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Creed or Chaos?: Why Christians Must Choose Either Dogma or Disaster; Or, Why It Really Does Matter What You Believe
Today you hear it even from many well-meaning Christians: "It doesn't really matter what you believe, so long as you're sincere."But in Creed or Chaos?, author Dorothy Sayers demonstrates that such a "doctrineless Christianity" is not merely impossible; it's dangerous. Indeed, argues Sayers, if Christians don't steep themselves in doctrine, then the Christian Faith -- and the world outside the Faith -- will descend into chaos.
Each of us must choose: creed . . . or chaos! This book shows why there's no way you can avoid that choice -- and it helps you to choose wisely.
Each of us must choose: creed . . . or chaos! This book shows why there's no way you can avoid that choice -- and it helps you to choose wisely.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
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About the author
Dorothy L. Sayers
703 books2,986 followersThe detective stories of well-known British writer Dorothy Leigh Sayers mostly feature the amateur investigator Lord Peter Wimsey; she also translated the
Divine Comedy
of Dante Alighieri.
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
This renowned author and Christian humanist studied classical and modern languages.
Her best known mysteries, a series of short novels, set between World War I and World War II, feature an English aristocrat and amateur sleuth. She is also known for her plays and essays.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 9, 2019
Nowadays, Dorothy Sayers is remembered primarily for her detective novels . . . but she was also a literary scholar who translated Dante's Divine Comedy. Even more interesting, Sayers was friends with C.S. Lewis and, like Lewis, she was invited to give sermons, lectures, and radio talks defending Christianity to the British public during WWII.
Her series of plays about Christ drew a great deal of criticism for putting modern British slang into the mouths of Christ and the 12 disciples. But those who got over the initial shock of the dialogue found the plays immensely moving. C.S. Lewis admitted to re-reading the text of the plays as part of his Advent devotions.
"Creed or Chaos?" is a collection of several talks Sayers gave during the early '40s. The book was published in 1949, but the talks are allowed to stand as-is, which means we get references to the Nazis, Hitler, wartime rationing, and other time-sensitive references that allow us to get a strong feel for the context these talks were first presented in.
The chapter titled "The Triumph of Easter" makes this worth the price of admission all by itself: "When Judas sinned, Jesus paid; He brought good out of evil, He led out triumph from the gates of hell and brought all mankind out with Him; but the suffering of Jesus and the sin of Judas remain a reality. God did not abolish the fact of evil: He transformed it. He did not stop the crucifixion: He rose from the dead" (12).
I also found Sayers's remarks on the Christian attitude to work to be just as relevant today--if not more so--than they would have been to the English in the '40s: "The Church's approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the Church SHOULD be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables. Church by all means, and decent forms of amusement, certainly--but what use is all that if in the very centre of his life and occupation he is insulting God with bad carpentry" (57)?
I was fortunate enough to come across a first edition of Creed or Chaos? at a secondhand bookshop in Traverse City, and I'm so glad I bought it. Although I've been aware of the breadth of Sayers's work for years, this was the first of her books I've ever read.
And what an introduction. I can't wait to read more of her religious writings, dive into the plays, her Dante translation, and some of her detective stories. If this is a sign of things to come (and I'm confident it is), she'll soon end right up there with Lewis in my estimation!!
Her series of plays about Christ drew a great deal of criticism for putting modern British slang into the mouths of Christ and the 12 disciples. But those who got over the initial shock of the dialogue found the plays immensely moving. C.S. Lewis admitted to re-reading the text of the plays as part of his Advent devotions.
"Creed or Chaos?" is a collection of several talks Sayers gave during the early '40s. The book was published in 1949, but the talks are allowed to stand as-is, which means we get references to the Nazis, Hitler, wartime rationing, and other time-sensitive references that allow us to get a strong feel for the context these talks were first presented in.
The chapter titled "The Triumph of Easter" makes this worth the price of admission all by itself: "When Judas sinned, Jesus paid; He brought good out of evil, He led out triumph from the gates of hell and brought all mankind out with Him; but the suffering of Jesus and the sin of Judas remain a reality. God did not abolish the fact of evil: He transformed it. He did not stop the crucifixion: He rose from the dead" (12).
I also found Sayers's remarks on the Christian attitude to work to be just as relevant today--if not more so--than they would have been to the English in the '40s: "The Church's approach to an intelligent carpenter is usually confined to exhorting him not to be drunk and disorderly in his leisure hours, and to come to church on Sundays. What the Church SHOULD be telling him is this: that the very first demand that his religion makes upon him is that he should make good tables. Church by all means, and decent forms of amusement, certainly--but what use is all that if in the very centre of his life and occupation he is insulting God with bad carpentry" (57)?
I was fortunate enough to come across a first edition of Creed or Chaos? at a secondhand bookshop in Traverse City, and I'm so glad I bought it. Although I've been aware of the breadth of Sayers's work for years, this was the first of her books I've ever read.
And what an introduction. I can't wait to read more of her religious writings, dive into the plays, her Dante translation, and some of her detective stories. If this is a sign of things to come (and I'm confident it is), she'll soon end right up there with Lewis in my estimation!!
September 5, 2024
Very interesting and intriguing articles that relate to society as we know it today . . . even though this book was written during the 2nd World War.
I jotted down several quotes.
And who rates Dorothy Sayers less than 5 stars anyway!??
