Still on Chesterton

Returning from the Catholic Homeschool Conference in Minneapolis, I am happy to report that the Friday night session treated attendants with a visit from Chesterton himself.

At least he looked like Chesterton, talked and moved around like Chesterton: for one hour he simply delighted his audience with excerpts and quotes from the beloved Catholic author on life, marriage, women, paradoxes of life and the list goes on.

The presentation was done by Dr. John Chalberg, who also goes around the country doing impersonations of several other historical characters. Dr. Chalberg had a booth at the conference and was available for a nice chat at any time. Check his website for booking information and more.

My parents had Chesterton volumes in Portuguese on the shelves, and I remember feeble attempts on my part, perhaps at the wrong time, to tackle the author. It never happened. This presentation Friday evening has special meaning to me: having resisted reading Chesterton for years, I knew sitting through may cost me something—and I was correct in thinking so. At the end of the presentation, and I commented this with him afterwards, I was curious and interested in the writings of Chesterton enough to look around the vending area for a book that would introduce Chesterton to my literature files. I purchased Ignatius Press’ Brave New Family: G. K. Chesterton on Men and Women, Children, Sex, Divorce, Marriage and the Family, edited by Alvaro da Silva. About the book, from Ignatius Press website:

A collection of G. K. Chesterton's provocative writings on a subject close to his heart--the family, and the corresponding themes of men and women, children, sex, marriage and divorce. The family was a central element in Chesterton's vision, a unifying theme of his literary work. His eloquent defense of the sacredness of the home is even more applicable in our times because of the tremendous moral problems in our society that threaten the modern family.

"This is one of those absolutely necessary books. No one had such bracing no-nonsense practical wisdom as Chesterton. Now this book brings together the embattled family and GKC, the knight who rides forth to do battle for it. It should serve as a manual for us to turn the tide and restore ancient sanities."

-- Peter Kreeft, Author, Three Philosophies of Life

"There is something providential in the way G. K. Chesterton has returned to speak to us of great realities that matter. With prophetic insight he meets the threats to the family, which have increased so much since his era. This book is essential reading, not only for all who work to build up family life but for those who want to rediscover the treasure hidden in that small word which Chesterton loved--"home".

-- Cardinal Edouard Gagnon, Pontifical Council for the Family

"The consecrated pen of Chesterton exposed the attack on the family by a tangle of theorists years before our present social calamity. He shatters their fatal nonsense with the splendor of Christian personalism."

-- Fr. George Rutler, Author, Beyond Modernity