The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Can G.K. Get A Witness?

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Can G.K. Get A Witness?

By Shawn Macomber on 9.27.10 @ 12:59PM

Yes. Yes, he can.

Over at his brand spanking new blog, the always brilliant Michael Brendan Dougherty offers a truly incisive, enlightening defense of Chesterton, which should be read in full, but here's a bite anyway:

If I were going to produce a polemic against Karen Armstrong’s book The History of God – and I dearly would like to – you might be satisfied with a clever review. You wouldn’t chastise me for failing to produce the Summa Theologica. To criticize Chesterton in this regard seems unfair. Besides The Everlasting Man, his books are mostly recycled newspaper material. Next to a considered book of philosophy, Chesterton seems a little smug. Next to a cartoon and letters to the editor and in response to his actual opponents, he’s not only a genius, but a delightful one.

Take a look around while you're over there, for original takes on everything from the aborted Koran burning to Wells Tower.

View all comments (2) | Leave a comment

Bob S| 9.27.10 @ 1:18PM

Everyone with a functioning mind should be reading Chesterton. Not just a journalist and author, but one may make the case for prophet, as well (he predicted the outbreak of WWII, and even the country that it would start in- not bad considering he died in 1936- three years before the outbreak). Anyway, I have started re-reading his fine newspaper essays, and aside from a few anachronisms, they sound as if they had been written yesterday, not almost 100 years ago. Do yourselves a great favor- check him out!

Tim| 9.27.10 @ 2:30PM

"cast himself as the defender of common sense and what he believed to be Europe’s common faith against a number of bad ideas that would go on to have bad careers."

That's a well done bit of writing by Mr. Dougherty.