I jotted down several quotes.
And who rates Dorothy Sayers less than 5 stars anyway!??
January 20, 2019
My first foray into Dorothy Sanders' writings. This book consists of 7 essays on different aspects of Christianity and its centrality to all of human experience. I read particularly profound thoughts out loud to my husband, of which there were quite a few. Dorothy is similar to Lewis in terms of her writing style and topics (Christianity, dogma, ethics, economics, work, etc.), but she is a bit more caustic and biting. Her writing is still eerily relevant; many of the essays were written during WWII but may as well have been written in 2018 for how well they describe today's culture and perception of Christianity. My favorite essay is probably, "The Dogma is the Drama" (especially the section set up as a Q@A about the average Englishman's understanding of the pillars of Christianity), but all the essays were compelling in their own way. Highly recommend.
October 14, 2022
4.75 stars
An excellent book! This includes 7 essays:
1.) The Greatest Drama Ever Staged
2.) The Triumph of Easter
3.) Strong Meat
4.) The Dogma Is the Drama
5.) Creed or Chaos?
6.) Why Work?
7.) The Other Six Deadly Sins
I loved nearly all of these. They were thoughtfully written and thought-provoking. Sayers doesn't shy away from preaching Truth. Even though she was writing during the Second World War, everything here feels completely current and relevant.
The only one that didn't work for me was "Strong Meat." It felt more abstract than the others and went over my head at times.
Wholeheartedly recommend this one!
An excellent book! This includes 7 essays:
1.) The Greatest Drama Ever Staged
2.) The Triumph of Easter
3.) Strong Meat
4.) The Dogma Is the Drama
5.) Creed or Chaos?
6.) Why Work?
7.) The Other Six Deadly Sins
I loved nearly all of these. They were thoughtfully written and thought-provoking. Sayers doesn't shy away from preaching Truth. Even though she was writing during the Second World War, everything here feels completely current and relevant.
The only one that didn't work for me was "Strong Meat." It felt more abstract than the others and went over my head at times.
Wholeheartedly recommend this one!
June 5, 2025
I’ll state here at the top, knowing my longer reviews are seldom read: you should absolutely read this book!!!! Maybe the easiest 5-star I’ve ever given! And here’s why…
I was already interested in the premise, as I tend to question the terms so commonly demonized in society and especially in Christianity. Let’s face it: dogma is an ugly word, and it has been for a long time. I became curious after it when I got the courage to look it in the face, because when I did, I’ve been able to see a common theme; namely, that those with the more rigid dogma tend to live with their heads further above the proverbial waves of society, free to meet their own needs and the needs of their community with a striking dexterity. To see this unpacked to the highest degree, look no further than “Creed or Chaos” by Dorothy Sayers.
Sayers is an absolutely brilliant woman - this hardly even needs to be mentioned - one with whom I’ve now discovered a deep kinship. Not only is she able to perfectly name so many of the struggles relevant to her generation and subsequently our own, the prose she uses along the way is nothing short of brilliant. It is whimsical and worldly, yet spoken with the acumen of an Oxford scholar - it is beautiful! I can’t even call out one chapter, as the whole string of essays contain such depth that the whole read becomes enjoyably infectious. She begins with reminding Christians of their heritage, reclaiming the beauty behind the creeds we say, then goes on to ethics of our daily work, finishing with a remarkable repackaging of the 7 Deadly Sins and how they so often creep in to our lives. Every step of the way feels somewhat intimidating and yet extraordinarily approachable! I found myself consistently having to stop and daydream in hope in new ways about what these implications could mean in my own life. If nothing else, she gives everyone a new way to dream into old statements of belief, lending her thoughts as a cold glass of water amidst a desert of hopelessness and despair - or better said, CHAOS.
I would highly recommend this book, and make it borderline required reading for Christians. I’m looking forward to more of her work as well. :)
I was already interested in the premise, as I tend to question the terms so commonly demonized in society and especially in Christianity. Let’s face it: dogma is an ugly word, and it has been for a long time. I became curious after it when I got the courage to look it in the face, because when I did, I’ve been able to see a common theme; namely, that those with the more rigid dogma tend to live with their heads further above the proverbial waves of society, free to meet their own needs and the needs of their community with a striking dexterity. To see this unpacked to the highest degree, look no further than “Creed or Chaos” by Dorothy Sayers.
Sayers is an absolutely brilliant woman - this hardly even needs to be mentioned - one with whom I’ve now discovered a deep kinship. Not only is she able to perfectly name so many of the struggles relevant to her generation and subsequently our own, the prose she uses along the way is nothing short of brilliant. It is whimsical and worldly, yet spoken with the acumen of an Oxford scholar - it is beautiful! I can’t even call out one chapter, as the whole string of essays contain such depth that the whole read becomes enjoyably infectious. She begins with reminding Christians of their heritage, reclaiming the beauty behind the creeds we say, then goes on to ethics of our daily work, finishing with a remarkable repackaging of the 7 Deadly Sins and how they so often creep in to our lives. Every step of the way feels somewhat intimidating and yet extraordinarily approachable! I found myself consistently having to stop and daydream in hope in new ways about what these implications could mean in my own life. If nothing else, she gives everyone a new way to dream into old statements of belief, lending her thoughts as a cold glass of water amidst a desert of hopelessness and despair - or better said, CHAOS.
