Orthodoxy

By: G. K. Chesterton

Narrated by: John Lee

Written by G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy addresses foremost one main problem: How can we contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it? Chesterton writes, "I wish to set forth my faith as particularly answering this double spiritual need, the need for that mixture of the familiar and the unfamiliar which Christendom has rightly named romance."

Chesterton likens orthodox Christianity to a man who set out in a boat from England and was quite excited to land on an island only to soon discover he had, in fact, landed on England. "I am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before." This is Chesterton's autobiography. It is his story of finding the familiar and unfamiliar in Christianity. It is his hunt for the gorgon or griffin and in the end discovers a rhinoceros and then takes pleasure in the fact that a rhinoceros exists but looks as if it oughtn't.

In Orthodoxy, Chesterton argues that people in Western society need a life of "practical romance, the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure. We need so to view the world as to combine an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome." Drawing on such figures as Fra Angelico, George Bernard Shaw, and St. Paul to make his points, Chesterton argues that submission to ecclesiastical authority is the way to achieve a good and balanced life.

Public Domain (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Whenever I feel my fiath going dry again, I wander to a shelf and pick up a book by G. K. Chesterton." (Philip Yancey)

One of Chesterton's best works

I grew up reading the Father Brown mysteries. This was my first foray into GKC's nonfiction works - I initially came upon it when I was a college freshman (long time ago now!), in a library display of Great Books of the 20th Century, and I've read it at least once a year ever since. This untidy autobiography contains more mind-opening paradoxes, clever phrases, and zingers per page than anything else of his that I've read, and it never fails to fill me with delight and make me think. The narrator did a great job with the sometimes bizarrely constructed sentences and made it easier to follow. Excellent work all around.

SO GOOD!!

This is an amazing bit of writing. And the performance is great, you can always tell when the reader is a believer by how he accentuates different points, with ferver and passion.

I was confused at first, during the premise of what this book was about. Was it a rubuddle of popular articles written during that time? But as I hung in, there bloomed a flower of truth that is only matched by my favorite CS Lewis.. in fact, I may have a new favorite, Mr GK Chesterton

The best

I love Chesterton! Makes me laugh out loud while I listen and marvel at insights. The reader is super good as well.

excellent narration

witty and engaging style - a book that makes you think and rethink religion and philosophy.

A True Gem

G.K. is undoubtedly an intellectual Titan. New and empty philosophies he squashes like flies. With extreme clarity, he bullies his way into your admiration with his sharp insights. Thoroughly enjoyed it.