The Apostle of Common Sense

by Dale Ahlquist

G. K. Chesterton was one of the most well-known and beloved writers of his time. Yet he has been strangely neglected today. This book is the perfect introduction to Chesterton. Ahlquist is an able guide who takes the reader through twelve of Chesterton's most important books as well as the famous Father Brown stories. One of the problems with approaching Chesterton is that he was so prolific that the reader is simply overwhelmed. But Ahlquist makes the literary giant accessible, highlighting Chesterton's amazing reach, keen insight, and marvelous wit. Each chapter is liberally spiced with Chesterton's striking quotations. There is something special that runs throughout Chesterton's books that sets him apart from the confusing philosophies of the modern world. That common thread in Chesterton's writings is common sense. It is instantly recognizable and utterly refreshing.

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

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

One of the most respected G.K. Chesterton scholars in the world, Dale Ahlquist is President of the American Chesterton Society, and publisher of its flagship publication, GILBERT. Dale is also the creator and host of the popular EWTN series The Apostle of Common Sense, and he is the author of three books on Chesterton including G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense, Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton and The Complete Thinker. His books deliver Chestertonian perspectives on such topics as faith, education, love, and marriage, and unpack the wisdom of Chesterton to explain why modern man has lost his ability to think clearly. He has also edited eight books of Chesterton’s writings.

An internationally renowned speaker, Dale Ahlquist has given more than 600 lectures at men’s conferences, diocesan events, and prestigious institutions including Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Notre Dame, Oxford, the Vatican Forum in Rome, and the House of Lords in London.

Dale has been interviewed by the New York Times, First Things, Catholic News Agency, Catholic Herald (U.K.), BBC News and BBC Radio, Zenit, Breitbart, The Independent (U.K.), Ignatius Insight, Catholic Answers Live!, Relevant Radio, Catholic World Report, and EWTN Radio. He is a regular columnist for The Catholic Servant, and his articles have appeared in Chronicles, Crisis, Catholic Rural Life, Christian History, St. Austin’s Review, The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature, The Great Books Reader, Christian Higher Education, Faith and Reason, Recusant History, Ave Maria Law Review, Envoy, and The Distributist Review.

Dale is also the co-founder of Chesterton Academy, a new high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has been rated one of the “Top 50 Catholic Schools” in the nation by the Cardinal Newman Society. His pioneering work in classical, integrated education has helped develop a curriculum that is capturing the minds of parents across the country.

In addition to talks about Chesterton (and the endless list of subjects on which he wrote), Dale is also available to lecture or comment on topics such as religious liberty, marriage, Catholic social teaching, health care, and education.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me want to stop my life and read all of Chesterton's works. Of course, that's not likely to happen anytime soon, so I value even more Dale Ahlquist's expert summarizing of some of Chesterton's most important work. His chapters are easy to read and whet the appetite for more. I find myself referring back to what I've read here when I read one of Chesterton's books.

This book serves as both an indispensable reference and a work of great writing in its own right. Ahlquist has done a service to the rest of us by making Chesterton accessible.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGLISH: This book is not a biography, but a summary of Chesterton's thought, sprinkled with quotations collected by Dale Ahlquist, another convert to Catholicism. Eleven chapters are dedicated to eleven of his most important essay collections and non-fiction books, plus one additional chapter dedicated to Father Brown.

ESPAÑOL: Este libro no es una biografía, sino un resumen del pensamiento de Chesterton salpicado de citas recopiladas por Dale Ahlquist, también converso al catolicismo. Once capítulos están dedicados a once de sus libros de ensayos más importantes, más un capítulo adicional dedicado al Padre Brown.

[Corey Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

GK Chesterton is probably the most entertaining thinker-writer to ever defend the Christian faith. I've often chosen him as my answer to the oft-posed dinnertime conversation starter, "If you could meet and dine with any person, dead or alive..."

This book was a good-enough introduction to 12-or-so of Chesterton's most popular works. It is not written from a dispassionate or objective point of view; it is written from the perspective of a devoted follower of Chesterton, Dale Ahlquist. It's hard to know whether Alquist's devotion is a strength that sheds light and color on the portrait, or a weakness that borders on worshipful fawning...

My only true complaint is that the book could have used some skillful editing--at times the writing felt clunky, and the style irritating. The quotes were also sometimes badly chosen.

I was surprised to be rather interested in the penultimate chapter on Father Brown. My interest in Chesterton lies mostly in his theology and politics, and I had little to no interest in his detective fiction. Alquist makes a very compelling case that Chesterton's approach to detective fiction was something revolutionary: his Father Brown solved his mysteries because of a keen "moral" understanding of the criminals. This made me want to read Father Brown in spite of the fact that I have never had a desire to read a mystery in my life.

It was also in the Father Brown chapter that there is a passing reference (by Chesterton himself) to Mormonism. This tickled me. I did some Google-ing and found that Chesterton made at least one published observation on Mormonism that's far from admiring, if still rather amusing: http://gkcdaily.blogspot.de/2015/05/m...

