist, short story writer, travel writer and critic whose works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Arthur Evelyn St. ... Jorge Luis Borges (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Karel Čapek. ... Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 — 12 January 1976), also known as Dame Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (1888-1957) was an English theologian and crime writer. ... Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was a British novelist, critic and composer. ... Ernst Friedrich Fritz Schumacher (16 August 1911 – 4 September 1977) was an internationally influential economic thinker with a professional background as a statistician and economist in Britain. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Dorothy Day was declared Servant of God when a cause for sainthood was opened for her by Pope John Paul II. Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897– November 29, 1980) was an American journalist turned social activist and devout member of the Catholic Church. ... Kafka at the age of five Franz Kafka (IPA: ) (July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924) was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. ... Brian D. McLaren is a prominent, controversial voice in the Emerging Church movement. ... Raphael Aloysius Lafferty (November 7, 1914 - March 18, 2002) was a noted science fiction and fantasy writer of Irish descent, famous for his original use of language, metaphor, and narrative structure[1], as well as for his etymological wit. ... Philip Yancey is a Christian author. ... now. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ... Joanne Rowling OBE (born July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire), commonly known as J.K. Rowling (pronunciation: roll-ing; her former students used to joke with her name calling her the Rolling Stone), is a British fiction writer. ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ... Gene Wolfe (born May 7, 1931, New York, New York) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. ... From The Essential Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. ... Donald (Don) Miller is a guitarist in the New York City based improvisational group Borbetomagus. ... Garry Wills (born May 22, 1934) is a celebrated author and historian, and a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 with a Hugo award Susanna Clarke (b. ... Carl Amery (Munich, 9 April 1922 - 24 May 2005), the pen name of Christian Anton Mayer, was a German writer and environmental activist. ... is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Chinese poem Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong (Song Dynasty) Poetry (from the Greek , poiesis, a making or creating) is a form of art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its ostensible meaning. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian apologetics is the... Smaug in his lair: an illustration for the fantasy The Hobbit Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centers upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ...


Chesterton has been called the "prince of paradox."[1] He wrote in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. For example: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it."[2] He is one of the few Christian thinkers who are equally admired and quoted by both liberal and conservative Christians, and indeed by many non-Christians. Chesterton's own theological and political views were far too nuanced to fit comfortably under the "liberal" or "conservative" banner. And in his own words he cast aspersions on the labels saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."[3] He is not to be confused with his politically radical cousin, A. K. Chesterton. Look up paradox in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Arthur Keneth Chesterton (1896 — August 16, 1973) was an ultra right-wing politician and journalist, instrumental in founding a number of right-wing organisations in Britain, primarily in opposition to the break-up of the British Empire, and later adopting a broader anti-immigration stance. ...

Contents

Life

Chesterton at the time of his engagement, 1898
Chesterton at the time of his engagement, 1898

Born in Campden Hill, Kensington, London, Chesterton was educated at St Paul's School. He attended the Slade School of Art in order to become an illustrator and also took literature classes at University College London but did not complete a degree at either. In 1896 Chesterton began working for the London publisher Redway, and T. Fisher Unwin, where he remained until 1902. During this period he also undertook his first journalistic work as a freelance art and literary critic. In 1901 he married Frances Blogg, to whom he remained married for the rest of his life. In 1902 he was given a weekly opinion column in the Daily News, followed in 1905 by a weekly column in The Illustrated London News, for which he would continue to write for the next thirty years. Image File history File links Gkc16. ... Image File history File links Gkc16. ... , A wealthy area in Kensington, that is just south of Kensington High Street. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... St Pauls School St Pauls School is a boys public school, founded in 1509 by John Colet. ... The Slade School of Fine Art is an art school based at University College London in the UK. The school traces its roots back to 1868 when Felix Slade decided to establish three Chairs in Fine Art, to be based at Oxford, Cambridge and London—though with only London offering... Affiliations University of London Russell Group LERU EUA ACU Golden Triangle G5 Website http://www. ... A freelancer or (freelance worker) is a self-employed person working in a profession or trade in which full-time employment is also common. ... The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. ... The Illustrated London News was a magazine founded by Herbert Ingram and his friend Mark Lemon, the editor of Punch magazine. ...


