The Catholic Church and Conversion

by G.K. Chesterton

In this book, Chesterton's brilliance as a writer and thinker again shine through as he explains his understanding of Catholicism and the Catholic Church and how its appeal to reason and truth eventually won him over. For Chesterton, two essentials lay at the heart of conversion, and without these, a man misses the point of it all. He describes these in his own "One is that he believes it to be solid objective truth, which is true whether he likes it or not; and the other is that he seeks liberation from his sins." That is why Chesterton became a Catholic, and what he describes in his unique and colorful way in this book.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Nonfiction, Theology, Christian, Philosophy, Christianity

141 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1926

About the author

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic.

He was educated at St. Paul’s, and went to art school at University College London. In 1900, he was asked to contribute a few magazine articles on art criticism, and went on to become one of the most prolific writers of all time. He wrote a hundred books, contributions to 200 more, hundreds of poems, including the epic Ballad of the White Horse, five plays, five novels, and some two hundred short stories, including a popular series featuring the priest-detective, Father Brown. In spite of his literary accomplishments, he considered himself primarily a journalist. He wrote over 4000 newspaper essays, including 30 years worth of weekly columns for the Illustrated London News, and 13 years of weekly columns for the Daily News. He also edited his own newspaper, G.K.’s Weekly.

Chesterton was equally at ease with literary and social criticism, history, politics, economics, philosophy, and theology.

Reviews

[Lancelot Schaubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a protestant, but this moved me to doubt my protestantism. And since I am fundamentally a seeker of highest truth, deepest goodness, furthest beauty: I must entertain my doubts.

All I would say to the protestants reading this is to give this very short book a shot. It’s quite compelling and if nothing else will deepen your faith as you wrestle.

[Skrivena stranica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find 4. and 5. chapter to be fantastic but couldn't really feel some things in chapters before since Chesterton used the examples of his time and his experience of conversion. I understod it but it didn't touch me. I'm only writing this to show that 3 stars is not a bad rating.

[MK · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a lengthy psychological and spiritual and theological extrapolation of a man as he discovers the truths of a new-to-him path, this is not the book.

Chesterton, usually a go-to for me, didn’t impress me with this essay and I almost can feel that he is not proud of it either but put it out there in case someone happened to be wearing similar glasses as he was at the time of his writing and reflection.

He speaks of politics often, and in broad strokes, and never in a way that made me think “Ahh ha” as he normally does for me. It would have been interesting for me to read a theology discourse, or at the very least a real, simple, vulnerability: baring his soul to the reader and convert-to-be... but alas, he does not get too deep in any sense.

Ah well. It’s okay Mr. Chesterton, I do trust that it is good for someone out there.

[Brooke Kouba · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Short read. It gave me a new perspective on what maybe runs through the minds of Catholic coverts. In turn I recognized many of the thoughts I had along the path to accepting myself that The Church is the one true church.

As Chesterton notably states many times “We do not want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right when we are wrong”. I thank God for my faith and have peace knowing that the steadfastness of the Church and her teachings, by the grace of God, are resilient beyond any of my own capabilities. My heart and mind are ever free.

[Patrick Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much I could say about the things he's written in here, especially as a recent Catholic convert myself. I'll gladly share a conversation with anyone regarding it. But I'll just leave it with Chesterton's own words...

"I know that Catholicism is too large for me, and I have not yet explored its beautiful or terrible truths. But I know the others are too small for me; and I could not creep back into that dull safety, who have looked on the dizzy vision of liberty."

[Цветозар · Rating 2 out of 5]

Не ме заинтересува много, нито съм англикан, нито съм католик, че да схвана идеите му в този аспект.

[Ben De Bono · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm convinced that if I read nothing but Chesterton for the rest of my life I would die a happy reader indeed. This volume in particular resonated with me. Chesterton makes it clear that it is a deeply personal work for him, and given my own recent decision to convert to Catholicism it was for me a deeply personal read. Few books I've read have so perfectly transcended the gap between author and reader as this one did for me.

The "Apostle of Common Sense" lays out the claim for Catholicism in his own particular style. All his wit and intellectual prowess are on display here. This is a volume I'll be revisiting often and has instantly earned a place among my favorite books.

