Introduction to Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Recorded HS

Literature

There is currently an investigation into opening the cause for G. K. Chesterton’s sainthood. He has been credited with the conversion of many of today’s Catholic leaders, including Homeschool Connections’ Joseph Pearce, Kevin O’Brien, and most famously Dale Ahlquist. What is it about Gilbert Keith Chesterton’s writing that leads people to the Catholic Church?

Total classes: 6

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th

Description

In this six-week course, the instructor will take students deep into the life of this literary giant and provide a solid foundation for delving into his writings. It is recommended that students continue to read Chesterton’s writings once this course is completed as well as check out all of the other Homeschool Connections Chesterton courses (What’s Wrong with the World, Everlasting Man, etc.)

As an added bonus, G.K. Chesterton himself will be teaching this course. (To explain: Your instructor, Dr. John C. Chalberg, performs and lectures as Mr. Chesterton. For this course, he appears as Chesterton and talks as Chesterton. In fact, only “Mr. Chesterton” is present. In a real, or perhaps unreal, sense, you will be learning from Mr. Chesterton himself.)

Outline

Chesterton’s youth and young manhood
Chesterton’s early writings, 1901-1912
Chesterton and World War I
Chesterton and America
Chesterton and his conversion; Chesterton om St. Francis
Chesterton’s later writings and distributism; Chesterton on St. Thomas

Materials and Homework

Course Materials: Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton by Joseph Pearce [Ignatius Press] (ISBN-10: 1621640558 / ISBN-13: 978-1621640554). Available from ignatius.com, your favorite Catholic bookseller, or bookfinder.com.

Homework: Reading and weekly quizzes (automated for immediate feedback). Expect reading, studying, and quizzes to take approx. two to three hours weekly outside of class.

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