Orthodoxy (Hendrickson Christian Classics) (ISBN 1598560573)

Book Description:
Hardcover Classics at Paperback Prices! "One of the top 10 Christian books of the twentieth century." —Christianity Today Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) has been called "the ablest and most exuberant proponent of orthodox Christianity of his time." One of the twentieth century's most thoughtful authors, he greatly influenced countless Christian writers including C.S. Lewis and others. Described as one of 10 "indispensable spiritual classics" of the past 1500 years by Publishers Weekly, Chesterton's Orthodoxy offers a unique explanation of the essentials of the Christian faith, and of his own journey from skepticism to belief. "It is constantly assumed, especially in our Tolstoian tendencies, that when the lion lies down with the lamb the lion becomes lamb-like. . . . That is simply the lamb absorbing the lion instead of the lion eating the lamb. The real problem is—can the lion lie down with the lamb and still retain his royal ferocity? That is the problem the Church attempted; that is the miracle she achieved."—from Orthodoxy Every Christian library needs the classics—the timeless books that have spoken powerfully to generations of believers. Hendrickson Christian Classics allow readers to build an essential classics library in affordable modern editions. Each volume is freshly retypeset for reading comfort, while thoughtful new introductions place each in historical and spiritual context. Attractive, classically bound covers look great together on the shelf. Best of all, value pricing makes this series easy to own. Planned to span the spectrum of Christian wisdom through the ages, Hendrickson Christian Classics set a new standard for quality and value.

Download Description:
This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative. Many critics complained of the book called "Heretics" because it merely criticised current philosophies without offering any alternative philosophy. This book is an attempt to answer the challenge. It is unavoidably affirmative and therefore unavoidably autobiographical. The writer has been driven back upon somewhat the same difficulty as that which beset Newman in writing his Apologia; he has been forced to be egotistical only in order to be sincere. While everything else may be different the motive in both cases is the same. It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it. The book is therefore arranged upon the positive principle of a riddle and its answer. It deals first with all the writer's own solitary and sincere speculations and then with all the startling style in which they were all suddenly satisfied by the Christian Theology. The writer regards it as amounting to a convincing creed. But if it is not that it is at least a repeated and surprising coincidence. --G. K. Chesterton.

Defending the format:
A common criticism of Orthodoxy is the format, and while people are entitled to criticize the rambling nature of Chesterton's exploration as aesthetically displeasing, there are plenty of rigidly organized explorations of faith; all neat and tidy with headings even. If you read his introductory comments on why he wrote the book, you should be able to see that the whole work focuses on how he stumbled unintentionally into seeing the beauty and reason of orthodoxy through the accumulation of a thousand little things that all pointed in the same direction: God. The book purposely models this, and frankly I find the joy of the book is how he expresses faith this way. I admittedly found it very confusing my first read, but each time I read it again more and more of it starts to connect. Give the book a second chance if you stumble at first Soon you'll start to see the pattern of thought in his "rambling" observations, an intentional metatphor for the divine pattern and purpose that escapes us in our everyday "rambling" lives.

The Paradoxes of Christianity:
"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die." Orthodoxy is filled with insightful information regarding some of the most poignant critiques against the Christian faith. This book should serve as a starting point for all exploration into the topic. What's more frightful than arguing with someone who has a lot of answers? Probably arguing with someone who can generate just as many questions and can argue your side of the issue better than you can. We usually only think on one side of the issue (our position), but Chesterton expounds both. It isn't necessarily a very easy read, but it is still very relevant for today's skeptic. Begin here: "The sense of the miracle of humanity itself should be always more vivid to us than any marvels of power, intellect, art, or civilization." Any book that looks to refute something must begin with awe in the fact that there is an intellect which makes it even possible to toil in the world of ideas and fact. A great follow up book would be Mere Christianity.

Prolix but worth the effort:
Chesterton is hard to take at times; his irritating metaphors and play on words can grind one down. But, what is extraordinary is that this book is so relevant to the "now". He has grasped the nettle of modern relativism and said: "no, accipio crucem Christi; I believe in the Trintiy of princely might": "it is utterely rational for me to so believe". A definite "must" for anyone who wishes to deal with the issues of modernity and faith.

Orthodoxy:
Chesterton is difficult to read because he makes references to things and places that I do not know about but his work is still good reading. If you don't get his point just keep reading and you soon will because he gives so many examples that sooner or later you will understand one and it becomes clear.

I'll Be Brief:
There are so many reviews here. I'll be brief. I've read this book many times (though not this edition, which someone said is poorly formatted) and it's a whirlwind of provocative thought. Clever beyond what most any other writer can achieve. A defense of his faith that could almost convince the faithless, and if not, at least it will entertain them. At least read the chapter on THE PARADOXES OF CHRISTIANITY. It's a kick, and could get you hooked on Chesterton.