Jordan Jeffers
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Short-short book review: Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

2/1/2013

 

This book in one tweet

Dead, cape-wearing English guy from early 1900s still wiser/funnier than anyone you know. #apologetics #iwishpeoplestillworecapes

Favorite quote

But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

Review

Reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy is a bit like wandering through an art museum. There are a lot of pretty things to look at, a lot of artists whose names you kind of recognize but don't actually know anything about, and at the end of it you buy something pretty from the gift shop to hang up in your room. Only it doesn't seem quite as cool in your house as it did when you were there.

I got Chesterton's most famous book for Christmas this year. Because Christian apologetic books from the early 1900s are the sort of thing I ask for (suck it Nike+ FuelBand!). It's filled with stunningly beautiful passages like the one quoted above, references to other early 20th century thinkers I know nothing about, and lots of sound, practical apologetics that I mostly forgot about the second I put the book down. Chesterton was sort of like C.S. Lewis 1.0; he has a way of putting things that just make so much sense you feel stupid for not having thought of it yourself. Also, they both abbreviated their first and middle names. And as far as names go, "Gilbert Keith" pretty much wipes the floor with "Clive Staples."

Also, Chesterton used to wear a cape around all the time. This was as weird in his time as it is now.

Nerd book rating

8 wizard staffs (out of 10)

Plenty of obscure references and biting wit. Worth a read, even for you non-Christians out there.

Non-nerd book rating

5 cold, frosty beers (out of 10)

A lot of obscure references and biting wit. Spend twenty minutes going through his Goodreads quote page, instead. It's worth the time.


Jordan Jeffers really likes capes. Has he mentioned that before? Feel free to give him electronic encouragement via the little Facebook and Twitter buttons below. Peace.

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