[R.D. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting look at the reasons why Chesterton converted to Anglicanism then to Roman Catholicism. It is almost a sequel to Orthodoxy. Where in Orthodoxy is argues for the claims of Christianity, here is he argues that the only Christianity that exists is Roman. While I might disagree with that statement, in that Catholicism is the Church. I disagree that Rome has an exclusive claim, though an ancient one for sure.

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Catholic Church and Conversion, by G.K. Chesterton. A quick and easier read than other Chesterton works, but as timeless as the rest. Chesterton has an amazing knack of putting into words that which is hard to say. It followed so closely the undercurrents of my own conversion, it was as if I was reading my own story written a hundred years before my time. A fantastic book for anyone looking to understand the process of conversion to The Catholic Faith.

[Kazango · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book describing conversion. Converts to the Catholic Church are, in my experience, often misunderstood. I say this as one myself. Chesterton goes a long way towards explaining how we come to be what we become. To be honest I am not very fond of his use of paradox, but he puts it to good use here and there are a number of pithy and trenchant observations of the world to be found in the book which are no less relevant today than a century ago. Very highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chesterton articulates much of my own internal experiences, as a convert. He effortlessly formulates thoughts for essences I merely sensed. I experienced this book as; "Ahh. I DO get it!"

[Galicius]

In Chapter 1, "Introductory: A New Religion," Chesterton makes the compelling case that Catholicism emerges in the modern world not as an outdated, worn-out institution, but as something strikingly fresh and new. He insists that its very antiquity gives it a perpetual sense of novelty.

Chapter 2, "The Obvious Blunders," shows that many common criticisms of Catholicism are shallow misunderstandings. He proves that what outsiders call "blunders" are actually signs of the Church's consistency, vitality, and paradoxical freshness despite its antiquity.

In Chapter 3, entitled "The Real Obstacles," Chesterton posits that the primary impediments to conversion are not intellectual objections to Catholic doctrine but rather deep-seated emotional, cultural, and patriotic attachments that engender resistance to the Church.

In Chapter 2, Chesterton dismissed superficial objections—the "obvious blunders"—as mere prejudices or misunderstandings. In Chapter 3, the author transitions to a discussion of the so-called "real obstacles," which are defined as the underlying reasons why individuals may experience reluctance in embracing Catholicism.

Chesterton's Chapter 4 portrays conversion as a dramatic inversion of perspective—what seemed narrow becomes wide, what seemed irrational becomes rational. The Catholic Church is not just another denomination; it is the universal Church. This makes the convert feel as though the world has been turned upside down. He writes: “The first fallacy about the Catholic Church is the idea that it is a church… it would be more convenient to call them the sects.”

In Chapter 5, entitled "The Exception Proves the Rule," Chesterton posits that the Catholic Church functions as the primary bulwark against the enslavement of the individual by the prevailing spirit of the age. In contrast to "new religions" or modern movements, which are subject to the prevailing fashions and conditions of their era, Catholicism transcends these temporal constraints, maintaining a universal and enduring character.

In Chapter 6 of The Catholic Church and Conversion, Chesterton offers "A Note on Present Prospects," where he confidently reflects on the future of Catholicism in the modern world. He makes the unassailable argument that Catholicism is not a fading relic but a living force that continues to grow, even in societies that resist it.

[Fr. Daniel Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Chesterton, even though I can't always recommend him to people. Chesterton comes from early 20th century Britain, where people were more forthright in their thinking and writing. He predates the ecumenical movement that softens strong language and messages for the sake of being polite. (Before I continue I should make clear that I do not believe this change is a bad thing!) But there is truly something refreshing about a man who knows what he believes and is not afraid of offending anyone with it. He is unabashedly Catholic and is not afraid to explain why.

This rather short read contains a lot of wit and wordplay, as one would expect from Chesterton. It also contains wisdom and experience of his own path to Catholicism. Chesterton is very humble in admitting that he did not always know what was good and true. But he is not so humble about his Church - he is proud of her willingness to stand in the face of the popular stance and proclaim what she sees as true, especially when they are not the popular view. He boldly asserts: "The Catholic Church is the only thing which saves a man from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age."