According to Chesterton, as a young man he became fascinated with the Occult and, along with his brother Cecil, experimented with Ouija boards.[4] The word occult comes from the Latin occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to knowledge of the hidden.[1] In the medical sense it is used commonly to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e. ... Cecil Edward Chesterton (1879 – 1918) was an English journalist, known particularly for his role as editor of The New Witness from 1912 to 1916, and in relation to its coverage of the Marconi scandal, and British anti-Semitism. ... A typical Ouija board Ouija (pronounced wee-juh or wee-jee) refers to the belief that one can receive messages during a séance by the use of a Ouija board (also called a talking board or spirit board) and planchette. ...


However, as he grew older, he became an increasingly orthodox Christian, culminating in his conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1922.[5] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...


Chesterton was a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighing around 21 stone (134 kg or 294 lb). His girth gave rise to a famous anecdote. During World War I a lady in London asked why he wasn't 'out at the Front'; he replied, 'If you go round to the side, you will see that I am.'[6] On another occasion he remarked to his friend George Bernard Shaw, 'To look at you, anyone would think there was a famine in England.' Shaw retorted, 'To look at you, anyone would think you caused it.'[citations needed] The stone is a unit of mass in the Imperial system of weights and measures used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and most Commonwealth countries. ... George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ...


He usually wore a cape and a crumpled hat, with a swordstick in hand, and had a cigar hanging out of his mouth. Chesterton often forgot where he was supposed to be going and would miss the train that was supposed to take him there. It is reported that on several occasions he sent a telegram to his wife from some distant (and incorrect) location, writing such things as "Am at Market Harborough. Where ought I to be?" to which she would reply, "Home."[7] A swordstick or canesword is a cane incorporating a concealed blade. ... Four cigars of different brands (from top: H. Upmann, Montecristo, Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta) An airtight cigar storage tube and a double guillotine-style cutter Individual Woodtip Swisher Sweets Cigar A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco, one end of which is ignited so that...


Chesterton loved to debate, often engaging in friendly public debates with such men as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russell and Clarence Darrow. According to his autobiography, he and Shaw played cowboys in a silent movie that was never released. George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970), was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist. ... Clarence Seward Darrow (April 18, 1857 Kinsman Township, Trumbull County, Ohio - March 13, 1938 Chicago) was an American lawyer and leading member of the American Civil Liberties Union, best known for defending teenaged thrill killers Leopold and Loeb in their trial for murdering 14-year-old Bobby Franks (1924) and...


Chesterton died on June 14, 1936, at his home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. The homily at Chesterton's Requiem Mass in Westminster Cathedral, London, was delivered by Ronald Knox. He is buried in Beaconsfield in the Catholic Cemetery. Chesterton's estate was probated at 28,389 pounds sterling, approximately equivalent to USD $2.6 million in modern terms. June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Beaconsfield is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England lying almost 25 miles NW of London. ... Buckinghamshire (abbreviated Bucks) is one of the home counties in South East England. ... In the Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a homily is usually given during Mass (or Divine Liturgy for Orthodox) at the end of the Liturgy of the Word. ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass, also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Anglican/ Episcopalian High Church and certain Lutheran Churches in the United States. ... Westminster Cathedral from Victoria Street Westminster Cathedral in London, England, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral for the Archbishop of Westminster. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (1888-1957) was an English theologian and crime writer. ... Probate is the legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person; specifically, resolving all claims and distributing the decedents property. ...


