Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton

by Dale Ahlquist

Overview

What does it mean to be a "complete thinker"? It means being able to take on a wide variety of ideas and disciplines and put them all together in a way that they work together. It means thinking like G.K. Chesterton.

The English author G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was one of the most prolific and well-known writers of his time, and one of the most widely quoted in our own. For newspapers and magazines, he wrote social commentary, literary criticism, and poetry with poignancy and wit. Creator of the beloved detective Father Brown, Chesterton also wrote novels and short stories.

"Thinking", wrote Chesterton, "means connecting things." His ideas are not only connected to each other, they are also connected to us, showing that the thought of Chesterton is timeless. In a world of increasing specialization, Chesterton connects us to the big picture by helping us see how the many and varied elements within our experience fit together. He sheds light on almost every subject and opens doors from one thing to another with dazzling clarity.

Drawing on literally hundreds of references from Chesterton's vast writings, Dale Ahlquist conducts a symphony, with Chesterton playing all the instruments in perfect harmony.

Chesterton's thoughts on almost everything-from east to west, from old to new, from politics to economics, from Shakespeare to Dickens-are woven together to create an illuminating whole.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781586176754
Publisher:	Ignatius Press
Publication date:	10/23/2012
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	261
Sales rank:	577,257
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Dale Ahlquist is president of the American Chesterton Society. Through his long running television series, The Apostle of Common Sense, as well as his books and lectures, he has helped bring about a great renewed interest in the works of G.K. Chesterton for contemporary readers. He has authored and contributed to several books on Chesterton, including Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton, G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, and In Defense of Sanity: The Best Essays of G.K. Chesterton.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction: "The Only Man I Regularly Read" 11

1 How to Think 21

2 Truth and Its Discontents 32

3 The Limits of Language 44

4 The Problem of Evil 55

5 The Seven Deadly Sins 65

6 The Universe and Other Little Things 86

7 Old and New 98

8 East and West 109

9 War and Peace 122

10 Politics and Patriotism 133

11 Law and Lawyers 147

12 Buying and Selling 160

13 Sickness and Health 180

14 Life and Death 195

15 Abandon Hopelessness, All Ye Who Enter Here 210

16 To Be 222

17 The Exception Proves the Rule 236

Appendix: Chesterton vs. Darrow 249

Editorial Reviews

"To write a book about Chesterton is a bold act since GKC's books render most commentary superfluous. But Dale Ahlquist has not only had the courage to make the attempt; he has the wit, the learning, and the grace to make his book worthwhile reading alongside the works of the master himself."
- Robert Royal, Faith & Reason Institute

"Dale Ahlquist is well known for his championing of the thought and writings of the great English writer and apologist G. K. Chesterton. In this book he has distilled years of reading and studying the writings of his hero. It will surely attract many new readers to Chesterton. Ahlquist himself has all the zeal of the convert and he will make many new converts with this trenchant study."
-Ian Ker, Author, G. K. Chesterton: A Biography

"Dale Ahlquist is a delightful student of Chesterton who has learned well from the Master. He combines Chesterton's amazing gift for being funny and profound, showing how everything from pork to pyrotechnics bears witness to the Maker of All in the great symphony of creation and redemption. Pure reading pleasure!"
- Mark P. Shea, Author, The Heart of Catholic Prayer

From the Publisher