Stanley L. Jaki, Osb

Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 $5.50

Stanley L. Jaki, osb

August 17, 1924 – April 7, 2009

But thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.

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Ballade of Capital Sweethearting 38 |:Fear of Film: by G.K. Chesterton by James G. Bruen Jr. L’Argent 10 |:ALARMS & DISCURSIONS: 28 |:Manalive: Reviewed by Art Livingston An Interview with Peter J. Floriani Funderburke: A Book Proposal John Adams by Dale Ahlquist by Chris Chan Reviewed by Chris CHan

13 |:A Miscellany of Men: 29 |:Jogging with G.K.: 41 |:The Signature of Man: Chesterton’s Hagiographer? On Treadmills Abbey’s “The Trial of by Dale Ahlquist by Robert Moore-Jumonville Queen Catherine” by G.K. Chesterton 14 |:Tribute to Stanley Jaki, O.S.B.: 30 |: the Detection Club: What Chesterton “Becomes” The Crime of Sheriff Dirks 42 |:ALL IS GRIST: by James V. Schall, S.J. by John Peterson Darwinian Dilemma Seer of Scientism Chesterton’s Bloodthirsty Heirs by Joe Campbell by John Peterson The Paradise of Human Fishes Walk the Straight Ideas Understood by Steve Miller and Narrow Path & Misunderstood When Good Screenwriters by Chris Chan by David Beresford Become Missing Persons 44 |:the Distributist: Rock Bottom: Heretics, by Chris Chan Insectolatry GKC, and Fr. Jaki 34 |:Book Reviews: by Roy F. Moore by Nancy Carpentier Brown American Babylon: Notes 46 |:Chesterton University: Liberal Thinking of a Christian Exile by Still Fighting From the Grave David W. Fagerberg Richard John Neuhaus By Dale Ahlquist In Another Language Reviewed by John C. “Chuck” Chalberg 47 |:Chesterton’s Mail Bag: by Kyro R. Lantsberger Does Harry Potter Tickle Sleeping Social Reform, Shaw, Art, Morality, Dragons? by Nancy Solon Villaluz “Champion of the Universe” and What to Call People from Scotland Reviewed by Nancy Carpentier Brown by Dale Ahlquist 48 |:News With Views: The Great Canadian Comedy: From Laughter to Tears by Joe Campbell 50 |:Encore!: Reviewed by David Paul Deavel Saner Science by G.K. Chesterton 36 |:Off the Shelf with Mike Foster So Finely Tuned A Universe: of Cover design by Ted Schluenderfritz Atoms, Stars, Quanta, and God Photo of Fr. Stanley Jaki by Julie Dailey

Publisher: Dale Ahlquist, President, ACS eDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sean P. Dailey ART DIRECTOR: Ted Schluenderfritz liTERARY EDITOR: Therese Warmus COPY EDITOR: Mike Foster

Senior Writer: John Peterson Contributing Editors: David Beresford, Nancy Carpentier Brown, Joe Campbell, John C. Chalberg, Christopher Chan, David Paul Deavel, David W. Fagerberg, Mike Foster, Kyro Lantsberger, Art Livingston, Roy Moore, Robert Moore-Jumonville, James V. Schall SJ “News with Views” Editors: Nathan Allen, Mark Pilon, Larry Pavlicek, Ted Olsen subscriptions: (See Coupon Page 6) Credit Card Orders: call 1-800-343-2425 or fax 1-270-325-3091 letters and Articles: Gilbert Magazine, American Chesterton Society, 4117 Pebblebrook Circle, Minneapolis, MN 55437 [email protected] www.gilbertmagazine.com Letters to the editor may be edited for length or clarity.

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Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 3 : Tremendous Trifles : by Sean P. Dailey