I would highly recommend this book, and make it borderline required reading for Christians. I’m looking forward to more of her work as well. :)
August 5, 2011
Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) was one of the first women to be awarded a degree by Oxford University, she graduated with first class honors in French. She referred to herself as a scholar gone bad because she left academe and worked as an advertising copy-writer and as such was responsible for a successful national campaign for Colman's mustard. She is best known for her Lord Peter Wimsey detective novels. In Murder Must Advertise she has her intrepid detective go under cover working for an advertising firm to solve the murder, putting her familiarity of such institutions to good use. She was an unofficial member of the Inklings and while she never met C.S. Lewis face to face, she was a frequent correspondent with that inveterate letter writer.
I was a little underwhelmed with Creed or Chaos? I would have preferred a little more time spent on the Creeds and less on Chaos. The three great creeds of the Church are handily printed on the front and back flyleafs (flyleaves?); the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. The need for creeds is fairly well articulated as is the usefulness of the heresies that brought them about. A heresy honestly come by is to be preferred to slothful indifference to the truth which leads to nihilism.
She wrote these essays during the dark days of World War Two, about the same time C.S. Lewis was giving his radio lectures on Christianity which were later turned into the book Mere Christianity. It came as something of a shock to realize that perhaps the British people were as uninformed as to the content of Christianity then as modern American college students are now. I agree with Ms. Sayers that if you are going to attack something, you should at least know what it is you are attacking. Or if you are going to worship just for the sake of worship, there is a difficulty in arousing any sort of enthusiasm for the worship of nothing in particular.
The problem is that creeds and dogma seem so boring, but when she wrote plays based on Christian dogma, she was praised by the college students of her time for her powers of invention by adding things that were so interesting and dramatic. They did not believe her when she told them that the dogma is the drama. Her explanation was not well received and they felt if there was anything attractive about Christian philosophy, she must have put it there herself.
They were astonished and considered it revolutionary that the Church believed in any real sense that Christ was God or that in any real sense that Christ was true Man or that the doctrine of the Trinity could be considered to have any relation to fact or any bearing on psychological truth. At least the students of her day seemed willing to give her and the Christian faith a fair hearing. Nowadays she would have been laughed off campus and ridiculed if the ACLU hadn't already had her and her work banned.
I was a little underwhelmed with Creed or Chaos? I would have preferred a little more time spent on the Creeds and less on Chaos. The three great creeds of the Church are handily printed on the front and back flyleafs (flyleaves?); the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. The need for creeds is fairly well articulated as is the usefulness of the heresies that brought them about. A heresy honestly come by is to be preferred to slothful indifference to the truth which leads to nihilism.
She wrote these essays during the dark days of World War Two, about the same time C.S. Lewis was giving his radio lectures on Christianity which were later turned into the book Mere Christianity. It came as something of a shock to realize that perhaps the British people were as uninformed as to the content of Christianity then as modern American college students are now. I agree with Ms. Sayers that if you are going to attack something, you should at least know what it is you are attacking. Or if you are going to worship just for the sake of worship, there is a difficulty in arousing any sort of enthusiasm for the worship of nothing in particular.
The problem is that creeds and dogma seem so boring, but when she wrote plays based on Christian dogma, she was praised by the college students of her time for her powers of invention by adding things that were so interesting and dramatic. They did not believe her when she told them that the dogma is the drama. Her explanation was not well received and they felt if there was anything attractive about Christian philosophy, she must have put it there herself.
They were astonished and considered it revolutionary that the Church believed in any real sense that Christ was God or that in any real sense that Christ was true Man or that the doctrine of the Trinity could be considered to have any relation to fact or any bearing on psychological truth. At least the students of her day seemed willing to give her and the Christian faith a fair hearing. Nowadays she would have been laughed off campus and ridiculed if the ACLU hadn't already had her and her work banned.
September 16, 2010
Excellent. This is Sayers' best starting point for a new reader. The author views life in the context of the Incarnation, and stresses the need to make Christian dogma meaningful in ordinary life. In the essay “Creed or Chaos,” she points to the fatal error of allowing people to “suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling . . . [it is] hopeless to offer Christianity as a vague, idealistic aspiration: it is a hard, tough, exacting, and complex doctrine steeped in drastic and uncompromising realism.”
December 13, 2021
This certainly reads exactly like Lewis in practically every way, shape, and fashion. My appreciation for the Inklings has grown a bit in recent months due to the homespun simplicity and accuracy of their theology and presentation. As ever, Sayers tries for a neutral exposition of Christianity's central tenets and succeeds admirably. The namesake essay is obviously the centerpiece, and it is wonderful especially in our age of liberal theology, but don't neglect the others either—the first three short pieces are also essential.
January 25, 2025
I'm for Creed as opposed to Chaos, sure. Also for Dorothy Sayers as an essayist as opposed to a fiction writer; as the former she is crisp and interesting, while as the latter she is somehow both brutal and dull.
Anyway, one thing that's pretty interesting to me is how the theologically and politically conservative crowd of our day have lionized CS Lewis and his circle, while pretty consistently ignoring the places where those writers are not the allies of Republican economic thinking. See, for instance, this strong dictum by Sayers, from an essay, "Why Work?" which anticipates Wendell Berry (and, to put more of a point on it, is on the side of Jimmy Carter's economics as opposed to Ronald Reagan's):
A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, and such a society is a house built upon sand.
