In case the students have either finished the materials in the first six lessons or for other reasons wish to learn something of the non-detective writings of G. K. Chesterton, two additional (optional) classes are sketched to introduce some of the other genres in which GKC was active, e.g. theology, philosophy, biography, literary criticism and history.

Three famous BOOKS form a unity. They are HERETICS (1905), ORTHODOXY (1908) and THE EVERLASTING MAN (1925).  HERETICS examines vital problems of the age and certain solutions by people like H.G. Wells, G. B. Shaw and A.E. which Chesterton deems "heretical," erroneous. Challenged after this book to say not just was false opinion about major problems of society, but what was truth, Chesterton three years later produced ORTHODOXY. THE EVERLASTING MAN examines first the human race when it remained pagan and next the same human race after a large part of it became Christian. In large measure GKC answered H.G. Wells's OUTLINE OF HISTORY.

HERETICS (1905)

(Using year 2000 American text
HERETICS/ORTHODOXY
Nashville, Thomas Nelson)

In twenty chapters Chesterton surveys mistaken notions associated with various well known and less known persons or professions. In his introductory chapter GKC says that the good thing about heresies is that they flow from free enquiry. The bad thing is that now "cosmic truth is so unimportant that it cannot matter what anyone says" (3) Once only the orthodox were allowed to discuss religion, for example. Now no one is. The most important things to discuss are the basics. Should we change a light post? Let's first be medieval and ask whether light itself is good. (7)

Other chapters look at

--Rudyard Kipling, whose paradoxical heresy is ultra-detachment from places and patriotism. "He admires England, but he does not love he; for we admire things with reasons, but love them without reasons." (21)

--Bernard Shaw. One of his heresies is that conservative ideals are bad, not because they are conservative, but because they are ideals. (28) His peculiar insistence that man is evolving into Superman is also wrong.

--H.G. Wells. There is much humility and sanity in this great man. He is wrong to attack marriage. Scientifically planned reproduction is one of his heresies.

In Chapter Six, "Christmas and the Aesthetes," occurs one of his most famous lines: "Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural." (49)

ORTHODOXY (1908)

THE EVERLASTING MAN (1925)

(work in progress 09/11/2003)