hen Fr. Stanley L. Jaki died last spring, someone G.K. Chesterton’s collection of essays at Gilbert Magazine said, “Let’s do a Fr. Jaki Tremendous Trifles was published. Urging commemorative issue.” This is that issue. As 100 us all to be “ocular athletes” and look at part of that commemoration, this issue con- years ago the world with a new sense of wonder, the tains a special section on Fr. Jaki, beginning book received mixed reviews. The Times regarded it Won page 14, with contributions from James V. Schall, S.J., as a trifle, “slight and transitory,” and not tremendous. John Peterson, David Beresford, Nancy Carpentier Brown, The Daily Telegraph called it a “mere exercise in verbal David Fagerberg, Kyro Lantsberger, and publisher Dale gymnastics.” The Planet, however, said that only a dull Ahlquist. For Fr. Schall, Beresford, Brown, Fagerberg, and reader could not rejoice with Chesterton and the “fresh- Lantsberger, these essays are their normal contribution. ness [and] healthy breeziness about his writing.” And The articles from Peterson and Ahlquist are extras. Other The Bookman heaped on praise, saying that Chesterton offings in this commemorative issue include an interview “streams into print with an abandon as easy as that of a with Peter Floriani (page 10), who knew Fr. Jaki. This boy whittling a stick.” issue’s editorial (page 7) and Joe Campbell’s column (page 42) also deal with the issue of science vs. religion. Finally, G.K. Chesterton brings his considerable intellect to bear Dominicans who have completed their novitiate in with articles on “The Sentimentalist of Science” (page 8) Cincinnati, Ohio: and “Saner Science” (page 50). An August 15 Mass of Simple Profession was celebrated at ¶¶The fifth season of Dale’s EWTN series The Apostle St. Gertrude’s Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. During the Mass, of Common Sense premiered on September 6 and airs Fr. Brian Mulcahy, O.P., the Vicar Provincial, received the each Sunday at 8 p.m. Central time (9 p.m. Eastern). This vows of the nine brothers completing their novitiate. The nine season features episodes on Language, the Problem of Evil, brothers making their simple profession were: Br. Thomas America, Islam, War, Parenthood, the Priesthood, Modern- More Garrett, O.P.; Br. John Devaney, O.P.; Br. Boniface ism, and more. There will be a special episode on the Toy Endorf, O.P.; Br. Joseph Fussner, O.P.; Br. Benedict Joseph Freeman, O.P.; Br. Sebastian White, O.P.; Br. Gabriel Torretta, Theatre that you will not want to miss, a whole new batch O.P.; Br. Paul Marich, O.P.; and Br. Innocent Smith, O.P. of “Ask Mr. Chesterton” vignettes, and look for multiple appearances by that ex-seminarian Stanford Nutting. The Ellen writes: “I’m glad to see Innocent Smith made it kick-off episode was about something called Truth. And, as through his novitiate year.” always, we’ll be preempted by the Pope on a regular basis. ¶¶At the American Chesterton Society blog, Dr. Thurs- ¶¶The revolution continues I: Last summer, Joseph Pearce day (or in the vernacular, Peter Floriani) has begun a new traveled to Chile, where he gave seven talks in four days to weekly series, a chapter-by-chapter study of Chesterton’s a combined audience of more than 2,000. He also sat for 1910 book, What’s Wrong With the World. This promises to one radio interview and two newspaper be every bit as engaging and lively as his interviews, one of which was to the largest weekly study of Orthodoxy, completed last selling newspaper in the country. All on the Have a Trifle? Send it to spring (and which can be found, neatly theme of “A Crusade for G.K. Chesterton.” [email protected] indexed, at (americanchestertonsociety. ¶¶The revolution continues II: Congratu- blogspot.com/2008/09/index-to-thursdays- lations to Chesterton Academy in St. Louis of-orthodoxy.html). “The first item on our Park, Minnesota, on beginning its second year of classes. agenda is to consider the title,” Dr. T wrote in his first post, The independent high school, co-founded by Dale Ahlquist before providing lengthy quotes from Chesterton and lengthy and supported in part by the American Chesterton Society, commentary from himself. Oh, and I should add that next has doubled its student body in one year and has received year’s conference will celebrate the 100th anniversary of that national attention for its integrated, classical curriculum important book. that combines faith and reason. For more information, visit ¶¶Speaking of the Chesterton conference, CDs of talks of chestertonacademy.org. the 2009 conference should be available soon. Keep check- ¶¶The Chesterton Society (of England) held a one-day ing the American Chesterton Society Web page for details. conference in July at Oxford on the topic, “The Holiness of ¶¶Parting Trifle: Gilbert Magazine contributing editor Chesterton.” Fr. Thomas Lutz’ write-up of the conference (and patient copy editor) Mike Foster spoke on “J.R.R. is on page 22. All the talks will soon be made available in Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century” at the University of print and recorded form by the British Chesterton Society. Wisconsin-Milwaukee on September 14, and at the Univer- For more information, visit www.gkchesterton.org.uk. sity of Wisconsin-Waukesha on September 15. He noted ¶¶Ellen Finan, of the Warren, Ohio, Chesterton Soci- Chesterton’s influence on Tolkien, especially in the poetry ety, has discovered something interesting about some of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

4 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : L u n a c y & L e tt e r s : from Gilbert Magazine Readers

