Hallmarks of a Chesterton Academy Education: The Wit & Wisdom of G. K. Chesterton (#6 of 6)
By Peter Ohotnicky, Headmaster
This is the sixth article in a series of six which will describe the Hallmarks of a Chesterton Academy Education.
“Chesterton Academy is named for the great English writer and Catholic convert, G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936). G.K. Chesterton is a model for our school because he exemplified the Catholic faith through a life filled with joy, wonder, and gratitude. In him, we have one of the best guides for navigating the modern world, through his wit, his clarity, his kindness, and his ability to love people with whom he disagreed, while sharing the truths of the faith in Christian charity. These are all characteristics we aim to cultivate in the Chesterton Academy student.” (The Chesterton Schools Network Course Catalog)
When the President of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Dale Ahlquist, and Tom Bengston made the decision to start a high school in 2008, it is not surprising that they named the school Chesterton Academy, as Mr. Ahlquist has made a career of speaking and writing about Chesterton. But there are reasons beyond the mere fascination of one of the founders for selecting 300-pound intellectual heavyweight to be the patron of the original school, which is now grown to be an international network.
First, Chesterton is a model thinker. He thought and wrote about all subjects: literature, history, science, art, culture, theology, philosophy, and politics. Because he was a model thinker, he had a comprehensive and consistent philosophy of life which—against his own expectations—led him to the Catholic faith. Many others have read Chesterton’s philosophy and followed him into the Catholic faith as well. Thousands have fallen in love with his playful and witty means of expressing the truth, not only in his writing, but in how he chose to live his life. Thus, he gained the respect and admiration of those who were his opponents. In this sense, he is the model lay Catholic—proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Despite his towering intellect and world-wide fame, he remained humble, joyful, and charitable.
“One can hardly think too little of one’s self. Once can hardly think too much of one’s soul.”
“In so far as a I am Man I am the chief of creatures. In so far as I am a man I am the chief of sinners.”
“Not only are we all in the same boat, but we are all seasick.”
Chesterton Academy, in its very name, seeks to correct a wrong. G. K. Chesterton should be studied. The modern world believes wisdom can be found from anyone, so long as the individual is not male, white, straight, and Christian. So G. K. Chesterton is rejected on the basis of identity, rather than any objective criteria which considers breath or depth of thought and wisdom. Yet on the basis of his voluminous work, brilliant use of the English language, intellectual prowess, and continuing impact, G. K. Chesterton must certainly be regarded as a giant of 20th century thought. Sadly, his works are neglected in most high schools, colleges, and universities, including Catholic schools. Nonetheless, for those who have rejected the fads of modern identity criteria for deciding what should be studied, especially classical schools which value the time-tested wisdom of the ages, they have found a great champion in G. K. Chesterton.
“A cosmic philosophy is not constructed to fit a man; a cosmic philosophy is constructed to fit a cosmos. A man can no more possess a private religion than he can possess a private sun and moon. ”
G. K. Chesterton is also a suitable patron for a Catholic school because we believe he is a saint. His writings have led to the conversions of hundreds, if not thousands, and have solidified the faith of countless more. His tireless defense of the Catholic faith, even before he became Catholic, marks him as a great apologist. Chesterton also wrote and spoke consistently on behalf of the common man and the poor. But his private life was also a model for the Christian: his love and devotion to his wife, his generosity to his friends (and enemies), his love for children, and his utter (and at times comic) detachment from the things of this world. His was a life of heroic virtue worthy of imitation.
Finally, Chesterton Academy is named after G. K. Chesterton because he is great teacher. Thus, it is appropriate to share his work with our students and to inspire our instructors with his example. His works are used extensively in the Chesterton Academy curriculum. Ninth graders are introduced to Chesterton’s thought through Ahlquist’s book Common Sense 101: Lessons from Chesterton. Sophomores experience the integrated nature of the Chesterton Academy curriculum and the well-rounded nature of Chesterton’s thought in their study of his masterpiece Orthodoxy, which is used in 4 different classes: Philosophy, Science, Literature, and Theology. As is appropriate for students studying the High Middle Ages, 11th graders ponder Chesterton’s stirring poem Lepanto and his unmatched biography of St. Thomas Aquinas. Besides studying his presentation of Catholic social teaching and his preferred economic system of distributism, seniors have the opportunity to synthesize all their learning by reading what is perhaps Chesterton’s greatest book, The Everlasting Man.
But there is one most important way that G. K. Chesterton influences the culture of Chesterton Academy: joy. Reading stories about Chesterton is humorous. Studying Chesterton opens one to wonder. Quoting Chesterton is fun. His whole life, and his cosmic philosophy, was a testimony that life is a gift for which we can only give thanks continually to God. By invoking Chesterton’s name and upholding him as our patron, we seek to imitate in our school community his own holy sense of gratitude for family, Church, friends, school, creation, and one’s own redeemed life in Christ. And this gratitude necessarily results in wonder and joy before God who has mercifully granted so much to such miserable sinners. By seeking first the kingdom of God with this attitude, we know all the rest will take care of itself—just like G. K. Chesterton did.