Credo, Dorothy Sayers.
Anyway, one thing that's pretty interesting to me is how the theologically and politically conservative crowd of our day have lionized CS Lewis and his circle, while pretty consistently ignoring the places where those writers are not the allies of Republican economic thinking. See, for instance, this strong dictum by Sayers, from an essay, "Why Work?" which anticipates Wendell Berry (and, to put more of a point on it, is on the side of Jimmy Carter's economics as opposed to Ronald Reagan's):
A society in which consumption has to be artificially stimulated in order to keep production going is a society founded on trash and waste, and such a society is a house built upon sand.
Credo, Dorothy Sayers.
August 13, 2019
A short but potent classic.
May 15, 2020
I think she's better than Lewis.
March 31, 2024
We all know Dorothy Sayers for her excellent Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, but in "Creed or Chaos?" we see her at her provocative and insightful best, but as a Christian apologist. In this book--written as WWII was coming to an end and people were beginning to speculate what they would be doing "after the peace", Sayers takes on the fatuous feel-good nostrum: "It doesn't really matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere." Maybe in a Disney movie, but not--as Sayers resoundingly demonstrates in a real world where objective consequences flow from decisions made.
There is so much to enjoy in this cogent book-- a collection of speeches and radio addresses reworked to hang together--from why our complacency regarding spiritual questions is dangerous to the triumph of Easter and a really profound analysis of the relevance of the "other six deadly sins." A few highlights:
Speaking of the historical proof for Jesus' existence, crucifixion and resurrection, demands why we are not more pumped about this reality? "The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore; on the contrary, they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified Him 'meek and mild," and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies."
Sayers notes that as an answer to people who assert they cannot believe "in a God that would permit XXX to happen", "...man's will is free, and that evil is the price we pay for knowledge, particularly the kind of knowledge we call self-consciousness...We can behave as badly as we like, but we cannot escape the consequences." Rather than the ignorant questioning of why God doesn't create a world which we would prefer to see, Sayers poses a counter question: "Why should God, if there is a God,, create anything, at any time, of any kind at all?..[w]e may all, perhaps, allow that it is easier to believe the universe to have come into existence for some reason than for no reason at all. The Church asserts that there is a Mind which made the universe, that He made it because He is the sort of Mind that takes pleasure in creation, and...[that He] loved His own creation so completely that He became part of it, suffered with and for it, and made it a sharer in His own glory and a fellow worker with Himself in the working out of His own design for it." Namely, that working with God (instead of in rebellion to Him), we may see God turning evil into good.
Speaking of the misguided efforts of the Church to make the Gospel "nice" and "acceptable" to all, Sayers retorts: "Surely it is not the business of the Church to adapt Christ to men, but to adapt men to Christ." Further, all too often, "...we observe in kindly tones, 'if we just go on being brotherly to one another it doesn't matter what we believe about God.'" But what then to say to the man who says: "'If I do not believe in the fatherhood of God, why should I believe in the brotherhood of man?'...It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that it is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe. It is hopeless to offer Christianity as a vaguely idealistic aspiration of a simple and consoling kind; it is, on the contrary, a hard, tough, exacting and complex doctrine, steeped in a drastic and uncompromising realism."
"...you cannot have Christian principles without Christ..., because their validity as principles depends on Christ's authority..."
Sayers also has an uncompromising view of what work should be, rejecting "[t]he fallacy...that work is not the expression of man's creative energy in the service of society, but only something he does on order to obtain money and leisure." In particular, she fears the loss of the (largely) common mission of the population in England and its allies pulling together to save the world from the evil of Hitler once the war ended. She calls for work "as a way of life in which the nature off man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. ...that man, made in God's image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a think that is well worth doing." And that "Christian work" is not the same as ecclesiastical work, but "t]he only Christian work is good work well done....God is not served by technical incompetence... ."
The final chapter provides a more relevant look at the so-called seven deadly sins. In discussing the sin of "ira" or anger, she notes its relatedness to pride, as when we play God in asserting our vision warrants our flinging ourself "into a debauch of fury...". Says Sayers: "It is very well known to the more unscrupulous part of the Press that nothing pays so well in the newspaper world as the manufacture of schism and exploitation of wrath. ..To foment grievance and to set men at variance is the trade by which agitators thrive and journalists make money."
Next to envy. Sayers provocatively and I think correctly notes that "Envy...hates to see other men happy. The names by which it offers itself to the world's applause are Right and Justice, and it makes a great parade of these austere virtues. It begins by asking, [plausibly: 'Why should noy I enjoy what others enjoy?' and it ends by demanding: 'Why should others enjoy what I may not?' Envy is the great leveller: if it cannot level things up, it will level them down, and the words constantly in its mouth are: 'My Rights' and 'My Wrongs.' At its best, Envy is a climber and a snob; at its worst, it is a destroyer--rather than have anybody happier than itself, it will see us all miserable together...Envy cannot bear to admire or respect; it cannot bear to be grateful."
As one example, Sayers calls out the English government for imposing massive tax increases especially on the rich. Even if the stated uses of such taxes is to help the poor, the effect of the taxes she saw was for the government to take the money from those who had formerly been responsible for England's charitable work, so that iin effect the same people are paying, but instead of blessing the relationship arising out of the people paying and those receiving, we have a government, which has expanded greatly and inefficiently, announcing that it is the fount of virtue and decision maker of how to use other people's money.