Dear GM Readers, U.S. Presidents through the years book, What’s Wrong with the World, have, on occasion, addressed America’s the American Chesterton Society is children on their first day of the new stepping up and intensifying its efforts school year. President Barack Obama it goes to the core of our culture and to promote a better future. Through has decided to do so this year as well. changes the very essence of who we an increasing variety of media, we are That wasn’t so much a problem as were are. It is a cultural attack that must reaching and educating a wider spec- the “suggested student assignments” not only be confronted, but countered trum of the public than ever before. handed down through the U.S. Depart- and rolled back. In addition to our national con- ment of Education. One assignment: But in order to roll back what’s ferences, we are sponsoring and students should “write letters to them- wrong with the world, we need to assisting local societies with their own selves about what they can do to help know what’s right with the world, conferences. The number of lectures the President.” Another: discuss “what else how would we know what to and seminars continues to grow. the President wants us to do.” restore? For that the world needs the The demand for our assistance with Swift outrage from parents who complete thinking and worldview of research and scholarship is becoming felt the President was not only inter- G.K. Chesterton. As we approach the difficult to supply. We are granting fering with their children’s education, 100th anniversary of the publication scholarships to college and university but also attempting to indoctrinate of Chesterton’s critically important students and have even assisted in the them, caused the president’s minions to quickly pull the assignments and replace them with some banal sugges- tions about short and long-term goals Chesterton for Today and the teachers collecting them and ;;The mark of our time is the growth ;;I think difficulties do arise from the holding the kids responsible for them of publicity and the decline of public doctrines; but much more from the (hmmm!). Nonetheless, the initial spirit. (G.K.’s Weekly, Sept. 17, 1927) trick of ignoring the doctrines. (New York assignments were revealing. American, Jan. 9, 1932) Without addressing what was ;;Torture is not a relic of barbarism at revealing about them, however, I would all. In actuality it is simply a relic of like to suggest an assignment for the sin; but in comparative history it may readers of Gilbert Magazine, to wit, well be called a relic of civilization. (“The that you write letters to yourselves Travelers in State,” Tremendous Trifles) about what you can do to help the ;;Out of luxury and waste and weari- American Chesterton Society. ness, the fever they call Progress came Now more than ever, the American into the world. (New Witness, June 18, 1914) Chesterton Society is in need of your help, because in more ways than one ;;The world will very soon be divided, can count, our culture is under attack unless I am mistaken, into those who by a world that has lost its sanity and still go on explaining our success, and common sense. The culture of death those, somewhat more intelligent, who is at war with the family, God and reli- are trying to explain our failure. (Speech gion have been all but banished from to the Anglo-Catholic Congress, June 29, 1920) public life, mindless faddism and moral ;;What we call popular education could relativism dictate truth (i.e., that there much more correctly be called unpopu- is no truth), materialism runs rampant, lar education. (Illustrated London News, Oct. 30, big business and big government are 1915) running amok, beauty in the arts is seen as passé, our culture is at war and ;;Extravagant enthusiasm for education our schools are in a crisis of decay. is the very vivid and obvious mark of The list of what’s wrong with the world the uneducated. (Sign, August, 1935) goes on, but I’ll spare you. The point ;;Rationalism is a disease of the towns, is this: our society is being subjected like the housing problem. (Daily News, March to a form of attack that is more clear 14, 1903) and present than terrorism, because

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 5 : L u n a c y & L e tt e r s :

opening of a new high school, Ches- ; ; ; GKC’s writings, and Father Schall’s terton Academy. While all that has essays, but only at the cost of slighting I just finished reading the July/ been going on, the popular television all the other pieces. Writing like this August issue of Gilbert Magazine, series, G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle comes from the soul, and if the soul is cover-to-cover. In fact, I find myself of Common Sense, has been going a Christian one then it’s welcome as reading some of the articles twice or into its sixth season, and has spawned the balm of Gilead, that soothes the three times, since I keep a copy on two spin-offs! Did I mention Gilbert sin-sick soul. Reminds me of a reader my desk, and, during my (frequent) Magazine? Books? Radio? Plays? A of Chesterton’s The Man Who Was pipe-smoking breaks, I reach out feature-length Father Brown episode Thursday, who told GKC that the book and grab another read of this or that on DVD? And coming this year a saved him from lunacy. piece. I will mention John Peterson’s full-length movie based on Chester- Denis Cullinan jewel-like tales, the selections from ton’s novel, Manalive, will be showing New York, New York in theaters! Needless to say, the American O u r M r . C h e s t e r ton Chesterton Society is not just a literary society; it’s a force leading The Christian Science Monitor, November 23 , 1921, reported the following: a battle for the restoration of our Mr. G.K. Chesterton was the guest of honor at a Monday Evening Authors culture. The cause is urgent, but Club dinner. Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, who was in the chair, said that Mr. Ches- there is hope; it’s not guaranteed, but terton could be accused of paradox only when the word was used in its classical it’s a battle we can win (The two sins sense, which was that, although paradox was contrary to common opinion, it was against hope are presumption and according to exact knowledge. When Mr. Chesterton rose to reply, he at once despair.). began to play with Sir Anthony’s definition. He said that among other things he So what’s the bottom line? Quite was in grave doubt as to whether he was in any sense simply, we need your help. None of the things we do come cheap. As an author: he was, he knew, a journalist and a certain our activities increase—and become flippancy into which he occasionally fell was chiefly increasingly important—the need for due to that fact. The journalist had to try to be amusing, financial support increases as well. the author did not have to be amusing (Laughter). It was Please join us in this vital effort to more modest to try to be amusing than to assume that restore common sense and sanity to you were interesting. The difficulty with Mr. Chesterton, an insane world that so desperately both in England and in America, is that his audiences needs it. Consider giving generously never quite know whether he is laughing with them, or to the American Chesterton Society. at them, or at himself. Ted Olsen, Vice President, American Chesterton Society

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6 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : E d i t o r i a l :

