The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts [Paperback]

Thomas C. Peters (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Peters (Battling for the Modern Mind: A Beginner's Chesterton, 1994) has written a potentially timely book, but one which suffers from a plodding hand. Chesterton, writing from 1900 to 1936, ingeniously and hilariously engaged London's great literary figures and social politicians in "duels" over the state and truth of Christianity, moral relativism and scientific determinism. Peters attempts to explain how Chesterton's uniquely Christian imagination enhanced his arguments. Unfortunately, Peters opaquely imbeds his ideas in a list-like series of densely discussed philosophical, religious and aesthetic topics, barely connected by the words "artist" and "imagination." While Chesterton speaks of imagination in ordinary terms, Peters pontificates beyond, trying to show how "Christian" Chesterton and these concepts are by giving parallels from the Bible to which Chesterton never alludes. (For example, "childlike wonder" supposedly relates to Jesus' reference to "the nearness of the child to the kingdom of God.") In addition, Peters indiscriminately mixes quotations from Chesterton's pre-Christian and post-Christian works as if they were all written from a Christian perspective. Readers new to Chesterton will find this a boring, confusing book, uneasily dependent upon Peters's sometimes unconvincing explanations and almost unreadable in places. A better choice is Alzina Stone Dale's engaging, excellent The Art of G.K. Chesterton (1985), which delightfully combines a biography of Chesterton with an insightful treatise on his art. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Most people know G. K. Chesterton as an apologist for classical Christianity. But he also loved the arts. In "The Christian Imagination," Thomas Peters shows that Chesterton believed that God delighted in Creation, and so should we--an argument that did not always sit well with some of Chesterton's co-religionists, who were more interested in retreating from the world than in writing poetry that celebrated earthly beauty. In this slender volume, Peters analyzes Chesterton's songs, poems, illustrations, nonfiction, and novels. Those who have read only Chesterton's famous "Orthodoxy" may well decide, by the time they finish "The Christian Imagination," to delve into his less famous, but no less rich and rewarding, works. -- From Beliefnet

Product Details

• Paperback: 154 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press; illustrated edition edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898707579
• ISBN-13: 978-0898707571
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,602,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential intro to a great writer, March 27, 2000

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GimmeSomeD (boston, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts (Paperback)

Mr. Peters has done a great job at presenting the essence of the creative Chesterton in this short but fulfilling book. While much certainly has been written on Chesterton's brilliant reasoning or his political philosophies, at the root of his thinking was the simple idea that God saw creation as a pleasing thing, and so should we. Chesterton brought not only his firmly-rooted faith, but also a child-like wonder and a fantastic imagination to everything he wrote about, from sociology to satire. Peters' book is a satisfying primer on this idea, and it draws from a diversity of material. Each chapter gives a brief, but not abstract, summary of an aspect of Chesterton or his work. One, for instance, gives an overview of GKC's forays into songwriting, drama and illustration, while another outlines his views on art critics and "bohemians" -- people who Chesterton saw as possessing a distinct lack of imagination. The last chapter serves as an overview of Chesterton's writing career. The book is not exhaustive by any means, but it is complete. Artists and writers will appreciate this book, and I would especially recommend it to those relatively new to Chesterton, as you will find it to be a valuable and informative introduction, as well as an enjoyable read.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of GKC on the arts, May 18, 2000

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Sheila L. Beaumont (South Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts (Paperback)

Thomas Peters does an excellent job of presenting G.K. Chesterton's thoughts and observations on imagination and the arts. This book is a wonderful and much needed antidote to today's cultural climate, in which the arts establishment seems to value ugliness and outrageousness above all. Here are a few of GKC's countercultural opinions: Fashionable nihilism and pessimism are among the greatest threats to the free and fruitful imagination; humility and wonder enhance creativity, while pride inhibits it; good poetry has rhyme and rhythm; there's nothing wrong with beauty in art; a play should be a treat for the audience, not a realistic slice-of-life; it is not a legitimate use of the arts to make people either bad or unhappy; the "higher frivolity" is better than the "higher criticism" and other pretensions. You'll find all this and more in this well-written book, which includes many quotations (and a few drawings) from GKC himself. And it's all at least as relevant today as it was in Chesterton's time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent examination of art from a Christian perspective that will delight and challenge you, December 22, 2006

By 

Harold Buchholz - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Christian Imagination: G.K. Chesterton on the Arts (Paperback)

This book is essentially a piecing together of GK Chesterton's writings on art. Peters pulls together a fascinating series of concepts from Chesterton about the nature of art and art criticism.

Chesterton is famous for turning concepts on their heads and helping you see things in a fresh and more generous light. He has a way of expanding your world and encouraging you to shed cynicism and modern paralysis.

I read this book with a group of friends over a number of weeks and we had a tremendously good time. It was a true conversation starter. I'd also recommend it for Christian college courses where the discussion of the Christian's role in the arts is in play. It will get people thinking... and talking.