Gilbert K. Chesterton

Orthodoxy

Chesterton wrote Orthodoxy in 1908. He was a young man at the time, already into his journalism career. He had an uncanny, almost supernatural, knack for discerning in their incipient principles what events would come about later in the twentieth century, even to its end, because he simply “saw” things, saw the truth in them and, more importantly, affirmed it.

From: ORTHODOXY: CHESTERTON ON THE “DELIGHT” OF TRUTH by James V. Schall, S.J.

John L. Stoddard

Rebuilding a Lost Faith

John Lawson Stoddard (1850-1931) began in 1879 what would become a successful career as a lecturer. During the next 18 years he traveled widely around the world. Every winter he would return to the states and present lectures concerning his travels in several major American cities. He became something of a household name at the time. His lectures were hugely popular, in part due to his skill as a lecturer as well as his pioneering use of slides to enhance the lectures. In 1897-98, his ten volume lectures were first published. For most of his life he was a protestant and at times went out of his way to criticize the Catholic Church, but after his harrowing experiences during WWI, he ended up becoming a member of the Roman Catholic Church and devoted the rest of his days to religious research and writing.

From: Stoddard, John L.