Writing

Chesterton wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, some 200 short stories, 4000 essays, and several plays. He was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer. He was a columnist for the Daily News, the Illustrated London News, and his own paper, G. K.'s Weekly; he also wrote articles for the Encyclopedia Britannica. His best-known character is the priest-detective Father Brown, who appeared only in short stories, while The Man Who Was Thursday is arguably his best-known novel. He was a convinced Christian long before he was received into the Catholic church, and Christian themes and symbolism appear in much of his writing. In the United States, his writings on distributism were popularized through The American Review, published by Seward Collins in New York. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of a position. ... The Illustrated London News was a magazine founded by Herbert Ingram and his friend Mark Lemon, the editor of Punch magazine. ... G. K.s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 (pilot edition late 1924) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. ... 1913 advertisement for the 11th edition, with the slogan When in doubt — look it up in the Encyclopædia Britannica The Encyclopædia Britannica (properly spelled with æ, the ae-ligature) was first published in 1768–1771 as The Britannica was an important early English-language general encyclopedia and is still... Father Brown is a fictional detective created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton and who stars in five volumes of in total 48 short stories, later compiled in five books. ... The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare is a novel by G. K. Chesterton, first published in 1907. ... Distributism, also known as distributionism and distributivism, is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Roman Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of social justice articulated by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIIIs encyclical Rerum Novarum[1] and... The American Review has been the name of more than one publication. ... Seward Bishop Collins (April 22, 1899 – December 8, 1952) graduated from Princeton University and entered New Yorks literary life in 1926 as a bon vivant. ...


Much of his poetry is little known, though well reflecting his beliefs and opinions. The best written is probably Lepanto, with The Rolling English Road the most familiar, and The Secret People perhaps the most quoted ("we are the people of England; and we have not spoken yet"). Another excellent poem is A Ballade of Suicide. A Ballade of Suicide is a ballade by G.K. Chesterton. ...


Of his nonfiction, Charles Dickens (1903) has received some of the broadest-based praise. According to Ian Ker (The Catholic Revival in English Literature, 1845-1961, 2003), "In Chesterton's eyes Dickens belongs to Merry, not Puritan, England" (see Merry England); Ker treats in Chapter 4 of that book Chesterton's thought as largely growing out of his true appreciation of Dickens, a somewhat shop-soiled property in the view of other literary opinions of the time. “Dickens” redirects here. ... The term Merry England, or in more jocular, half-timbered spelling Merrie England, refers to a semi-mythological, idyllic, and pastoral way of life that the inhabitants of England allegedly enjoyed at some poorly-defined point between the Middle Ages and the onset of the Industrial Revolution. ...


Chesterton's writings consistently displayed wit and a sense of humour. He employed paradox, while making serious comments on the world, government, politics, economics, philosophy, theology and many other topics. When The Times invited several eminent authors to write essays on the theme "What's Wrong with the World?" Chesterton's contribution took the form of a letter: The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ...

Dear Sirs,
I am.
Sincerely yours,
G. K. Chesterton[8]

Typically, Chesterton here combined wit with a serious point (human sinfulness) and self-deprecation.


Much of Chesterton's work remains in print, including collections of the Father Brown detective stories. Ignatius Press is currently in the process of publishing a Complete Works. Ignatius Press was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house headquartered in San Francisco, California. ...


Views and contemporaries

The roots of Chesterton's approach have been taken to be in two earlier strands in English literature, Dickens being one. In the use of paradox, against complacent acceptance of things as they are, he is often categorised with Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, whom he knew well, as Victorian satirists and social commentators in a tradition coming also from Samuel Butler. Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. ... George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ... Samuel Butler Samuel Butler (December 4, 1835 - June 18, 1902) was a British writer best known for his satire Erewhon. ...


Chesterton's style and thinking were all his own, however, and his conclusions were often diametrically opposed to those of his predecessors and contemporaries. In his book Heretics, Chesterton has this to say of Oscar Wilde: Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. ...

The same lesson [of the pessimistic pleasure-seeker] was taught by the very powerful and very desolate philosophy of Oscar Wilde. It is the carpe diem religion; but the carpe diem religion is not the religion of happy people, but of very unhappy people. Great joy does not gather the rosebuds while it may; its eyes are fixed on the immortal rose which Dante saw.[9]

More briefly, and with a closer approximation of Wilde's own style, he writes in Orthodoxy concerning the necessity of making symbolic sacrifices for the gift of creation:

Oscar Wilde said that sunsets were not valued because we could not pay for sunsets. But Oscar Wilde was wrong; we can pay for sunsets. We can pay for them by not being Oscar Wilde.

Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw were famous friends and enjoyed their arguments and discussions. Although rarely in agreement, they both maintained good-will towards and respect for each other. However, in his writing, Chesterton expressed himself very plainly on where they differed and why. In Heretics he writes of Shaw:

After belabouring a great many people for a great many years for being unprogressive, Mr. Shaw has discovered, with characteristic sense, that it is very doubtful whether any existing human being with two legs can be progressive at all. Having come to doubt whether humanity can be combined with progress, most people, easily pleased, would have elected to abandon progress and remain with humanity. Mr. Shaw, not being easily pleased, decides to throw over humanity with all its limitations and go in for progress for its own sake. If man, as we know him, is incapable of the philosophy of progress, Mr. Shaw asks, not for a new kind of philosophy, but for a new kind of man. It is rather as if a nurse had tried a rather bitter food for some years on a baby, and on discovering that it was not suitable, should not throw away the food and ask for a new food, but throw the baby out of window, and ask for a new baby.[10]

Shaw represented the new school of thought, humanism, which was rising at the time. Chesterton's views, on the other hand, became increasingly more polarized towards the church. In Orthodoxy he writes: Humanism[1] is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities—particularly rationality. ... Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G. K. Chesterton that has become a classic of Christian apologetics. ...

The worship of will is the negation of will. . . If Mr. Bernard Shaw comes up to me and says, "Will something," that is tantamount to saying, "I do not mind what you will," and that is tantamount to saying, "I have no will in the matter." You cannot admire will in general, because the essence of will is that it is particular.[11]

This style of argumentation is what Chesterton refers to as using 'Uncommon Sense' — that is, that the thinkers and popular philosophers of the day, though very clever, were saying things that appeared, to him, to be nonsensical. This is illustrated again in Orthodoxy:

Thus when Mr. H. G. Wells says (as he did somewhere), "All chairs are quite different," he utters not merely a misstatement, but a contradiction in terms. If all chairs were quite different, you could not call them "all chairs."[12]

Or, again from Orthodoxy: Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946), better known as H. G. Wells, was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The First Men in the Moon and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ...

The wild worship of lawlessness and the materialist worship of law end in the same void. Nietzsche scales staggering mountains, but he turns up ultimately in Tibet. He sits down beside Tolstoy in the land of nothing and Nirvana. They are both helpless—one because he must not grasp anything, and the other because he must not let go of anything. The Tolstoyan’s will is frozen by a Buddhist instinct that all special actions are evil. But the Nietzscheite’s will is quite equally frozen by his view that all special actions are good; for if all special actions are good, none of them are special. They stand at the crossroads, and one hates all the roads and the other likes all the roads. The result is—well, some things are not hard to calculate. They stand at the cross-roads.[13]
‘All healthy men, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, know that there is a certain fury in sex that we cannot afford to inflame and that a certain mystery and awe must forever surround it if we are to remain sane‘

Incisive comments and observations occurred almost impulsively in Chesterton's writing. In the middle of his epic poem The Ballad of the White Horse he famously states: Friedrich Nietzsche, 1882 Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 - August 25, 1900) was a highly influential German philosopher. ... Coat of arms of the Tolstoy family Tolstoy, or Tolstoi (Russian: ) is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from one Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy (i. ... ( Sanskrit: ; Pali: निब्बान Nibbāna; Vietnamese: Niết bàn; Chinese: 涅槃; Mandarin Pinyin: nièpán, Cantonese: nihppùhn; Japanese: nehan ); Korean: 열반, yeolbhan; Thai: nibpan นิพพาน); Tibetan mya-ngan-las-das-pa; Mongolian ɣasalang-aca nögcigsen), is a Sanskrit word that literally means to cease blowing (as when a candle flame... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by...

For the great Gaels of Ireland
Are the men that God made mad,
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad.[14]

The Chesterbelloc and accusations of anti-Semitism

See G. K.'s Weekly for a fuller treatment.

