Pints with Chesterton
Two of my favorite Catholics talking about my favorite Catholic:
Dale Ahlquist and Matt Fradd on G.K. Chesterton
I came to know of GK Chesterton through the writings of CS Lewis, back when I was an atheist and eager to read the battleplans of my enemies, finding their strongest arguments so that I could vanquish them. However, like a comic book mad scientist working with radioactive materials, studying the arts of the enemy may transmogrify into you to the enemy.
And the scales will fall from your eyes. Such is the danger of reading Chesterton.
I came upon THE APOSTLE OF COMMON SENSE television show on EWTN, back when I owned a cable television, and was charmed, against my will, by Dale Ahlquist, who was willing to film endless hours of television to rescue G.K. Chesterton from the unmerited obscurity to which fashionable intellectual society had so long exiled him. That Nietzsche is famous, closely studied by men like Jordan Peterson, and spoken of in voiced of hushed respect, while Chesterton, who refuted the madman with logic, wit, goodwill, humanity and charm all utterly absent from the Prussian metaphysician, had only eight books in print, and was known only to a small circle of aficionados, was a clear condemnation of fashionable intellectual society, if not the world. It is also a wrong Dale Ahlquist, with no hand to aid him, attempted to right.
In this podcast I learn several things of which even I, who model myself after Chesterton both in girth and sword-stick, was unaware. I had no idea of the sheer volume of his writings, nor that ORTHODOXY was written before his conversion. I look forward to discussing my writing with Chesterton in heaven, and learning his whole opinion.
This podcast also told me the origin story of Mr. Ahlquist, which came as a bit of a shock — he had been born outside, and lured into one, true Church by studying her too closely.
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
