Note, Session 5 was cancelled due to extreme cold temperatures. Session 6 covers the material from session 5 as well as the final chapter and review.
GK Chesterton shows that any true reform or revolution requires a fixed ideal and objective truth. Furthermore, Christian Orthodoxy provides this ideal and truth which can reform the world. Chesterton's apologetic or proof or Christianity is that it alone makes man truly joyful!
Listen to part one online [here]!
Listen to part two online [here]!
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Adult Faith Formation Series – Spring 2021 – Orthodoxy
by GK Chesterton
February 16th – Chapters 7&8&9
– The Eternal Revolution, The Romance of Orthodoxy,
and Authority and the Adventurer
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found
wanting.
It has been found difficult; and left untried. - GK
Chesterton
I. Chapter 7: The Eternal
Revolution
A. In order for there to be true
progress, there must be a fixed goal or ideal toward which we strive.
B. Moreover, this ideal cannot be
simply the exaggeration of only one thing. Rather, the goal must be a complex
idea which is artistically combined – everything held together in proper
proportion and balance.
C. Finally, for true progress, we
must always be on the lookout for the tendency toward corruption. Things left
alone do not remain pure, but decay. Thus, even when we have progress, there
must always be the continual effort for renewal and reform. Hence, the Eternal Revolution
[compare this with the last book
of Ballad of the White Horse, “Scouring of the Horse”]
D. Chesterton notes that
Christianity and Christian doctrine is the only thing that brings about the
“liberal ideal” (of equality, love of neighbor, peace, etc).
II. Chapter 8: The Romance of
Orthodoxy
A. Chesterton continues his
argument that only Christianity can bring the world true progress.
B. He argues against some common
heresies of liberal theology
1.
Materialism – the denial of miracles is not a truly liberal/liberating thought
2.
Pantheism/Immanentism – here, Chesterton points out how different Christianity
is from Buddhism
3.
Monism – if all are one, then there is no love of others
4.
Unitarianism/Mohammedanism – The “Lonely God” destroys society
5.
Fatalism/Determinism – if there are no consequences for our actions, then there
can never be
true reform
6.
Arianism – If Christ is not God, then man has not be elevated. Human suffering
and trial is left
below, and there is no path for true victory over death.
III. Chapter 9: Authority and the
Adventurer
A. Here, Chesterton attempts to
answer the question, “Why not just take what is good in Christianity, but leave
the dogmas?” or “Why do we need the
dogmas? Aren’t the good morals enough?”
B. The Church reveals herself not
merely to have been right about many and varied truths, she shows herself to be
a “Truth-telling thing.”
C. Chesterton responds to common
objections to the Church: Men are just like any other beast. Religion comes
from primitive darkness. Priests make society sad. Christianity is weak.
Christianity would drag us back to the dark ages. Christian people (like the
Irish) are backwards and impractical. There is not reason to acknowledge the
supernatural. – Chesterton replies to
all of these.
D. The great “proof” or
“apologetic” for Christianity is that it makes man and the world joyful. Why be
Christian? Because Orthodoxy Christianity is the only way to gain true joy!