Old Friends and Old Misunderstandings

n February 20, 1926, G.K. Chesterton wrote in his science and religion, it becomes clear that there are vested newspaper, G.K.’s Weekly, “Science and religion interests in keeping this discord alive. If the so-called “reli- have been reconciled so often that it would seem gious” side often assumes malice on the part of scientists, that they must be rather quarrelsome people to there is often good reason. The so-called “scientific” side is require to be reconciled again.” characterized by an arrogance that assumes stupidity on the OWhy is this so? There must be a reason. Either sci- part of believers, while refusing to acknowledge the errors ence and religion are temperamentally unsuited to each that result in elevating science beyond its competence. other and need constant reconciliation, or some other In the last century, many scientists confidently told factor is at work. For the record, there is no fundamental the world with all the assurance of their learning that: disagreement between science and religion, nor is such a nuclear energy is safe, nuclear energy is dangerous; disagreement even possible. Science examines the material chemical pesticides are safe, chemical pesticides must universe to understand how it works. Religion examines be banned; antibiotics have conquered bacteria, bacteria our place in creation, why we are here, what our purpose is, has conquered antibiotics; our environment produces our and what actions are consistent with that purpose. There personality, our personality is genetically determined; we have been great scientists, whether religious or atheist, who are entering an new ice age, a period of global warming, a find no contradiction; there is a large body of religious writ- time of climate change (which, by the way, is an untestable ing that dispels the idea of a contradiction. Yet the myth of hypothesis, indistinguishable from its alternative—that we science verses religion persists. are entering a period of climatic stability); Objectively, either there is a God or alligators are dinosaurs, reptiles, birds; cave there is not. If there is a God and he is the When the saint and men were short, tall, white, black, hairy, Judeo-Christian God, then his revelation the scientist both hairless, good swimmers, tree climbers, cannot contradict his creation. Hence no grassland dwellers, slow, fast, good hunters, contradiction is possible. That is, if there know how prone bad hunters, herbivores, omnivores, carni- really is a God (and there is), then there they are to error, vores, had rotten teeth, had no cavities and never will be a time when someone looks strong teeth, disease-ridden, disease-free; through a microscope or telescope and where is the room were polygamous, polyandrous, a matriar- discovers that there is no God, or that God for contradiction? chy, a patriarchy, licentious, monogamous; contradicts himself. evolved from Neanderthals, lived after What if there is no God? Then, in this Neanderthals, lived with Neanderthals, case, the genius that is the human intellect has given us a hunted Neanderthals. mythology (religion) consistent with how we see our place As if this spotty record weren’t enough, some scientists in the world. This same human intellect has also given us a insist science shows that a guilty conscience does not exist, methodology for discovering facts about the world (science). but being forgiven for our sins is superstition. Again, science and religion cannot be at odds, for in this Among believers, there indeed have been superstitious case the origins of science and religious mythology are to folk who believe, among other things, that wearing a talis- be found in the human world view and modified over human man will prevent disease; and soothsayers have foolishly history. Again, the human articulation of individual facts of predicted the end of the world as we know it if we do not nature could not contradict the human perception of reality. change our ways and repent—whereas scientists know that Subjectively from a human standpoint, thoughtful the world as we know it will end if we do not change our people realize that our religious grasp on reality is tenuous. ways and recycle. We are humbled in our feeble and incomplete attempt to Ancient superstitions used to say that by killing our comprehend existence, evil, sin, regeneration, forgiveness, children we could propitiate the gods and bring economic redemption, and creation. Thoughtful people also realize stability; some scientists now explain that this is foolish that our scientific understanding is tenuous, we are hum- and that economic stability can only be assured if we bled in our feeble and incomplete attempt to comprehend abort our children. how a cell divides, how genes interact with the environ- So you see, the so-called discord between science and ment, what electricity is. Where is the room for pride here? religion is actually a very old phenomenon, that of one When the saint and the scientist both know how prone they set of people trying to impose their will upon another set, are to error, where is the room for contradiction? something religious people know of as the problem of evil. So we are left with a discord that is not logically neces- And the problem of evil, despite such scientific feats sary, and is indeed irrational. What else can we conclude as travelling in outer space, advanced calculus, or Bayesian but that when we look at the so-called argument between statistics, still requires a religious answer.