Chesterton is often associated with his close friend, the poet and essayist Hilaire Belloc. Shaw coined the name Chesterbelloc for their partnership, and this stuck. Though they were very different men, they shared many beliefs; Chesterton eventually joined Belloc in his natal Catholicism, and both voiced criticisms towards capitalism and socialism. They instead espoused a third way: distributism. G. K.s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 (pilot edition late 1924) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. ... Photograph of Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc (27 July 1870 – 16 July 1953) was one of the most prolific writers in England during the early twentieth century. ... Capitalism generally refers to an economic system in which the means of production are all or mostly privately[1][2] owned and operated for profit, and in which investments, distribution, income, production and pricing of goods and services are determined through the operation of a free market. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and movements which aim to improve society through collective and egalitarian action; and to a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... Distributism, also known as distributionism and distributivism, is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Roman Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of social justice articulated by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIIIs encyclical Rerum Novarum[1] and...


G. K.'s Weekly, which occupied much of Chesterton's energy in the last 15 years of his life, was the successor to Belloc's New Witness, taken over from Cecil Chesterton, Gilbert's brother who died in World War I. G. K.s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 (pilot edition late 1924) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. ... G. K.s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 (pilot edition late 1924) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. ... Cecil Edward Chesterton (1879 – 1918) was an English journalist, known particularly for his role as editor of The New Witness from 1912 to 1916, and in relation to its coverage of the Marconi scandal, and British anti-Semitism. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...


Both Chesterton and Belloc have faced accusations of anti-Semitism, both during their lifetimes and subsequently.[15] Their criticisms of the "international Jewish banking families" are some of the most important reasons for these accusations. For example, G.K., Belloc, and G.K.'s brother Cecil were vehement critics of the Isaacs, who were involved in the Marconi case in the years before World War I.[16] George Orwell accused Chesterton of being guilty of "endless tirades against Jews, which he thrust into stories and essays upon the flimsiest pretexts."[17] The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903[1][2] – 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. ...


In The New Jerusalem, Chesterton made it clear that he believed that there was a "Jewish Problem" in Europe, in the sense that he believed that Jewish culture (not Jewish ethnicity/Semitism) separated itself from the nationalities of Europe.[18] He suggested the formation of a Jewish homeland as a solution, and was later invited to Palestine by Jewish Zionists who saw him as an ally in their cause. In 1934, after the Nazi Party took power in Germany he wrote that: The New Jerusalem is a 1920 book written by British writer G. K. Chesterton. ... Poster promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s: Toward a New Life (in Romanian),The Promised Land (in Hungarian), in small (down) text is written First Palestinian sound movie 1844 Discourse on the Restoration of the Jews by Mordecai Noah, page one. ... The Holy Land or Palestine Showing not only the Old Kingdoms of Judea and Israel but also the 12 Tribes Distinctly, and Confirming Even the Diversity of the Locations of their Ancient Positions and Doing So as the Holy Scriptures Indicate, a geographic map from the studio of Tobiae Conradi... A bilingual poster in Romanian and Hungarian promoting a film about Jewish settlement in Palestine, 1930s. ... The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: , or NSDAP, commonly, the Nazi Party), was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ...

In our early days Hilaire Belloc and myself were accused of being uncompromising Anti-Semites. Today, although I still think there is a Jewish problem, I am appalled by the Hitlerite atrocities. They have absolutely no reason or logic behind them. It is quite obviously the expedient of a man who has been driven to seeking a scapegoat, and has found with relief the most famous scapegoat in European history, the Jewish people.[19]

The Wiener Library (London's archive on anti-semitism and Holocaust history) has defended Chesterton against the charge of anti-Semitism: "he was not an enemy, and when the real testing time came along he showed what side he was on."[citation needed] The Wiener Library is the worlds oldest institution devoted to the study of the Holocaust, its causes and legacies. ...


List of major works

See List of books by G. K. Chesterton for all works. This is a list of books written by G. K. Chesterton. ...

Novel written by G. K. Chesterton in 1904, set in a nearly-unchanged London of the latter Twentieth century. ... The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare is a novel by G. K. Chesterton, first published in 1907. ... Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G. K. Chesterton that has become a classic of Christian apologetics. ... Father Brown is a fictional detective created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton and who stars in five volumes of in total 48 short stories, later compiled in five books. ... The Everlasting Man is a book by G. K. Chesterton, published in 1925. ...