I plan to read a collection of essays by Chesterton next, without any intermediary to act as interpreter. Wish me luck, because Chesterton--while always enlightening!-- can be a little obscure.

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I failed to record the exact dates I started and completed this book (sometime between the Spring and Summer of 2004) I did write about the strong impression the book made on me ... as if that would be necessary.

Ahlquist is the quintessential Chesterton expert. He's made it his life's work to study, know and explain G.K. to the rest of us who occasionally (often?!) find him rather enigmatic and his examples remote from our time.

Reading this book I caught the author's enthusiasm for the Chesterton-genius and became a fan for life.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A profitable introduction to the works and thinking of GK Chesterton, probably the most prolific genius of the 20th century. This wonderful review of a dozen of GKC’s most important books gives a flavor of his style and his illuminating use of paradox, and even more importantly, whets the appetite for more of his writings.

A century ago Chesterton was able to predict where western culture was headed with uncanny accuracy. He predicted WW2 and warned against Hitler before anyone else. He predicted the violence against the Jews, and both the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. He “warned that the next great heresy would be...an attack on morality, especially sexual morality.” He said that abortion would be considered a sign of “progress.” Frank Sheed said about him, “when a man is as right as that in his forecasts, there’s some reason to think he may be right in his premises.“

Because of the immense volume of his writings, it may be difficult for the uninitiated to know where to begin. Most recommend “Orthodoxy,” which seems a reasonable starting point, but it requires repeated readings. I’ve read many of them, but now I can’t decide whether I should next read one that will be new to me, or go back and dig deeper into one of the ones I’ve already enjoyed.

As president of the American Chesterton Society, Ahlquist knows his subject well and provides an insightful summary of GKC’s philosophy— both religious and political, which are necessarily tied together— but Chesterton has written so many witty and wise aphorisms, it must have been challenging to avoid simply packing the book with his quotes.

Here are a few of my favorites:

“An open mind is really a mark of foolishness, like an open mouth.”

“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.”

I could easily paste in another two dozen, but instead I will encourage you to check out the American Chesterton Society website for a few hundred more great quotes:
https://www.chesterton.org/quotations...

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful introduction to Chesterton and his writings! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Over the last few years, I have read a few books by Chesterton and have really liked them. This biography has made me want to read everything he wrote :-) In fact, I just purchased a Kindle collection of his complete works for $1.99! Can't beat that!

Thank you for giving me this book as a birthday gift, Courtney!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read Chesterton! Good introduction to further reading.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fan. Tas. TIC.

The only thing I enjoy more than reading GK Chesterton is reading ABOUT GK Chesterton.

[Thadeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good introduction to a really important voice! The introduction and explanation of Chesterton were helpful and left me feeling more prepared to read the works of G. K. Chesterton.

[Manolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡fan-tás-ti-co!

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful introduction to G.K. Chesterton, giving a great overview of his works. What an amazing man he was, and how prescient! So many of his insights into society, politics, and religion are right on target now; hard to believe his sentiments are almost 100 years old.
This book is a companion to a television series, which I will hope I can find online and watch sometime. The focus is on Chesterton's religious writings, 12 books from his vast collection of books, essays, novels, and poetry: Orthodoxy, Heretics, What's Wrong with the World,
The Catholic Church and Conversion, The Thing, The Well and the Shadows, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, The Everlasting Man, The Outline of Sanity, The Superstition of Divorce, Eugenics and Other Evils, and the Father Brown stories. I'm planning to read many of these at a later point. What struck me most from this overview is the way Chesterton voiced the strength of the Catholic church in profound writings BEFORE he converted. ( I guess listening to himself caused him to convert.) Chesterton's comments about the family being the foundation of all societies, and the threats he saw to family structure from big government and big business are right on target. In fact, his thoughts are surprising for his times, but truly reflect our climate. His belief that big government and big business want to control our lives is scarily true--we often think this in terms of government, but seldom reflect how much corporations want to dictate our lives, too. He very advocates supporting small businesses, not surprisingly. Most important, he believes that people have common sense and ultimately are the best ones to decide how to raise their children and how to live their lives.

[Marcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chesterton basically offers the complete opposite of the social, moral, economic, and spiritual degeneracy we see dominating our culture and the desire of our big government and big business overlords to 'build back better', creating the world in their own discarnate image.

Chesterton is wonderfully, refreshingly, wholesome- respectful of the whole life of the common man, woman, child, and creation. The Apostle of Common Sense respects the incarnation as it plays out in all forms. From chivalry, to private property in its fullest sense and significance, to the family, the garden or farm, and all that makes life worth living. His uncommon common sense is as paradoxical and beautiful as so much of his writing.

Dale Ahlquist has done a delightful job in bringing the great man and his work back to a new generation, hungry for the food for thought that he is proffering and the nourishment that it brings.

