Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life and Impact of G.K. Chesterton

Defiant Joy is a powerful narrative of Chesterton’s life through his literary accomplishments.Amid currents of modernity that sought to displace the Christian faith, Chesterton challenged thought leaders of his day with civility, erudition, and wit, contending that faith is the central piece of our humanity. C. S. Lewis credits The Everlasting Man for his Christian vision, while Heretics and Orthodoxy are still considered pillars of Christian thought.But Chesterton wasn’t just an apologist. He wrote literary criticisms of Dickens and Chaucer still revered as seminal works. He wrote long-form epic poetry, widely-published articles, and lectured on art, politics, and history. Defiant Joy reveals a larger-than-life thinker and cultural giant-showing his utmost relevance for us today, and how a vibrant Christian witness can display the merits, joy, and sanity of a faith many wish to discredit. From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Regardless of theological bias, no one can help being charmed by the writings of G.K. Chesterton. His Father Brown mysteries, as well as his many works of theology and literary criticism, shine with wit and insight. Belmonte approaches his task of biography with the same fondness for his subject as he demonstrated in William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity. Reading this is a bit like taking a tour of literary and social England through the eyes of a man who lived, and loved, the world around him. And even as we read H.L. Mencken™s barbed comments about Chesterton and Chesterton™s assessment of George Bernard Shaw (œthree of the more incandescent minds of the era�), we get lost in an earlier time and world taken with Chesterton™s undeniable brilliance. The articulate Belmonte makes his material sing. Chesterton was that rarity of a man: a convert to Catholicism, whose life can be celebrated by an evangelical publisher. A wonderful book on all counts. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. About the Author Kevin Belmonte holds a BA in English Literature and two MA's in Church History and American and New England studies. He is the author of several books including William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity and winner of the prestigious John Pollock Award for Christian Biography