Dale Fincher: Celebrating 100 years... Chesterton and Grahame
Philip
· 1 year ago
When you said that Ravi thought Ethics of Elfland was the greatest chapter written in the 20th century, I couldn't have agreed more. That chapter, let alone Orthodoxy as a whole, really shaped my faith, imagination, and mind at age 16 and still today at age 22. I read that book, or at least that chapter, once a year to continually remind me of a man who truly did get it.
I'm glad you phrased it that way too, "got it." He is the one I think of when it comes to people that "got it" (shortly followed by Rich Mullins, St. Francis of Assisi, Lewis, and others). I have always admired Lewis, but I think I have always seen Chesterton as the greatest Christian writer of the 20th century because I read him first and saw how much Lewis borrowed from him. Chesterton's mysticism, thought, life-giving paradoxes, and mirth will always renew me.
I didn't even think about this being 100 years since he wrote Orthodoxy. I have a first edition that I'll have to show you whenever we can meet up. I'm glad you wrote this post; it reminded me of the significance of this year for Chesterton lovers.
Dale Fincher
· 1 year ago
Philip, thanks for the response and for sharing your life experience here. I appreciate what you've shared.
I know what you mean about reading Lewis... the more you read the classics, the more you discover Lewis has two incredible gifts: assimilating what everyone else has said of importance in history AND an great ability to turn a phrase.
I'd love to see your first edition of Orthodoxy. And when you do, I'll show you mine. I hope you don't think you're the only one who collects these kinds of important (dare I say, priceless) artifacts! ;) ... mine lacks a dustjacket.
Philip
· 1 year ago
Don't worry my first edition has no dust jacket either. I think technically it is a second printing of the British first edition, but I'm not too picky. It is dated Christmas 1908, so the same year works for me. I think this Christmas I may have to pull it out.
I agree with about Lewis too. He was definitely brilliant and original in his own right, and I by no means mean to take away from his legacy. Chesterton will just always have that influence in my life that few others have.
If I don't talk to you before then, have a good thanksgiving, Dale!
Dale Fincher
· 1 year ago
Jonalyn told me I maybe shouldn't have remarked about also having a first edition... pardon any ego on my part.
I was thinking today some more about Lewis and Chesterton and believe Lewis a more masterful storyteller, including his brilliant works like Perelandra and Till We Have Faces. I also appreciate Lewis' more theological approach to topics.
This season does sounds like a good time to look again at Orthodoxy.
A good Thanksgiving to you as well!
Jeremy Killian
· 1 year ago
I'm a big Chesterton fan. It occurs to me that Chesterton would have been an especially effective communicator via Twitter. He could say more with 140 characters than I can with an entire page.
Dale Fincher
· 1 year ago
That's a vote for Twitter, though I find it tedious and self-conscious... He does have a fresh economy with words. That goes along with the legend that many of his books are his first draft!
Marti Smith
· 1 year ago
Hi Dale! I love Chesterton, and Rich Mullins, and C.S. Lewis, and others you mention, too, often for the same reasons. Occurs to me you might enjoy "Room of Marvels," by James Bryan Smith, who was Rich Mullins' biographer and includes a very lightly fictionalized version of him in this book.
"Orthodoxy" is wonderful but can be a bit overwhelming. I might not have made it through the first time if I it weren't for someone who loaned it to me eager to discuss it... so I tell people to flip past the parts about optimist and the pessimist and the suicide of thought and go straight to the ethics of elfland! Then, if they are hooked, they will go back to the start and devour it.
One advantage to loving books that are 100 years old is that they are often available in the public domain. A beautiful old book is great, but I like having 'Orthodoxy,' 'Thursday' or 'The Ball and the Cross' at hand, in a folder on my computer, as well.
Chesterton wrote a great little essay for his newspaper column on what it's like when strangers who love the same books, meet. It's called "The Dickensian." You can read it here: http://www.online-literature.com/chesterton/tre...
Dale Fincher
· 12 months ago
Marti, thanks for the comment and lesson on how to read "Orthodoxy" (and the online resources). When I read it the first time I just stuck with the stuff I didn't understand, figuring I'd be illumined in time. Some things still lack a reference point for me, but many, many other components have filled in nicely.
That's what a lot of my reading looks like, though. I'm a slow reader but dedicated to the pages I read.
I enjoy reading Lewis more, however, as he has broader import into my life.
I look forward to reading "the Dickensian." And I'll check out Smith's book. I have read his Mullins biography, but nothing else. I know he is (was?) connected to Renovare as I've gone through one of his workbooks for a small group study.
Philip
· 11 months ago
I'm actually reading that Mullins biography currently. Its good.
I would say Lewis is an easier read and, in many ways, a more enjoyable read than Chesterton. Chesterton can get so heavy as has been mentioned. I still see new things in Orthodoxy every time I read it. Beyond Mere Christianity, I think Lewis will be known for his fiction like Narnia, Screwtape, his space trilogy, and Till We have Faces, which is a shame because I think Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed are my favorites of his.
Oh Dale, Savannah and I were listening to your latest talk on the website while cooking dinner. We loved it! You did a good job at giving a new twist to apologetics, plus your passing jokes were hilarious. Keep it up; its what needs to be heard I think.
Dale Fincher
· 11 months ago
I'm with you on Lewis fiction. I think Till We Have Faces is extremely good.
