Thinking of G K Chesterton, and of course, of Father Brown

I’ve just noticed that the Episcopal Church observes today, the 13th of June, as a feast, of sorts, for Gilbert Keith Chesterton.

He is perhaps best known as G. K. Chesterton. According to Wikipedia his “friendly enemy” George Bernard Shaw spoke of Chesterton as “a man of colossal genius.” And a public intellectual of his time and place.

Chesterton was a wit and a controversialist.  He was a both a literary and social critic. he turned his hand to history, he wrote plays, and short stories and novels, the most famous and abiding is the Man Who Was Thursday.

He certainly was not all light and sweetness. Among his less endearing traits was his genteel anti-semitism which often marred his writings and observations. Although it should be noted he rejected the term throughout his life, even as he was followed by the accusations all the way. (I’ve been thinking a lot about genteel antisemitism of late, and what a nasty worm it is. But, that’s for another reflection.) Chesterton was many things. This was a nasty part, but a part.

The man certainly could write. And I read several of his spiritual books. Me, I liked his spiritual biographies of Francis and Thomas Aquinas a lot. I didn’t particularly care for Orthodoxy, although many I know think it his best work.

Of his writings I enjoyed his Father Brown stories most, and most of all the various adaptations of the snooping priest. Which I’ve found often better than the originals. As I think he is less and less read, it is beginning to look like the various adaptations of his Father Brown stories are going to be his half life. Of course, one never knows for sure about such things…

Chesterton’s spiritual journey took him from a non-practicing Unitarianism in his childhood, to Anglicanism to Anglo Catholicism and eventually he crossed the Tiber to Rome. While he is said to have eschewed both right and left,”The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected.” He always seemed pretty conservative to me. In fact I think of him less as conservative and more as reactionary. An eloquent get-off-my lawn sort, waving a really nice and expensive walking stick…

Most of all, I like the fact the Episcopal church, despite his eventual apostasy, honors their wayward son in their calendar…