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 7 : s T r aw s i n t h e W i n d : fatalism, about how it is nobody’s fault An Essay by G.K. Chesterton that anybody murders anybody else; for all is woven in the web of destiny and worked out through the mysteries of heredity. He explained that capital punishment could not be applied to these murderers, because the seed of murder must be far back in unknown parts of their ancestry. The Sentimentalist Of Science What are we to say of the whole thing as a question of philosophy? It e have most of us realized there is life there is hope—of a further seems to me that Mr. Clarence Darrow that the world is growing triumph of bribery. Anyhow, we cannot is without even the elementary capac- wildly irrational. But not kill a very rich man, as our fathers ity for reasoning on the matter. He all of us have noticed that did. The legal principle is now univer- says that when millionaires become it is made more and more sally recognized, and I agree that it is murderers, it is not their fault; and Wirrational by those who call themselves as well to have it recorded; if not in therefore they should not be hanged. rationalists. An outstanding and even precise legal words, at any rate in even In that case, what does he want? Does startling example of this must be more unmistakable legal decisions. I he want them left alone to pursue Mr. Clarence Darrow, well known in know nothing against Mr. Darrow; but these amusements? Does he mean that America for his claim to be considered I rather fancy lawyers equally valiant anybody is to be permitted to obtain a a rational creature, but best known to could be found to protect the cower- thrill by strangling anybody else? If he us, perhaps, for his defense at Dayton ing Rockefeller and the helpless and says we cannot punish them because of his right to be descended from a hopeless Ford. He was apparently we cannot blame them, does he mean monkey. There is nothing unreason- permitted to defend Loeb and Leopold that we are not in any way to discour- able in the latter claim. But the mere by reciting pages of stale and pompous age them? And if he says that we can fact of descent from a monkey does not in itself increase the faculty of reason in a man. And in some men, I F X I I including Mr. Darrow, this organ seems ;;If once we begin to quibble and quar- ;;If we only believed that religion was to have remained rather rudimentary. rel about what words ought to mean, useful, it would be of no use. (“Roman I have just read a rather curious we shall find ourselves in a mere world Catholicism,” An Outline of Christianity) article largely devoted to the praise of of words, most wearisome to those who ;;If the dogmas in front of you are Mr. Darrow as he appeared when he are concerned with thoughts. (“The Hound false get rid of them; but do not say was advocate for two very loathsome of Heaven,” The Common Man) millionaires who chose to be murder- that you are getting rid of dogmas. ers, Leopold and Loeb. It says that “the ;;If you can make a statue of a thing Say you are getting rid of lies. If the case is one of extraordinary scientific you can make a statuette of it. Any- dogmas are true, what can you do but and legal value.” Quite right. Every thing, however huge, that can be try to get men to agree with them? case is of value that establishes clearly conceived of as complete, can be (Daily News, Feb. 13, 1906) a certain legal or social principle; conceived of as small. (“The Ethics of Elfland,” ;;“If you don’t know that I would grind Orthodoxy) especially if it be new or never clearly all the Gothic arches in the world to stated before. The Loeb and Leopold ;;If ever genius is adequately paid, it powder to save the sanity of a single Case established the modern legal prin- will mean that someone has judged human soul, you don’t know so much ciple that a millionaire is above the law; and limited genius. (“On Books,” A Chesterton about my religion as you think you in the sense that if he chooses to kill Bibliography) do.” (Father Brown, “The Doom of the Darnaways”) anybody, in however brazen and cold- blooded a fashion, he cannot anyhow ;;If man does not reform a thing be hanged for it like an ordinary man. Nature will deform it. He must always He can, by faked medical evidence be altering the thing even in order to of various kinds, be locked up as a keep it the same. (Daily News, Aug. 24, 1907) lunatic; but it is understood that he will ;;If you look at a thing nine hun- be let out again, as in the other estab- dred and ninety-nine times, you are lished precedent of Henry Thaw. That perfectly safe; if you look at it the thou- was why it was worthwhile to let Loeb sandth time, you are in frightful danger and the other be imprisoned rather of seeing it for the first time.(“ Introductory than killed. Death is a jailer mysteri- Remarks,” The Napoleon of Notting Hill) ously indifferent to bribes. But while