Next to sloth. "It is the sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, lives for nothing and only stays alive because there is nothing it would die for...Sloth persuades us that stupidity is not our sin, but our misfortune..."
And finally to pride--which seems to lie beneath all the other sins. "It is the sin of trying to be as God. It is the sin which proclaims that Man can produce out of his own wits and his own impulses and his own imagination the standards by which he lives: that Man is fitted to be his own judge....we ought to distrust all those high ambitions and lofty ideals which make the well-being of humanity their ultimate end. Man cannot make himself happy by serving himself--not even when he calls self-service the service of the community; for "the community" in that context is only an extension of his own ego. Happiness is a by-product, thrown off in man's service of God."
As the reader will be able to agree, Sayers' analysis of man in the 1940's remains accurate 80 years later--"nothing new under the sun". Well written and a succinct challenge to our re-focusing on taking the world, and our role as God's creatures---as seriously as we have been made to do.
There is so much to enjoy in this cogent book-- a collection of speeches and radio addresses reworked to hang together--from why our complacency regarding spiritual questions is dangerous to the triumph of Easter and a really profound analysis of the relevance of the "other six deadly sins." A few highlights:
Speaking of the historical proof for Jesus' existence, crucifixion and resurrection, demands why we are not more pumped about this reality? "The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore; on the contrary, they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified Him 'meek and mild," and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies."
Sayers notes that as an answer to people who assert they cannot believe "in a God that would permit XXX to happen", "...man's will is free, and that evil is the price we pay for knowledge, particularly the kind of knowledge we call self-consciousness...We can behave as badly as we like, but we cannot escape the consequences." Rather than the ignorant questioning of why God doesn't create a world which we would prefer to see, Sayers poses a counter question: "Why should God, if there is a God,, create anything, at any time, of any kind at all?..[w]e may all, perhaps, allow that it is easier to believe the universe to have come into existence for some reason than for no reason at all. The Church asserts that there is a Mind which made the universe, that He made it because He is the sort of Mind that takes pleasure in creation, and...[that He] loved His own creation so completely that He became part of it, suffered with and for it, and made it a sharer in His own glory and a fellow worker with Himself in the working out of His own design for it." Namely, that working with God (instead of in rebellion to Him), we may see God turning evil into good.
Speaking of the misguided efforts of the Church to make the Gospel "nice" and "acceptable" to all, Sayers retorts: "Surely it is not the business of the Church to adapt Christ to men, but to adapt men to Christ." Further, all too often, "...we observe in kindly tones, 'if we just go on being brotherly to one another it doesn't matter what we believe about God.'" But what then to say to the man who says: "'If I do not believe in the fatherhood of God, why should I believe in the brotherhood of man?'...It is fatal to let people suppose that Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that it is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe. It is hopeless to offer Christianity as a vaguely idealistic aspiration of a simple and consoling kind; it is, on the contrary, a hard, tough, exacting and complex doctrine, steeped in a drastic and uncompromising realism."
"...you cannot have Christian principles without Christ..., because their validity as principles depends on Christ's authority..."
Sayers also has an uncompromising view of what work should be, rejecting "[t]he fallacy...that work is not the expression of man's creative energy in the service of society, but only something he does on order to obtain money and leisure." In particular, she fears the loss of the (largely) common mission of the population in England and its allies pulling together to save the world from the evil of Hitler once the war ended. She calls for work "as a way of life in which the nature off man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. ...that man, made in God's image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a think that is well worth doing." And that "Christian work" is not the same as ecclesiastical work, but "t]he only Christian work is good work well done....God is not served by technical incompetence... ."
The final chapter provides a more relevant look at the so-called seven deadly sins. In discussing the sin of "ira" or anger, she notes its relatedness to pride, as when we play God in asserting our vision warrants our flinging ourself "into a debauch of fury...". Says Sayers: "It is very well known to the more unscrupulous part of the Press that nothing pays so well in the newspaper world as the manufacture of schism and exploitation of wrath. ..To foment grievance and to set men at variance is the trade by which agitators thrive and journalists make money."
Next to envy. Sayers provocatively and I think correctly notes that "Envy...hates to see other men happy. The names by which it offers itself to the world's applause are Right and Justice, and it makes a great parade of these austere virtues. It begins by asking, [plausibly: 'Why should noy I enjoy what others enjoy?' and it ends by demanding: 'Why should others enjoy what I may not?' Envy is the great leveller: if it cannot level things up, it will level them down, and the words constantly in its mouth are: 'My Rights' and 'My Wrongs.' At its best, Envy is a climber and a snob; at its worst, it is a destroyer--rather than have anybody happier than itself, it will see us all miserable together...Envy cannot bear to admire or respect; it cannot bear to be grateful."
As one example, Sayers calls out the English government for imposing massive tax increases especially on the rich. Even if the stated uses of such taxes is to help the poor, the effect of the taxes she saw was for the government to take the money from those who had formerly been responsible for England's charitable work, so that iin effect the same people are paying, but instead of blessing the relationship arising out of the people paying and those receiving, we have a government, which has expanded greatly and inefficiently, announcing that it is the fount of virtue and decision maker of how to use other people's money.