Chesterton was a journalist and Lewis a classical and medieval literature professor. Just those qualities alone show through with their style and approach.
The Mullins biography is great, I agree. I appreciate how Smith used a lot of Mullins own words in it. It's the only way to capture Mullins, in my opinion. I miss him dearly. But at least he went out in a chariot of fire... a jeep, no less!
Thanks for the encouragement on my apologetics talk. I do hope this kind of thing catches on. It's the next book I want to write on... my journey into it. It's been a large part of my thinking the last few years and I'm glad I got a chance to talk about it (thanks, YS, for giving me the freedom!). So often people want you to share about the issues rather than how to approach the issues. That's good too, but they overlook the process in why you say what you say the way you say it. These days, approach is half of the problem. Many evangelicals want to grab new answers to old questions (trying to be hip, or postmodern, or artsy or whatever) but they don't want to update their approaches and attitudes in it. So it comes across as flat and most often inauthentic and un-owned.
Glad you liked the humor. It happens every once in a while! LOL
All Comments
I'm glad you phrased it that way too, "got it." He is the one I think of when it comes to people that "got it" (shortly followed by Rich Mullins, St. Francis of Assisi, Lewis, and others). I have always admired Lewis, but I think I have always seen Chesterton as the greatest Christian writer of the 20th century because I read him first and saw how much Lewis borrowed from him. Chesterton's mysticism, thought, life-giving paradoxes, and mirth will always renew me.
I didn't even think about this being 100 years since he wrote Orthodoxy. I have a first edition that I'll have to show you whenever we can meet up. I'm glad you wrote this post; it reminded me of the significance of this year for Chesterton lovers.
I know what you mean about reading Lewis... the more you read the classics, the more you discover Lewis has two incredible gifts: assimilating what everyone else has said of importance in history AND an great ability to turn a phrase.
I'd love to see your first edition of Orthodoxy. And when you do, I'll show you mine. I hope you don't think you're the only one who collects these kinds of important (dare I say, priceless) artifacts! ;) ... mine lacks a dustjacket.
I agree with about Lewis too. He was definitely brilliant and original in his own right, and I by no means mean to take away from his legacy. Chesterton will just always have that influence in my life that few others have.
If I don't talk to you before then, have a good thanksgiving, Dale!
I was thinking today some more about Lewis and Chesterton and believe Lewis a more masterful storyteller, including his brilliant works like Perelandra and Till We Have Faces. I also appreciate Lewis' more theological approach to topics.
This season does sounds like a good time to look again at Orthodoxy.
A good Thanksgiving to you as well!
"Orthodoxy" is wonderful but can be a bit overwhelming. I might not have made it through the first time if I it weren't for someone who loaned it to me eager to discuss it... so I tell people to flip past the parts about optimist and the pessimist and the suicide of thought and go straight to the ethics of elfland! Then, if they are hooked, they will go back to the start and devour it.
One advantage to loving books that are 100 years old is that they are often available in the public domain. A beautiful old book is great, but I like having 'Orthodoxy,' 'Thursday' or 'The Ball and the Cross' at hand, in a folder on my computer, as well.
Chesterton wrote a great little essay for his newspaper column on what it's like when strangers who love the same books, meet. It's called "The Dickensian." You can read it here: http://www.online-literature.com/chesterton/tre...
That's what a lot of my reading looks like, though. I'm a slow reader but dedicated to the pages I read.
I enjoy reading Lewis more, however, as he has broader import into my life.
I look forward to reading "the Dickensian." And I'll check out Smith's book. I have read his Mullins biography, but nothing else. I know he is (was?) connected to Renovare as I've gone through one of his workbooks for a small group study.
I would say Lewis is an easier read and, in many ways, a more enjoyable read than Chesterton. Chesterton can get so heavy as has been mentioned. I still see new things in Orthodoxy every time I read it. Beyond Mere Christianity, I think Lewis will be known for his fiction like Narnia, Screwtape, his space trilogy, and Till We have Faces, which is a shame because I think Problem of Pain and A Grief Observed are my favorites of his.
Oh Dale, Savannah and I were listening to your latest talk on the website while cooking dinner. We loved it! You did a good job at giving a new twist to apologetics, plus your passing jokes were hilarious. Keep it up; its what needs to be heard I think.
Chesterton was a journalist and Lewis a classical and medieval literature professor. Just those qualities alone show through with their style and approach.
The Mullins biography is great, I agree. I appreciate how Smith used a lot of Mullins own words in it. It's the only way to capture Mullins, in my opinion. I miss him dearly. But at least he went out in a chariot of fire... a jeep, no less!
Thanks for the encouragement on my apologetics talk. I do hope this kind of thing catches on. It's the next book I want to write on... my journey into it. It's been a large part of my thinking the last few years and I'm glad I got a chance to talk about it (thanks, YS, for giving me the freedom!). So often people want you to share about the issues rather than how to approach the issues. That's good too, but they overlook the process in why you say what you say the way you say it. These days, approach is half of the problem. Many evangelicals want to grab new answers to old questions (trying to be hip, or postmodern, or artsy or whatever) but they don't want to update their approaches and attitudes in it. So it comes across as flat and most often inauthentic and un-owned.
Glad you liked the humor. It happens every once in a while! LOL