8 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : s T r aw s i n t h e W i n d :

punish them although we cannot If all this is a specimen of the him an authority on either subject. blame them, why cannot we punish lucidity of Mr. Darrow, he must indeed Perhaps there is not much to be said them in one way as much as another; have been a worthy antagonist of Mr. for the conclusions of Dayton, Tennes- or in any way we think effective? If Bryan. I should like to have heard see, as they affect the present position they can be imprisoned although they those two great torrents of mental of science and philosophy. Much has are innocent, why cannot they be confusion meet in the market-place been urged against the unfortunate executed although they are innocent? of Dayton; the one claiming what no Puritan farmers who decided on His position is nonsensical enough on theologian of authority ever claimed behalf of Bryan and Bible. But let it the face of it; it would become more for Genesis, and the other what no be remembered in extenuation that nonsensical the further it went. As a biologist of authority would now claim they had to hear Mr. Clarence Darrow matter of fact, we could say about kill- for Darwin. This does not mean that on the other side. Perhaps he recited ing Loeb exactly what he says about there is no truth in Darwin, let alone some poetry. killing Franks. We have only to hang Genesis; it only means that there was Loeb; and then say that far back in nothing in either speaker to make (G.K.’s Weekly, January 21, 1928) our own dark ancestry it was decided by destiny that we should gain great satisfaction by hanging horrible little diabolist Jews. The argument, if logi- : t h e B allad of Gilber t : cally accepted, takes away the moral by G.K. Chesterton character of all actions, including our own actions; including even our own future actions. But it has an even Ballade of Capital more immediate and practical logic. Determinists like Mr. Darrow always imagine, in their muddle-headed way, The Earth is full of mud and meat, that retributive punishment must be And malt and salt and sand and spice, ferocious punishment and merely And ships and shells and sugar-beet, preventive punishment must be merely And bread at the Imperial price, mild or moderate punishment. That And glass and brass and rum and rice, thought would alone prove that they And oak and tale and turtle-fat, cannot think. And fire and snow and sea and ice, As a matter of fact, the argument And lots of little things like that. is the other way. If we give a forger the punishment he deserves, very few And all those funny things we meet— of us would say that a forger deserves Are capital; and should suffice to be burned alive. It would be very (You say) to do us quite a treat— much easier to maintain that burning As if you and I have each a slice— forgers alive would in fact discourage …But one whose clothes could scarce entice forgery. If punishment is only for the Held recently a ragged hat practical protection of society, there In which you put the best advice is no limit to the cruelty which might And lots of little things like that. conceivably protect society. But there is decidedly a limit, for most decent I own the scheme is very neat, people, to the cruelty which they I do not think it very nice would consider as no more than a That we should own the blooming street man’s deserts. But all these are only a With all the people poor as mice. rich crop of unreasonable inferences I have old views: that loaded dice from the first act of unreason. And Are “wrong,” and even tit-for-tat that is supposing that heredity and “Heathen,” that virtue is not vice— destiny are in some special way argu- And lots of little things like that. ments against Capital Punishment. Why more against Capital Punishment Envoi than against any punishment—or, for that matter, any praise or any praise- Prince, Pharaoh trounced them in a trice worthy attempt to avert punishment? The poor that groaned at him; whereat It is just as senseless to praise Mr. God sent him flies and frogs and lice Darrow as to blame Mr. Loeb, if nei- And lots of little things like that. ther of them has anything to do with what they are.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 9 : a l a r m s & d i s C u r s i o n s : appetite that continues unabated to this day.

GM You said you have your master’s An Interview with degree. PJF And a doctorate also, in computer Peter J. Floriani science. by Dale Ahlquist GM Ah. And that means you would sooner or later try to do something technical with Chesterton. Peter Floriani, PhD, is a computer scientist PJF We lived above the store. One of who was one of the founding directors my earliest memories was being in PJF Well...it was all John Peterson’s of the American Chesterton Society. He the “Book Room” of the shop, and fault. and Dale Ahlquist created the Annotated my father reciting those most famous GM [Shock] Lepanto, and he is presently working lines: on The Annotated Everlasting Man. PJF Or Aidan Mackey’s… Dim drums throbbing, in the hills GM Let’s get started! half heard, GM [Shock] Where only on a nameless throne a PJF All right. Where should I sit? PJF ...but I seem to recall it was crownless prince has stirred... brought on by the Midwest Chesterton GM On the ceiling, of course. Good. I had no idea what they meant News asking whether anyone could How did you discover Chesterton? then, but a strange thrill still runs find “THE QUOTE.” PJF My parents. My father won the through me as I say them now. They GM What quote is that? Bronze Star in Europe during World are some of the most ancient memory War II. He came back wanting to do I possess. PJF The famous one that goes some- something to keep such evil from thing like this: “When a man stops GM You read Chesterton during school? reoccurring. He knew that since the believing in God, he doesn’t begin problem came from evil ideas, it would PJF I recall reading the Father Brown to believe in nothing. He begins to require good ideas to displace them stories at some point. But it was not believe in anything.” and fill the void. So he started “The until I was doing my master’s degree GM Ah, yes, that quote. So what did White Star Library”—raised against that I began serious explorations— you do? the Red Star of Communism—which brought on by a curiosity to know the later became the “Catholic Shop.” He rest of that poem. I asked my father PJF I had no scanner, so I typed in included any number of good books, and he gave me his copy of Return To Heretics. not merely Catholic ones, G.K. Ches- Tradition, which contains “Lepanto” GM [More shock] terton among them. One day a young and a number of excerpts from his woman came in his store to buy a other writing. And soon I had read PJF Oh yes. I had made a kind of guess, book...and she found something more everything by GKC in the house—an and felt it might be there. than books there to love.

GM Your mother met your father in his bookstore?

PJF Yes—and in a town called Reading... [Dale is amazed and cannot speak; so much about the lunacy of Dr. T. is now explained.]

PJF ...though we say RED-ding, not REED-ing. I live three blocks from the railroad.

GM Did she like Chesterton?

PJF Oh yes. I have two books he gave her for her birthday, The Colored Lands and Tremendous Trifles, inscribed with his devotion.

