Apologetics is a very popular pasttime for many Christians these days. Many have even made a career out of defending the Christian faith from the numerous philosophies, theories, and heresies surrounding the Church. These men and women set out to prove those theories wrong using science, history, and recent findings of every kind.
Chesterton was not one of those people.
Despite its unmistakable apologetic qualities, Orthodoxy was Chesterton’s explanation, not for why other theories were specifically bad or wrong, per se, but for why Christianity was simply the most convincing answer to the numerous questions of his day. Christianity was, for him, the only stream of thought that adequately dealt with the paradoxes which saturate the world around us, the paradoxes which, far from being contradictory and thus invalid, are actually essential to human existence. They provide the needed balance which keeps the universe and humanity in check. A balance of tension, some might say.
As it turns out, Chesterton’s personal narrative about his eventual conversion was convincingly apologetic, but it was not of the same style that we see in modern day apologists. He did not set out to disprove evolution or to affirm the historical Jesus. Instead, Chesterton appealed to the most basic logic upon which most philosophies are built; the logic (or lack thereof) of extremism, of single-idea theories, of the seemingly simple spirituality which completely lacks the ability to effectively deal with all of life’s perplexity. It was through probing the depths of these seeming inconsistencies that he found the Christian faith to be the only philosophy, the only religion on earth, to not be found wanting. In fact, Christianity became for him the only possible response.
Although the book may have been written a century ago, the content seems timeless as it is still extremely relevant for our own day and age. With utter ruthlessness and biting wit, Chesterton convincingly demonstrates why it is rational, even if complex, to believe in God, miracles, Original Sin, and, at last, the Christian faith. In doing so, he uses the axioms of his day to demonstrate his point, but only after he’s managed to turn them upside down and inside out.
Orthodoxy will strengthen your faith when you read it. If, like me, you are tired of the same old apologetics that fill youth group services, you need to read this book. Chesterton will make you think. He will make you laugh. He may even offend you. But when you read that last page you’ll know, without a doubt, that Chesterton was a man of incredible intellect with a gift for writing and noticing the subtle imperfections that most others pass by.
Trust me, it is worth it.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: | Apologetics, Book Review, Gospel, Jesus, Theology
love this book.