 Cover of the 1909 edition | |
| Author | G. K. Chesterton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Christian apologetics |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
Publication date | 1908 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 299 |
| OCLC | 1299383669 |
| Preceded by | Heretics |
| Text | Orthodoxy atWikisource |
Orthodoxy is a 1908 book byG. K. Chesterton which he described as a "spiritual autobiography". It has become a classic ofChristian apologetics.[1]
Chesterton considered this book a companion to his other work,Heretics, which was a collection of essays aimed at refuting prevalent secular views of his time and defending the Christian orthodoxy.[2]Orthodoxy was written expressly in response toG. S. Street's criticism ofHeretics. In it, Chesterton states that "[Street] was not going to bother about his theology until I had really stated mine".[3] In the preface, Chesterton states the purpose is to "attempt an explanation, not of whether theChristian faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it." InOrthodoxy, Chesterton presents an original view of Christian religion. He sees it as the answer to natural human needs – the "answer to a riddle" in his own words – and not simply as an arbitrary truth received from somewhere outside the boundaries of human experience.[citation needed]
The book chronicles Chesterton's personal journey to adopting aChristian worldview. Rather than rationalizing allegedparadoxes,Orthodoxy instead embraces them as evidence for the worldview'svalidity.[4] The first chapter establishes the view that human needs innately conflict, and, along with Chapter 8, "The Romance of Orthodoxy", it explains Chesterton's belief that the Christian worldview is most effective in both explaining and satisfying those disparate needs.[5]
Chesterton began writing the book in response to Street's 1905 challenge, titled "Mr. Chesterton",[citation needed] and it was first published in 1908.[6] The book was written when Chesterton was anAnglican. He converted toCatholicism 14 years later. Chesterton chose the title,Orthodoxy, to focus on the plainness of theApostles' Creed, though he admitted the general sound of the title was "a thinnish sort of thing".[3] Chesterton's choice to focus on the Apostles' Creed madeOrthodoxy's apologetic appealing to Christians from various denominational backgrounds.[7]
Orthodoxy was influential in the conversion ofTheodore Maynard to Roman Catholicism,[8] as well as in the ordination of CanonBernard Iddings Bell.[9] In the magazineThe Atlantic, critic James Parker recommends the book thus: "If you've got an afternoon, read his masterpiece of Christian apologeticsOrthodoxy: ontological basics retailed with a blissful, zooming frivolity,Thomas Aquinas meetsEddie Van Halen."[10]
Orthodoxy public domain audiobook atLibriVox | This article about a book related toChristianity is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