GM So you grew up knowing Chesterton? Fr. Jaki and Peter Floriani

10 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : a l a r m s & d i s C u r s i o n s :

GM Was it? GM What is it? PJF No—because I owned the books. I was not publishing the electronic PJF No. Later I bought a scanner, and PJF Rather a shock, and most uncanny. forms or making them available! If I for two years I scanned all the Chester- It’s where GKC quotes our Lord: wanted to spend such insane amounts ton books I owned. “Heaven and earth shall pass away; of my time doing it, with fifty or a GM While you were working? but my words shall not pass away.” hundred footnotes per chapter, in four or five languages, what difference did it PJF No, I was a PhD and unemployed Truly He is the Everlasting Man. make? Of course, like someone else I so, of course, I worked on something GM Amen. That brings up an interest- know, he began calling or e-mailing me important. ing point. As a scientist, what are some to find the book and page in which he GM You didn’t use your doctorate? specific insights you’ve gotten from refers to iridium or Vega. Chesterton? PJF I did—except instead of finding GM So he also benefited from AMBER? cures for cancer, I found more useful PJF I could cite any number of quotes PJF Yes, both the Chesterton and the things, like how many semicolons he with chapter and verse—I’ll give you a Jaki parts of the collection. used in the average Illustrated London couple for a sidebar if you want—but News essay. there is one which is very dear to me: GM You had an opportunity to spend some extended time with this great GM Huh? “The rebuilding of this bridge between science and human nature is thinker during his last few years. You PJF 14.2. one of the greatest needs of mankind.” obviously talked some Chesterton? And what else? GM Okay [Rolls his eyes]. So you wrote your own software too? GM Why is it dear? PJF We talked about his books—the ones that were out of print which he PJF Yes. AMBER is the name I use for PJF Because I first read it in a book hoped to have reprinted. both the collection of the electronic by someone other than Chesterton—a versions of Chesterton’s books and its book called Chesterton: A Seer of Sci- GM And computers? associated software. ence by S.L. Jaki. PJF No—perhaps I should say not as GM Why “amber”? GM Had you previously been familiar much as I wished we might have talked. with the writings of Father Stanley L. His book Brain, Mind and Computers PJF Because of a line in Chesterton’s Jaki? came out in 1969, and he wrote a third The Common Man: preface to it in 1989—it contains one PJF Yes, at that point (if I recall cor- We have to go on using the Greek or two hopelessly outdated bits (that’s rectly) I had read his Science and name of amber as the only name of a pun, in case you didn’t notice) but Creation. (Both of these ought to be electricity because we have no notion they are far outweighed by the huge on the bookshelf of every scientist and what is the real name or nature of valuable hunks of timeless truth—in every Catholic—that is, when it isn’t in electricity. particular that book revealed amaz- his hands as he is reading it. Note, I got ing details of Charles Babbage, the GM Did you use your doctoral research both of them at my father’s store, too.) First Computer Scientist. Here’s just in doing any of this? GM You first met Fr. Jaki at a Chester- one sentence: PJF Oddly enough, yes. I implemented ton conference? By studying its structure and mode what the Cat In The Hat called “Cal- PJF Actually, no—I met him for the first of operation, one could form, as Bab- culatus Eliminatus”—finding something time at Seton Hall, after my mother bage emphasized, “a faint estimate of by finding out where it isn’t—this died in 2002, en passant as the pawns the magnitude of that lowest step in helped the biologists with their prob- say, when I was visiting Father Ian the chain of reasoning, which leads us lem of finding certain kind patterns to Nature’s God.” Boyd about a Chestertonian matter. I in DNA sequences. I used some of the was so excited I don’t know if I actually same tricks in AMBER. GM Wow—you mean Babbage believed? formed coherent sentences. But yes, GM Whose DNA? Yours? [He moves his I met Fr. Jaki in an identifiable and PJF Sure, don’t you recall this: chair a little further away.] meaningful way at the conference in The Eastern says fate governs 2004—just weeks after my father died. PJF No, bacteria—but we call them everything and he sits and looks prokaryotes, because it sounds lots GM What happened next? pretty; we believe in Free-will and Pre- more cool. destination and we invent Babbage’s PJF I told him about my work on Ches- Calculating Machine. GM What happened when you apply terton, and revealed that I had scanned this trick to Chesterton? a few of his books. GM Who said that?

PJF I found out the longest repeated GM Were you scolded for violating the PJF A little known English author, phrase in The Everlasting Man. copyrights? G.K. Chesterton—so reported Maisie

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 11 : a l a r m s & d i s C u r s i o n s :