Influence

The Everlasting Man is a book by G. K. Chesterton, published in 1925. ... Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... “Dickens” redirects here. ... Thomas Stearns Eliot, OM (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), was a poet, dramatist and literary critic. ... Peter Ackroyd (born October 5, 1949, London) is an English author. ... Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH (October 2, 1904 – April 3, 1991) was a great English playwright, novelist, short story writer, travel writer and critic whose works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world. ... Frederick Buechner as photographed in 1950 by Carl Van Vechten Frederick Buechner (born July 11, 1926) is a Presbyterian minister and an American author. ... Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Arthur Evelyn St. ... Jorge Luis Borges (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Karel Čapek. ... David Dark is an American writer, the author of Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, The Simpsons, and Other Pop Culture Icons and The Gospel According To America, which was included in Publishers’ Weekly’s top religious books of 2005. ... Cover of Time Magazine(March 21, 1927) Paul Claudel (August 6, 1868 – February 23, 1955) was a French poet, dramatist and diplomat, and the younger brother of the sculptor Camille Claudel. ... Dorothy Leigh Sayers (Oxford, 13 June 1893 – Witham, 17 December 1957) was a renowned British author, translator, student of classical and modern languages, and Christian humanist. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 — 12 January 1976), also known as Dame Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... The Rev. ... Sigrid Undset as photographed by Carl Van Vechten in 1927. ... Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (1888-1957) was an English theologian and crime writer. ... Sir Kingsley William Amis (April 16, 1922 – October 22, 1995) was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. ... Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) (IPA: ; first syllable of Auden rhymes with law), who signed his works W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet, regarded by many as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. ... Anthony Burgess (February 25, 1917 – November 22, 1993) was a British novelist, critic and composer. ... Ernst Friedrich Fritz Schumacher (16 August 1911 – 4 September 1977) was an internationally influential economic thinker with a professional background as a statistician and economist in Britain. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Dorothy Day was declared Servant of God when a cause for sainthood was opened for her by Pope John Paul II. Dorothy Day (November 8, 1897– November 29, 1980) was an American journalist turned social activist and devout member of the Catholic Church. ... Kafka at the age of five Franz Kafka (IPA: ) (July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924) was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. ... Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G. K. Chesterton that has become a classic of Christian apologetics. ... Philip Yancey is a Christian author. ... The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare is a novel by G. K. Chesterton, first published in 1907. ... Michael John (Mick) Collins (Irish: ; 16 October 1890 – 22 August 1922) was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance in the Irish Republic, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations, both as Chairman of the Provisional Government and Commander... Doctor Gideon Fell is a fictional detective created by John Dickson Carr. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Mystery fiction is a distinct subgenre of detective fiction that entails the occurrence of an unknown event which requires the protagonist to make known (or solve). ... A writer is anyone who creates a written work, although the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... The Four False Weapons (1948), 1961 Pan paperback edition. ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ... Heavy Metal It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... This is a list of characters appearing in The Sandman comic book, published by DC Comics Vertigo imprint. ... The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... Season of Mists (1992) is the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt and P. Craig Russell, coloured by Steve Oliff and Danny Vozzo, and lettered by... Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990) is a fantasy novel written in collaboration between Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. ... Terence David John Pratchett OBE (born April 28, 1948, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England[1]) is an English fantasy author, best known for his Discworld series. ...   (IPA: in Swedish, but usually IPA: in English) (July 14, 1918 – July 30, 2007) was a Swedish film, stage, and opera director. ... Ansiktet or The Magician is a movie directed and written by Ingmar Bergman. ... Third Way General Election poster displayed by Party supporters in their windows National Liberal Party - The Third Way poster The Third Way is a British political party that was formed on 17 March 1990. ... Distributism, also known as distributionism and distributivism, is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Roman Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of social justice articulated by the Roman Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIIIs encyclical Rerum Novarum[1] and... Guillermo Martínez (born 29 July 1962) is an Argentinian writer. ... The Oxford Murders is a thriller film adapted from award-winning novel by the Argentinean writer Guillermo Martinez, directed by Álex de la Iglesia and starring John Hurt and Elijah Wood. ... This article is about the video game. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Piece of Mind is the fourth studio album by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. ... “Seton Hall” redirects here. ... Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. ... Terry Scott Taylor Terry Scott Taylor (born May 24, 1950) is an American songwriter, record producer, and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and the Swirling Eddies (credited as Camarillo Eddy). Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative music group, Lost Dogs. ... Mr Buechners Dream is the title of a 2001 double album by the rock band Daniel Amos. ... Northern Exposure was a quirky, surreal, character-driven American dramatic comedy television series. ... Chris Stevens is a fictional character in the television series Northern Exposure. ... John Corbett as Aidan Shaw on Sex and the City John Corbett (May 9, 1961 in Wheeling, West Virginia) is an American actor who has co-starred in two successful television series to date: Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995 and Sex and the City (spanning 20 episodes from 2001...

