Book in Review: Heretics
I am becoming quite the G. K. Chesterton fanboy of late. Heretics is another well known work of his that I have put under my belt. Short review below:
Energetic and Fun
Heretics is a scattered assortment of short verbal critiques of writers, philosophers, politicians of Chesterton’s day. Throughout, Chesterton is as paradoxical as ever, reversing every commonly accepted position and creed with the sardonic wit characteristic of him. Those who are familiar with his other works will likely enjoy the energetic pugnacity, while I could equally see how others newer to him could see it as overkill.
Heretics is not as timeless as his seminal work Orthodoxy because, though philosophies never fully vanish, we are over 100 years removed from the characters Chesterton is calling out in Heretics. Because of this, many of the chapters are just not as engaging because we lack the background information regarding each of the heretics described. Chesterton does try to get the reader up to speed on what his critique is, but I would be far more interested if I already had a common knowledge of the philosopher and his philosophy prior to reading.
Chesterton is always entertaining to read, and Heretics is no exception. Tracking with his whirls of logic and intellectual putdowns is always a profitable mental exercise—even when you disagree with him. There is also something virile about reading Chesterton, a hidden element that makes me want to wake up and leap into the arena. We see throughout his hatred of stoicism, modern intellectualism, the elitist politician; his love for the common man, joviality, and organized religion…etc. Heretics is not particularly a promotion of Christianity or a defense of theological particulars; it is more of an attack on false worldviews and the fruit of those worldviews in action.
I will say, that while we love Chesterton for his opinions, it is possible for one to be over-opinionated; Even G. K. Chesterton! As I read Heretics, it all seemed to be a little much. Factor in the time-culture gap between us and him and this book can be flat out overwhelming to the detached reader. While many recommend reading this prior to Orthodoxy in chronological fashion, I would do it the other way around. Heretics is a good book, but it should not be your first of Chesterton’s.
Energetic and Fun
Heretics is a scattered assortment of short verbal critiques of writers, philosophers, politicians of Chesterton’s day. Throughout, Chesterton is as paradoxical as ever, reversing every commonly accepted position and creed with the sardonic wit characteristic of him. Those who are familiar with his other works will likely enjoy the energetic pugnacity, while I could equally see how others newer to him could see it as overkill.
Heretics is not as timeless as his seminal work Orthodoxy because, though philosophies never fully vanish, we are over 100 years removed from the characters Chesterton is calling out in Heretics. Because of this, many of the chapters are just not as engaging because we lack the background information regarding each of the heretics described. Chesterton does try to get the reader up to speed on what his critique is, but I would be far more interested if I already had a common knowledge of the philosopher and his philosophy prior to reading.
Chesterton is always entertaining to read, and Heretics is no exception. Tracking with his whirls of logic and intellectual putdowns is always a profitable mental exercise—even when you disagree with him. There is also something virile about reading Chesterton, a hidden element that makes me want to wake up and leap into the arena. We see throughout his hatred of stoicism, modern intellectualism, the elitist politician; his love for the common man, joviality, and organized religion…etc. Heretics is not particularly a promotion of Christianity or a defense of theological particulars; it is more of an attack on false worldviews and the fruit of those worldviews in action.
I will say, that while we love Chesterton for his opinions, it is possible for one to be over-opinionated; Even G. K. Chesterton! As I read Heretics, it all seemed to be a little much. Factor in the time-culture gap between us and him and this book can be flat out overwhelming to the detached reader. While many recommend reading this prior to Orthodoxy in chronological fashion, I would do it the other way around. Heretics is a good book, but it should not be your first of Chesterton’s.
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