Next to sloth. "It is the sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, lives for nothing and only stays alive because there is nothing it would die for...Sloth persuades us that stupidity is not our sin, but our misfortune..."
And finally to pride--which seems to lie beneath all the other sins. "It is the sin of trying to be as God. It is the sin which proclaims that Man can produce out of his own wits and his own impulses and his own imagination the standards by which he lives: that Man is fitted to be his own judge....we ought to distrust all those high ambitions and lofty ideals which make the well-being of humanity their ultimate end. Man cannot make himself happy by serving himself--not even when he calls self-service the service of the community; for "the community" in that context is only an extension of his own ego. Happiness is a by-product, thrown off in man's service of God."
As the reader will be able to agree, Sayers' analysis of man in the 1940's remains accurate 80 years later--"nothing new under the sun". Well written and a succinct challenge to our re-focusing on taking the world, and our role as God's creatures---as seriously as we have been made to do.
July 6, 2025
Sayers reminds me in so many ways of C S Lewis. She has such a great command of the English language; so much so that I am at times unsure whether her thinking is particularly deep or whether she merely can express simple truths in ways that make the reader think deeply in them.
The book reminds me of Lewis “weight of glory” in that it is a collection of essays of various lengths. The unifying “theme” running between them can be summarized in the proportion “theme dogma is the drama”. In other words, the story of Christ and Christianity cannot be divorced from doctrine because that doctrine/dogma is what gives the story its substance. What becomes profound about this proposition as Sayers develops it over the course of 7 essays is the way she treats heady doctrine such as the Trinity or the Incarnation not as mere academic or scholarly or even pastoral abstract topics for debate. Rather, these doctrines to Sayers take on dramatic elements. I myself found my heart warmed as Sayers talked about truths I know intellectually but she shows just how revolutionary and life altering those truths are (or should be.)
Below I will give a brief summary of each essay, but this book really is a must read. It isn’t overly difficult to read, the topics Sayers deals with are practical, her original audience is layman (not PhDs in theology), and there is a lot to think through in this 100 page book, more than some that are five times its length. I don’t agree with everything Sayers says or argues, but that doesn’t at all detract from the excellence of this book.
Essay 1: The Greatest Drama Ever Staged- sayers introduces “the dogma is the drama” and highlights how Christian doctrine explains the amazing story of redemption
2. The triumph of Easter- a discussion of how the Christian story explains sin and suffering
3. The dogma is the drama- a numerous essay where Sayers pokes fun at a modern shallow understanding of what Christianity is and what Christian’s believe
4. Creed of Chaos- sayers writing in World War II juxtaposes Christianity with paganism before discussing the importance of doctrine to the average person. A long essay that has a lot of substance, really the heart of the book in my opinion
5. Strong meat- a short but powerful essay on Tim and death and how the Christian story redeems the subjective experience of humanity
6. Why Work?- an absolute master class in a Christian theology of work. This essay alone makes the book worth owning. It is one that I will have to re read because there is so much to think about.
7. The other six deadly sins- sayers analysis of the seven deadly sins which is easily the most soul-searching essay of the book. This chapter has the most in the way of personal discipleship and sayers gives you plenty of ammunition for self examination
The book reminds me of Lewis “weight of glory” in that it is a collection of essays of various lengths. The unifying “theme” running between them can be summarized in the proportion “theme dogma is the drama”. In other words, the story of Christ and Christianity cannot be divorced from doctrine because that doctrine/dogma is what gives the story its substance. What becomes profound about this proposition as Sayers develops it over the course of 7 essays is the way she treats heady doctrine such as the Trinity or the Incarnation not as mere academic or scholarly or even pastoral abstract topics for debate. Rather, these doctrines to Sayers take on dramatic elements. I myself found my heart warmed as Sayers talked about truths I know intellectually but she shows just how revolutionary and life altering those truths are (or should be.)
Below I will give a brief summary of each essay, but this book really is a must read. It isn’t overly difficult to read, the topics Sayers deals with are practical, her original audience is layman (not PhDs in theology), and there is a lot to think through in this 100 page book, more than some that are five times its length. I don’t agree with everything Sayers says or argues, but that doesn’t at all detract from the excellence of this book.
Essay 1: The Greatest Drama Ever Staged- sayers introduces “the dogma is the drama” and highlights how Christian doctrine explains the amazing story of redemption
2. The triumph of Easter- a discussion of how the Christian story explains sin and suffering
3. The dogma is the drama- a numerous essay where Sayers pokes fun at a modern shallow understanding of what Christianity is and what Christian’s believe
4. Creed of Chaos- sayers writing in World War II juxtaposes Christianity with paganism before discussing the importance of doctrine to the average person. A long essay that has a lot of substance, really the heart of the book in my opinion
5. Strong meat- a short but powerful essay on Tim and death and how the Christian story redeems the subjective experience of humanity
6. Why Work?- an absolute master class in a Christian theology of work. This essay alone makes the book worth owning. It is one that I will have to re read because there is so much to think about.
7. The other six deadly sins- sayers analysis of the seven deadly sins which is easily the most soul-searching essay of the book. This chapter has the most in the way of personal discipleship and sayers gives you plenty of ammunition for self examination
May 17, 2020
I'm on a roll, re-reading particularly good books from my past which seem to grow antsy when gathering dust on the book shelves. Such is this treasure from Sayers.