See also

G. K.s Weekly was a British publication founded in 1925 (pilot edition late 1924) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton, continuing until his death in 1936. ... This is a list of books written by G. K. Chesterton. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Christian apologetics is the...

Literature and biographies on Chesterton

  • Cooney, A., "G.K. Chesterton, One Sword at Least", Third Way Publications, London, 1999. ISBN 0-9535077-1-8
  • Coren, M., "Gilbert: The Man Who Was G. K. Chesterton'", Paragon House, New York, 1990.
  • ffinch, M., "G. K. Chesterton, 1986
  • Kenner, H., "Paradox in Chesterton", 1947.
  • Paine, R., "The Universe and Mr. Chesterton", Sherwood Sugden, 1999. ISBN 0893855111{
  • Pearce, J, "Wisdom and Innocence - A Life of G.K.Chesterton", Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1996. ISBN 0-340-67132-7
  • Ward, M., "Gilbert Keith Chesterton" Sheed & Ward, 1944.

Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Hugh Kenner (January 7, 1923 – November 24, 2003), Canadian literary scholar, critic, & professor. ... Joseph Pearce (born 1961) is an English-born writer, as of 2005 Writer in Residence and Professor of Literature at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida; previously he had a comparable position, from 2001, at Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Michigan. ... “McLuhan” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... EWTN - or The Eternal Word Television Network - is a television and radio operation that broadcasts Catholic religious programming, via satellite and shortwave radio. ...

References

  1. ^ Douglas, J.D. G.K. Chesterton, the Eccentric Prince of Paradox, May 24, 1974.
  2. ^ The Man Who was Thursday, Chapter IV
  3. ^ Illustrated London News (1924-04-19)
  4. ^ Autobiography, Chapter IV
  5. ^ G.K. Chesterton's Conversion Story
  6. ^ A. N. Wilson, Hilaire Belloc, Penguin Books. 1984.
  7. ^ Ward, Maisie. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Chapter XV. Sheed & Ward. 1944.
  8. ^ cited in Yancey, Philip. 2001. Soul Survivor p. 58.
  9. ^ Chesterton. G.K. Heretics, Chapter 7.
  10. ^ Chesterton, G.K. Heretics, Chapter 4.
  11. ^ Chesterton, G.K. Heretics, Chapter 20.
  12. ^ Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy, Chapter 3.
  13. ^ Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy, Chapter 3.
  14. ^ Chesterton, G.K. The Ballad of the White Horse, Book 2.
  15. ^ Last orders,The Guardian, April 9, 2005.
  16. ^ Ward, Maisie. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Sheed & Ward. 1944.
  17. ^ Orwell, George: "Anti-Semitism in Britain"
  18. ^ Chesterton, G.K. The New Jerusalem, Chapter 12.
  19. ^ Coren, M. Gilbert: The Man Who Was G. K. Chesterton, p216
  20. ^ Found in A Severe Mercy
  21. ^ Found in C. S. Lewis: The Collected Letters, Vol. 2
  22. ^ The Christian Century June 6, 1962
  23. ^ Yancey, Philip. 2001. Soul Survivor, p. 45.
  24. ^ Margery Forester, Michael Collins - The Lost Leader, p.35.

is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A blonde haired, very skilled worker with a 70s look. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 157th day of the year (158th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
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Persondata
NAME Chesterton, G. K.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chesterton, Gilbert Keith
SHORT DESCRIPTION English writer
DATE OF BIRTH May 29, 1874
PLACE OF BIRTH Kensington, London, England
DATE OF DEATH June 14, 1936
PLACE OF DEATH Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England


 

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