Orthodoxy (Sea Harp Timeless series)

Book excerpt: A Winsome Defence of the Christian Faith Our modern world — wide awake to its own progress and virtues — disdains the antiquated notions of Christianity. Wouldn't humankind be much improved by the extinction of this unsightly ideology? This book is a winsome response that is delightfully sharp-witted and disarmingly sincere. In Orthodoxy, masterful thinker, literary critic, and lay theologian, G. K. Chesterton (1874-1935), pairs whimsey and wisdom to offer a robust defense of the Christian faith. Addressing the noisy contentions of secular humanism, Chesterton lays forth a defense of the Biblical worldview, asserting not only its truth, but also its necessity for a healthy society. Originally published in 1908, this unique work feels remarkably current. Orthodoxy offers a sound apologetic without being pompous or abstract. In it, readers will discover... True orthodoxy as a kind of "romance" through which the believer is wooed into authentic, spiritual connection with God An exploration of why the Biblical teachings of the Fall and Original Sin are, in fact, hopeful The vital truth hidden within the Christian doctrine of Hell How a thriving relationship with a personal God produces individuals who are truly alive Why the virtues of Christianity cannot be divorced from the fullness of the Christian faith Chesterton’s engaging defense of Orthodoxy finds its ultimate delight in the person of Jesus Himself, concluding with an invitation into His deep and mysterious joy! “If we wish to pull down the prosperous oppressor we cannot do it with the new doctrine of human perfectibility; we can do it with the old doctrine of Original Sin. If we want to uproot inherent cruelties or lift up lost populations we cannot do it with the scientific theory that matter precedes mind; we can do it with the supernatural theory that mind precedes matter. ... And if we wish to exalt the outcast and the crucified, we shall rather wish to think that a veritable God was crucified, rather than a mere sage or hero.”