''Orthodoxy'' (1908) is a book by G. K. Chesterton that has become a classic of

Christian apologetics Christian apologetics ( grc, ἀπολογία, "verbal defense, speech in defense") is a branch of Christian theology that defends Christianity. Christian apologetics has taken many forms over the centuries, starting with Paul the Apostle in ...

. Chesterton considered this book a companion to his other work, ''

Heretics Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

'', writing it expressly in response to

G. S. Street George Slythe Street (18 July 1867 – 31 October 1936) was a British critic, journalist and novelist. He was born in Wimbledon, London on 18 July 1867. He was associated with William Ernest Henley and the 'counter-Decadents' on the staff of the ...

's criticism of the earlier work, "that he was not going to bother about his theology until I had really stated mine". In the book's preface, Chesterton states the purpose is to "attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it." In it, 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. The book was written when Chesterton was an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

. He converted to

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

14 years later. Chesterton chose the title, ''Orthodoxy'', to focus instead on the plainness of the

Apostles' Creed The Apostles' Creed ( Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". The creed most likely originated in 5th-century ...

, though he admitted the general sound of the title was "a thinnish sort of thing". ''Orthodoxy'' was influential in the conversion of

Theodore Maynard Theodore Maynard (1890–1956) was an English poet, literary critic, and historian. He grew up in England until 1920, and afterwards he moved to America and lived there until his death. Although he considered himself primarily a poet, during his l ...

to Roman Catholicism as well as in the ordination of Canon

Bernard Iddings Bell Bernard Iddings Bell (October 13, 1886 – September 5, 1958) was an American Christian author, Episcopal priest, and conservative cultural commentator. His religious writings, social critiques, and homilies on post-war society were acclaimed in th ...

. In the magazine ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', critic James Parker recommends the book thusly: "If you've got an afternoon, read his masterpiece of Christian apologetics ''Orthodoxy'': ontological basics retailed with a blissful, zooming frivolity,

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas, Dominican Order, OP (; it, Tommaso d'Aquino, lit=Thomas of Aquino, Italy, Aquino; 1225 – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest who was an influential List of Catholic philo ...

meets

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...

."James Parker, "A Most Unlikely Saint," The Atlantic Magazine, April 2015 Issue
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Notes

External links

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Audio recording of ''Orthodoxy''
at Librivox 1908 non-fiction books Books about Christianity Books by G. K. Chesterton {{christian-book-stub