As a defense of Catholicism, this work stands the test of time. Right now it's hard to be Catholic since some of our teachings are not popular or fashionable. It often seems impossible that majority opinion in the future will be anything other than what it is today. But when we look at history, it often does not take long for public sway to sway differently. And this is when "We do not really want a religion that is right where we are right. What we want is a religion that is right where we are wrong."

Read it. If you're Catholic, gain a fresh perspective of the wisdom within our Church. If you aren't, I ask that you not be offended by the tone and language. I suspect you still will gain something from it.

[Judith Babarsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A conversion rooted in philosophical reason

This is a mostly accessible essay on the phenomenon of conversion. At times Chesterton is difficult to follow. He is clearly well educated and well read. I suppose to fully grasp his points it would be necessary to have a wide knowledge of the history of philosophical thought. Despite this, however, there are more than enough approachable parts of the essay that the common reader will cover away enriched for the experience. Although Chesterton’s focus is early to mid 1900s in England and conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism, the essay is equally applicable to conversion in general. For anyone interested in understanding the reasons behind conversion this is a must-read. As far as Chesterton’s writings go, it’s relatively short!

[Caden Cramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Chesterton brings up some good points about what it means to convert. The helpful paradigm he provides was that which led him to Catholicism
1) Seeing people making bombastic claims about Catholicism, researching to see if they were true, and correcting the lies
2) Defending Catholicism while not being Catholic, but being pushed in that direction by those who wish to insult without knowledge.
3) Realizing that he believed it and had to act on it.

There could be a better way of putting it so you can go read it yourself :)

[Aleix · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as Chesterton goes, this is probably not his best work. Accounts of one's own personal conversion may contain some valuable insights but they tend to make less than riveting reads since Saint Augustine first invented the genre, and they live in the perpetual danger of coming across as self promotion at the expense of, well, God. In that sense, Chesterton's effort is characteristically above average, and I honestly believe it can be helpful, but it does not have the universal appeal of Orthodoxy or The Everlasting Man.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars ‘cause Chesterton’s awesome. Three stars to my reading ability, ‘cause he’s writing for a audience 100 years ago...and some of it just goes right over my head. But when he’s good...he is SO good.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically, Chesterton argues that all other religious groups have only a part of the truth found in it's entirety in the Catholic Church. This is fine and I'm not disagreeing with him but I was expecting more of a conversion story. Still, who doesn't like Chesterton?

[Stanley Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work took a little while to read although it is not that long of a work. I have read several of Chesterton’s works this is probably the most difficult read compared to his other books. It is still worth the read especially for those interested in converting to Catholicism…SLT

[Gonzaga Escauriaza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supongo que será maravilloso pero es muy difícil de entender para mi.
No sé si incluso sería difícil de entender en español.
No tenía que haber sido tan osado.

[Jess Schurz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful.

[Judine Brey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think because I'm not a convert, this book was hard to get into. Also, some of Chesterton's language gets a bit dense, which overshadows his points about the timelessness of the Catholic Church.

[Cormac]

Think this is one to re-read in a few

[Bob McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading books like this, I usually discover something new about Catholicism. It was a worthwhile read, although I don't always follow him well it was interesting to me.

[Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was technically a reread but this second time round I found every point he made struck home.

[Fernando Andrade Faria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mais um livro que termino de ler desse grande escritor e que faz aumentar aos meus olhos sua grandeza.

Talvez não seja o principal ponto do livro, mas ao menos é um dos ramos de sua raiz algo que me marcou profundamente na perspectiva com que encara as coisas está expressa de forma sintética em um dos artigos no apêndice: "(...) o principal atributo da Igreja Católica é ser católica." Isto é, sua capacidade de abranger e abraçar o mundo e até mesmo tocar os limites da existência (afinal, isto é ser universal).