It is less a book per se than a collection of essays--seven short chapters packed with some of the most insightful, quotable observations on man, God, culture, economics, and the struggle to live together in society. They are arranged so well that one may easily forget that each "chapter" stands alone on its own right.
Beginning with, "The Greatest Drama ever Staged", Sayer takes issue with a moralistic Christianity emptied of dogma and drama--a weak-kneed religion.
Other essays include:
- The Triumph of Easter
- Strong Meat
- The Dogma is the Drama
- Creed or Chaos?
- Why Work?
- The Other Six Deadly Sins
Throughout, Sayers champions robust, unapologetic orthodoxy, strong meat fit for adults and not the pablum of the 1940s English church ladies. By seeking to be popular and non-confrontational, such religion becomes toothless in the face of vigorous onslaught from rabid secularism. Sayers casts a different vision, one resting not on pious platitudes but on the greatest story ever told: that of the God-man who enters history and takes upon himself the violence of his own creation, becoming both victim and hero.
"If this is dull, then what, in Heaven's name, is worthy to be called exciting? The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore--on the contrary; they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild,' and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies."
It is less a book per se than a collection of essays--seven short chapters packed with some of the most insightful, quotable observations on man, God, culture, economics, and the struggle to live together in society. They are arranged so well that one may easily forget that each "chapter" stands alone on its own right.
Beginning with, "The Greatest Drama ever Staged", Sayer takes issue with a moralistic Christianity emptied of dogma and drama--a weak-kneed religion.
Other essays include:
- The Triumph of Easter
- Strong Meat
- The Dogma is the Drama
- Creed or Chaos?
- Why Work?
- The Other Six Deadly Sins
Throughout, Sayers champions robust, unapologetic orthodoxy, strong meat fit for adults and not the pablum of the 1940s English church ladies. By seeking to be popular and non-confrontational, such religion becomes toothless in the face of vigorous onslaught from rabid secularism. Sayers casts a different vision, one resting not on pious platitudes but on the greatest story ever told: that of the God-man who enters history and takes upon himself the violence of his own creation, becoming both victim and hero.
"If this is dull, then what, in Heaven's name, is worthy to be called exciting? The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore--on the contrary; they thought him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him 'meek and mild,' and recommended Him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies."
June 18, 2021
I got this book on the advice of a friend. I hated it. I should have known better. I am not pro creeds of men. I'll stick with Jesus creed which was the Shema (Deut 6:4-6) “Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is unique. And you shall love Yahweh your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might. And these words that I am commanding you today shall be on your heart." which he quoted in Mark 12:28–33.
I was hoping for a better understanding of why so many cling to man-made creeds that have caused so much division and quite frankly don't make sense half the time. They mirror ancient philosophies vs the words of Christ.
The jacket of the book says that people like me that say "just preach that simple, uncomplicated religions that Jesus taught" are shown by the author how such a naive "religion" is dangerous and that it betrays Christ and falsified His teachings" - to which *I* say BALDERDASH!
Yes there are many denominations dividing over doctrine but the answer is not a forced agreement with creeds. If we go back to basics and focus on Jesus creed we can unify around that.
I was hoping for a better understanding of why so many cling to man-made creeds that have caused so much division and quite frankly don't make sense half the time. They mirror ancient philosophies vs the words of Christ.
The jacket of the book says that people like me that say "just preach that simple, uncomplicated religions that Jesus taught" are shown by the author how such a naive "religion" is dangerous and that it betrays Christ and falsified His teachings" - to which *I* say BALDERDASH!
Yes there are many denominations dividing over doctrine but the answer is not a forced agreement with creeds. If we go back to basics and focus on Jesus creed we can unify around that.
January 14, 2019
I love this book. It is spicy, a little feisty and straight down the middle of beautiful.
Jesus criticized the Samaritans in John 4 for not knowing what they worshiped. I wonder if he would say the same to us today. As a matter of fact, it seems most christians worry more about how they worship than about what or who.
Sayers believes not knowing who we worship leads to disaster. Our beliefs are the most important thing about us: "if Christian dogma is irrelevant to life, what in heaven's name is relevant?" (p. 35)
She wrote during the second World War, and came to this terrifying conclusion. The Nazis were not being naughty, doing something bad though they knew better. Rather, they were acting out their beliefs.
Humans have always acted out what they believe about God, themselves and creation. Dorothy Sayers calls us to examine those beliefs, to examine the ancient creeds of the church, to embrace the beautiful truths therein, and to practice them in our lives.
I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.
Jesus criticized the Samaritans in John 4 for not knowing what they worshiped. I wonder if he would say the same to us today. As a matter of fact, it seems most christians worry more about how they worship than about what or who.
Sayers believes not knowing who we worship leads to disaster. Our beliefs are the most important thing about us: "if Christian dogma is irrelevant to life, what in heaven's name is relevant?" (p. 35)
She wrote during the second World War, and came to this terrifying conclusion. The Nazis were not being naughty, doing something bad though they knew better. Rather, they were acting out their beliefs.
Humans have always acted out what they believe about God, themselves and creation. Dorothy Sayers calls us to examine those beliefs, to examine the ancient creeds of the church, to embrace the beautiful truths therein, and to practice them in our lives.
I hope you will read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.
