A history of humanity, Christ, and Christianity, this 1925 polemic famously converted C. S. Lewis from atheism. Chesterton's view of Christianity -- as a rare blend of philosophy and mythology, satisfying to both intellect and spirit -- applies to his brilliant book, which appeals to readers' heads as well as their hearts.
What, if anything, is it that makes the human uniquely human? This, in part, is the question that G.K. Chesterton starts with in this classic exploration of human history. Responding to the evolutionary materialism of his contemporary (and antagonist) H.G. Wells, Chesterton in this work affirms human uniqueness and the unique message of the Christian faith. Writing in a time when social Darwinism was rampant, Chesterton instead argued that the idea that society has been steadily progressing from a state of primitivism and barbarity towards civilization is simply and flatly inaccurate. "Barbarism and civilization were not successive stages in the progress of the world," he affirms, with arguments drawn from the histories of both Egypt and Babylon.
As always with Chesterton, there is in this analysis something (as he said of Blake) "very plain and emphatic." He sees in Christianity a rare blending of philosophy and mythology, or reason and story, which satisfies both the mind and the heart. On both levels it rings true. As he puts it, "in answer to the historical query of why it was accepted, and is accepted, I answer for millions of others in my reply; because it fits the lock; because it is like life." Here, as so often in Chesterton, we sense a lived, awakened faith. All that he writes derives from a keen intellect guided by the heart's own knowledge. --Doug Thorpe
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Beautiful condition!:
I have no additional comments. The book is in pristine condition. I look forward to reading it.
Great Book - Terrible Version:
All of the reviews of this book are right on - it is a watershed in Christian and Catholic apologetics. EVERY CUSTOMER SHOULD KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THIS BOOK HAS 5 TYPOS IN EVERY PARAGRAPH. IT IS REDICULOUS, AND YOU ARE BEST SERVED BUYING A DIFFERENT VERSION. I've looked for an explanation as to how this could happen, and I've found none. BUYER BEWARE!
The Everlasting Man:
Book is a spiritual classic and I was glad to find it in paperback for my library.
Good book ruined by an incompetent publisher:
This may have been a fine work in its original form, but this edition (Wilder Publications, 2008) is so shoddy, it isn't worth the effort to try to read it. Based on my own experience with OCR software, I would guess that this publisher scanned an old copy, translated it to text, then reformatted it, and printed it. There is no evidence that anyone proofread it prior to printing. It it doubtful that it was even run through a spell-check program. Periods are missing at the ends of sentences; words are left... more info