There's a little of everything in here- his writings on marriage and the family, economics, politics, the saints, and so on. All tied together in fascinating ways that turn over our common held assumptions. Chesterton, and Ahlquist, help us to see once again with wonder and through the clear spectacles of the church.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended introduction to the thought and works of G.K. Chesterton by one of the world’s foremost experts on the subject: Dale Ahlquist. Ahlquist gives an overview of 11 key books by Chesterton and devotes a twelfth chapter to the Father Brown mysteries. The book is probably 20%-30% quotations from Chesterton and you can’t go wrong there!

I loved this book and I’m realizing how much I love Chesterton as well. Perfect introduction for the uninitiated and wonderful summary for those who are already Chesterton fans. My only complaint about this book is that it wasn’t longer. Would have loved to have kept reading it past the final, 183rd page and learned more about another 12 of Chesterton’s works. Will keep reading Chesterton himself and Ahlquist as well though as my appetite is definitely whetted!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about books. In particular, if is about the man who wrote those books - Gilbert Keith Chesterton. The purpose of this book is to introduce a modern audience to G.K Chesterton, through a quick synopsis and peek into 12 of the books he wrote.

I've read Chesterton, and so needed no introduction, but nevertheless wanted to know more about him. Those who are intimidated by Chesterton, have merely heard of him, or who have never heard of him - all should read this book. He is, simply put, one of the finest writers of the 20th century, and certainly the most overlooked and ignored. That should change. His wit and paradox take a bit of getting used to, but the messages he says, his prophetic observations and piercing wit are unmatched.

[Leslie Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know a bit about who GK Chesterton was, and everyone needs to, you should read this book. If you want to know a bit about a dozen of Chesterton's books, which will then make you want to read them, you should read this book. As Ahlquist states, "Once you read Chesterton, you will find that you want to read more of him." This was a very enjoyable read and yes, I am inspired to read Chesterton himself now.

[Luis Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess not many authors need a "where to start" guide, but definetely Chesterton is one of them so, I really appreciate the existence of this short book.

[Hannah C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of what the author and Chesterton extol about Catholicism is actually just Christianity. And while I don't agree on everything (namely, Capitalism, Calvinism, & Catholicism), I think G.K. Chesterton and I would've been friends.

[Isaiah Paulec · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent overview of only a small selection of Chesterton’s written works. Each chapter was exciting, simple to follow, and filled with enough quotes from the works that left me knowing there is more in store to be found in Chesterton’s books.

[Emma Whear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar for a work of its kind.

Essentially, it's a cry for everyone to read Chesterton, that highlights 12 (?) of his books, with a summary/case for the genius in all of them. Well written with lots of nuggets of Chestertonian goodness interspersed.

[Kevin Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

Such a great read. Accurately and clearly explains the great author and apologists notable works. Highly recommend for an intro to Chesterton.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard of G.K.Chesterton only in the broadest terms before reading this introduction to his works. It brings glimpses into his voluminous library of fiction and nonfiction through commentary and quotes. The fact that he lived early in the 20th Century makes his insights into today's world almost unbelievable. Yet, his wisdom on such varied topics and government, materialism, eugenics, fiction, mechanization, religion, etc., ring especially true today. I found this book fascinating, interesting, in many places humorous. As I read it, I wanted to read first-hand other books by him, for the 183 pages just increased my thirst for more. His "Common Sense" rings true throughout, seeing the fallacy in many of our everyday assumptions. He believed that faith is the most important "common sense" to have, and that many place their faith in all the wrong things since they refuse to see the value of religious faith. For all who are searching for truth with an open mind, this is a very good place to begin.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chesterton is one of those writers I often see quoted but I've never actually read any of his works. This book is not really a biography but a series of reviews of twelve of Chesterton's more well known works. It's full of quotations from Chesterton and you can certainly see why he is so quotable. It's a good starting place for deciding what works you actually want to read. My only criticism (one that the author acknowledges himself) is that there is so much that is not even touched upon here. The novels, the poetry. Having said that, this is a good introduction and reading guide.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful and insightful introduction to Chesterton and a few of his works.

"Any honest student of history will admit that man stands apart from all the other creatures and that Christ stands apart from all other men."

"One of the greatest errors of the modern world is that it will not admit its errors. There is a vague idea that every idea is good."

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction into the prolific and important work of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century. So much wisdom from this Catholic convert that is still highly relevant in our current age!

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT introduction to GK Chesterton, easily one of the most brilliant men of the 20th century... Just read it for the 2nd time.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to one of the most brilliant writers of the 20th century.

[Kevin Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of Chesterton's works.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific introduction to Chesterton, this volume is a brief biography with an overview of twelve of his most important books,

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this before you read any Chesterton. ..a critical primer for studying Chesterton.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful and helpful introduction to Chesterton's work.