E uma ideia permanece forte para meditação (que eu mesmo já havia começado timidamente): em um mundo que se apaixona por extremos e os troca de tempos em tempos, a perseverança da Igreja em sempre buscar o equilíbrio, a justa proporção entre as coisas, sempre será um incômodo.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of course he's a sophist. More Chesterton lovers should read this book so they know exactly how Chesterton appeals to one's prejudice instead of to one's reason.
Chesterton: Argument 1: Catholicism is both old and new, attracting the young just as much as any fad.
Sed contra: Um, because it feels cool and pagan.
Argument 2: Why use the Scriptures to judge Church Tradition? It's all part of one great big procession.
Sed contra: Aw, come on, G.K.
Argument 3: What's the big deal with Priests? Why would you be so bad if you took vows?
Sed contra: It's when you claim to have your ex cathedra infallible head doing those sorts of things that really bugs me. Also the celibacy--didn't Peter and the others have wives?
Argument 4: You make also sorts of false accusations: "Any manual would tell him that there is no sin "for which there is no absolution"; not disobeying the priest; not assassinating the Pope."
Sed contra: Um, my grandparents grew up thinking it was mortal sin not to go to Church every Sunday. Sheesh, the fact that "mortal sin" is a well-known term tells you something.
Argument 4.5: The Protestant attacks are contradictory, now this, now that.
Sed contra: dangerous argument. One might say the Catholic church offers all sorts of contradictory arguments. Oh, but they're paradoxes of course! Hooker could pull this off because he quoted and footnoted his opponents; Chesterton does it with broadstrokes.
Chesterton then stops arguing against Catholicism--except for some depreciating remarks about how Calvinists think God wants to damn people. Okay, one score: "There was indeed a brief period when a small minority did some hard thinking on the heathen or heretical side. It barely lasted from the time of Voltaire to the time of Huxley. It has now entirely disappeared."
Also some wise words about not choosing your own religion, but being compelled where you are wrong. Sorry, does that sound too Calvinistic?
Argument 6: We were socialists and spiritualists, realized it didn't work and saw that the Pope had got to our watered-down version first. Bleh.
More good thoughts on how Christianity is a compromise, not an ideal or a denial of our ideals entirely. Some nuggets are in here, but the broadsides are really, really broad.

[Marcos Zamith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Os textos são escritos em primeira pessoa, sem ordem didática no desenvolvimento exceto nos títulos, e percorrem principalmente assuntos de religião e política.

Chesterton conta como foi sua conversão à Igreja Católica, enumera três fases pelas quais o convertido passa.

Como costumava fazer, aponta defeitos de ideologias às quais se opunha, especialmente o Protestantismo/Calvinismo, a Teosofia, o Materialismo, o Socialismo/Comunismo.

A religião católica, chamada de "Old Religion", era velha e nova: velha pelo seu tempo de existência e nova porque a fé traz frescor à alma. Por sua vez, as religiões modernas se adequam às circunstâncias modernas como a democracia. As igrejas protestantes são chamadas de seitas porque se separaram da Igreja Católica. O homem devia encontrar não a religião que dissesse ser certo aquilo que ele tem de errado, mas que dissesse ser errado, ou ainda, não uma religião que satisfaça o amor-próprio.

Na religião católica, o homem pensaria de verdade. Por outro lado, sendo adepto de ideologias, já não pensa livremente. Alguns poucos de Voltaire a Huxley eram firmes, mas pensadores desapareceram. Chamam-se livres-pensadores, mas se tornam livres de pensar.

Chesterton elogia a carta encíclica "Rerum Novarum" do papa Leão XIII. Para ele as pessoas não são naturalmente socialistas, isto é, as propriedades privadas de todos passarão a ser administradas por alguns oficiais, mas aprendem que essa seria a solução para o problema de poucos terem propriedade privada. A solução para ele é o distributivismo: propriedade privada distribuída entre muitos.

Ele diz que se tornou anticomunista não porque se converteu católico, mas mesmo que não fosse mais católico seria anticomunista.

[Theo Baruwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Protestant whose grip on Protestantism has been slowly loosening, this was a very accurate description of the process drawing me towards Rome.

It gave language to the more emotional outline of the process rather than elaborate reasons for undertaking the process.

Recommend this short read to all Catholics and Protestants, and especially those somewhere in-between.

[Erik]

Recommended by James Schall in Another Sort of Learning, Bibliography.