©2012 Thomas Nelson, Nashville
G.K. Chesterton. That great Christian author from England who
gave us the Father Brown mystery stories was also the prolific writer of
philosophy and apologetics. He was one of the influencers of C.S. Lewis in his
own personal journey to Christianity. Is it any wonder that when I found a
devotional based on Chesterton’s life and writings I grabbed at it?
This book holds a full year’s worth of writings and
anecdotes from Chesterton’s life to provide devotional reading on a day-by-day
basis. In addition, the editor has included some extra readings in the back of
the book which he labels “Supplemental Readings: The Main Festival Days of the
Church.” Of course these would specifically be related to the Roman Catholic
Church of which Chesterton was a member.
With little variation, the reader will find a Scripture for
the day, a short writing (it is unclear in the book whether this is by
Chesterton or an observation by Belmonte), then an excerpt from one of
Chesterton’s essays, stories, or other writings. Most days will also include a
verbal snapshot of what happened “On this day” in the life of Chesterton.
It gives a quick overview of the man and his writing. Each
day is filled with inspiration or as the subtitle of the book suggests “Wisdom,
Wit, and Wonder.” Because I needed to get this review done in a timely manner,
I’ve based it on a hurried perusal of the pages. I can’t wait to take the time
as designated by the book’s design and spend “A Year with G. K. Chesterton.”
I would recommend this for anyone who has enjoyed
Chesterton’s prose, or for faithful readers of Lewis and Tolkien. Readings only require a
few minutes daily and the uplifting one gets is worth the moment. Four out of
five reading glasses.
—Benjamin Potter December 6, 2012
[This book was provided free of charge by the publisher for
purposes of this review. The opinions are my own.]
No comments:
Post a Comment