May 18, 2017
Brilliant read! Favorite quote which sums up the book: "The thing I'm here to say to you is this: that it is worse than useless for Christians to talk about the importance of Christian morality, unless they are prepared to take their stand upon the fundamentals of Christian theology. It is a lie to say that dogma does not matter; it matters enormously. It is fatal to let people suppose the Christianity is only a mode of feeling; it is vitally necessary to insist that it is first and foremost a rational explanation of the universe." The chapter "Why Work?" was also helpful in my continued personal revamping my understanding of vocation. I found the book very accessible and read it in two sittings.
September 26, 2017
Amazing and extremely relevant book of theology. It's both encouraging and depressing to realize that Western civilization was struggling with the exact same issues in the 1940s that we're dealing with today. Very easy to read and understand--possibly the least intimidating theology book I've ever encountered. A lot of the material overlaps with concepts discussed in "The Mind of the Maker" and "The Man Born to Be King", which can get repetitive, but also adds a nice level of coherence between her theological works. I don't agree with all her points in the discussion of sacramental work, and several of the same points are repeated in multiple essays, but otherwise it's a nearly flawless defense of orthodox Christianity in a hostile world.
January 20, 2022
Sayers, if you didn't know, used her own life as a model for Harriet Vane. Encouraged by Connie Willis' Dog, I picked up a book in the middle of that series and was fascinated by her modern views(for that time). Perhaps the sensationalism was part of its popularity?
Anyway, I was even more fascinated when sources suggested a relationship with Lewis and her staunch defense, and insider critiques, of Christianity. And this book has got a lot to chew on. In some ways her observations of inter-WW Great Britain are unique---as are her sharp remarks about Germany. I particularly liked the first few essays/speeches. They were still quite applicable.
Anyway, I was even more fascinated when sources suggested a relationship with Lewis and her staunch defense, and insider critiques, of Christianity. And this book has got a lot to chew on. In some ways her observations of inter-WW Great Britain are unique---as are her sharp remarks about Germany. I particularly liked the first few essays/speeches. They were still quite applicable.
April 3, 2022
Sayers confronts secularism in her own inimitable style. Her themes include the stirring drama of the crucifixion and resurrection, the necessity of Christ's death, the power of creeds, the foundational truth of Christian dogma, the intellectual power of faith, the importance and value of work, and breadth of sin.
I love connections. Having recently read "The Abolition of Man", I was primed to appreciate Sayers' mention of all of the debunking that went on between the world wars and how it affected society. ;)
I love connections. Having recently read "The Abolition of Man", I was primed to appreciate Sayers' mention of all of the debunking that went on between the world wars and how it affected society. ;)
October 31, 2017
This a series of lectures or articles by Sayers. The main article is an argument for the return to dogmatic confessionalism. She saw in the early 20th century a swing toward laissez faire statements of belief which she predicts will end in chaos in the church. There are other essays including "Why Work?" a defense of the doctrine of vocation and "The Other Six Deadly Sins" a somewhat comical view of the perception that "lust" is the only thing the church preaches against.
September 13, 2018
Some of the finest of Dorothy L. Sayers non-fiction essays are collected in "Creed or Chaos". They are about many different issues but maybe the central theme is something like the Church in relation to the world, as it is the Church who have the Creed, and without it all goes to chaos. Three of the ones I enjoyed the best was "Creed and Chaos", "Why Work?" and "The Other Six Deady Sins". As a good start to Dorothy L. Sayer as a theologican and a cultural critic, look no further.
December 24, 2021
A excellent, highly-readable series of essays that's about more than just why doctrine matters. It's also all about why doctrine matters, it just proves its point by talking about things other than doctrine, but doctrine is at the heart of the answer. Most, if not all, of these essays are written during the Second World War, so these essays offer a unique perspective, not just on the subjects they cover, but on the war itself.
Definitely worth reading again.
Definitely worth reading again.
May 28, 2025
Sayers is one of my favorite Christian thinkers (personally I prefer her to her contemporary CS Lewis) and this collection of her essays and speeches furthers the point. With incisive wit and clever observations Sayers argues her points memorably and well. I did find it funny to read someone complaining about rampant consumption in the 1940s- I can only imagine how she’d feel about our age of social media hauls, fast fashion, and online shopping.
October 7, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would like to give it 4.5 stars. The only reason it doesn’t get a full five stars from me is because it is not for everyone. I couldn’t recommend this book to just anyone, it is a pretty selective group that would read and appreciate the genius of Dorothy Sayers on theology, sin, and humanity.
June 25, 2022
Although most of these speeches and essays were written in the early days of WW2, they resonate today. The chapter “Why Work?” was particularly thought-provoking for me personally and in terms of my work in Higher Education.
February 26, 2024
“It is the dogma that is the drama… the terrifying assertion that the same God who made the world lived in the world and passed through the grave and the gate of death… they may not believe it; but at least they may realize here is something that a man might be glad to believe.”
March 12, 2019
Everything Sayers writes is amazing! This is a lovely, highly readable way to informally study the concept of Creed in Christianity.
July 12, 2019
Powerful writing; as much so today as it was 75 years ago. The title essay alone is worth the price of he book and the time spent reading it
August 20, 2019
A book for today's world. The evangelical world is certainly in "chaos" today. Dorothy Sayers may provide us with a few of the answers. if we are ready to listen and learn.
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