Ward in her biography (Gilbert Keith GM Tell us about Pierre Duhem (or PJF Only a small portion has been Chesterton). whatever his name is), and why he translated from the French as yet. is important. We’re hoping to see a complete trans- GM And during this time you read more lation by the 100th anniversary of and more of Father Jaki’s writings as PJF He was a French physicist, born in Duhem’s death. well? What are some of the highlights? 1861, died in 1916; a hiker, an artist, a Catholic, a father, a widower—and a GM “We”? PJF Dale, that’s as hard for me to most amazing historian of science. In answer as it would be for you to answer PJF The Duhem Society. So far it is trying to learn more about Newton and this question about Chesterton. He nothing more than a blog, but it was his work which founded modern phys- wrote more than fifty books and about begun on the day Father Jaki died, ics, he was led into the archives of the the same number of pamphlets, and an to carry out his own desires, as he Sorbonne, where he encountered the uncounted number of journal articles. expressed in A Mind’s Matter: work of Jordanus and eventually two I have a nearly complete collection fourteenth-century writers, Buridan I proposed the formation of a of the books and pamphlets— there and Oresme. It was Buridan who in Duhem Society of Catholic historians are still some yet to be printed which the mid-1300s first stated what we call and philosophers of science. Catholic he had completed before he died Newton’s First Law. physicists ready to take a serious look in April. He has massive books like This meant that science had its at philosophy and history would have Science and Creation which is nearly been welcome to join, of course. origins in a thoroughly Christian— a parallel work to Chesterton’s The indeed Catholic—social and intellectual Everlasting Man. GM Now what? You’re advising Chester- world, not “renaissance” or “protes- He has at least eight collections of tonians to read Duham and Jaki. tant”—far less an “enlightened” one. essays, including some lectures such But this may sound inflammatory, if PJF Yes. It’s what Chesterton wanted— as the ones he gave at our conferences. not biased. All I can do is point to remember? “The rebuilding of this He has several on Newman, two on the Jaki’s detailed documentation, which bridge between science and human Papacy, three translations of impor- will take you to Duhem’s ten-volume nature is one of the greatest needs tant books by others, and texts which work on the topic. of mankind.” It’s time for us to get to almost defy categorization, such as work on it. God and The Sun at Fatima, or The GM You have it? Theology of Priestly Celibacy, or The Savior of Science. Unlike Chesterton, he did not write fiction, but he wrote some amazing meditations on prayers. And of course a little book of four chapters on Chesterton, which every Chestertonian ought to read.

GM In a word, prolific.

PJF Dale, it is most uncanny to speak of these two men together—my book- shelves groan under their weight.

GM You link Jaki’s Science and Creation to GKC’s The Everlasting Man. Why?

PJF That book looms large for me since it was one of the first of his books I read—but also because of what I learned there. It’s not just the first six chapters, which show how every ancient civilization failed to begin real science because of their pagan infatu- ation with the “Great Year,” nor the most amazing seventh chapter which explores science and the Jews. No, it was the great tenth chapter, “The Sighting of New Horizons,” where I first read of the work of Pierre Duhem. “Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly.” Peter Floriani visiting the shrine of the Carmelite Nuns of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

12 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : A M i s c e l l a n y o f M e n : the critics are saying so artlessly is that Maisie Ward admires her subject too much. This does not amount Chesterton’s Hagiographer? to much criticism. What is it about Chesterton that makes his admirers Maisie Ward (1889–1975) admire him and his critics dislike him? His admirers include the people who by Dale Ahlquist have taken the trouble to read and study him. His detractors generally er father was Wilfrid Ward, who The Wards maintained offices on include those who haven’t bothered. was known as the biographer of both sides of the Atlantic until World All Chesterton’s biographers—even Ada John Henry Cardinal Newman. War II, when their London office was Chesterton, who personally didn’t like She would be known as the totally destroyed by German bombers. the woman Gilbert married—have been biographer of G.K. Chesterton. Thus their transatlantic life came to an admirers of their subject, often to HWhen she was a baby, the Wards’ end and they settled in America. the point where reading and knowing neighbor, Alfred Lord Tennyson, held She and her family had been long Chesterton completely changed their her in his arms and said she looked just time friends of the Chestertons, and lives. He seems to have that effect on like Henry VIII. Perhaps, it has been when Gilbert died, Frances Chesterton people who study him with any depth. suggested, it was because she would and Dorothy Collins asked Maisie to The critics who have maintained their become a “Defender of the Faith.” write Chesterton’s official biography. distance have also managed to main- As a street evangelist for the It was a monumental task and she tain their shallowness. Catholic Evidence Guild, she defended worked on it for more than five years. Maisie Ward was drawn to Chester- her faith in a most public forum. It was There may have come a moment of ton for many reasons. He was, first of a forum that attracted a young Catho- despair when Maisie did not think she all, a friend. But he was also a kindred lic convert who was a law student would finish it, but she was inspired to spirit. She liked the things Chesterton visiting England. Although eight years bring it to completion by the publica- liked, particularly Browning, Shake- her junior, he fell in love with her and tion of The Chestertons by the widow speare, detective fiction, social justice, proposed. She waited until he got of Chesterton’s brother Cecil. Ada and the Catholic faith. And besides back to Australia before accepting the Chesterton’s book was not merely that, she was hilariously absent-minded. proposal—by telegram. He returned to unflattering toward her sister-in-law And the fact is, she did some- England and married Mary Josephine Frances, it was shockingly vicious. It thing that is almost impossible. She Ward, better known as Maisie. prompted Maisie not only to finish her managed to fit G.K. Chesterton In 1927, Frank and Maisie founded biography, but to write an addendum comfortably between the covers of a a Catholic Publishing company, Sheed specifically addressing the bizarre book. Reading her biography of him and Ward. The “Ward” in the com- charges in Ada’s book. is like spending time with the man. pany’s name was supposed to have The critics have been unkind She brings him to life. Ann Petta of been her brother Leo, but he went off to the Maisie Ward’s Gilbert Keith happy memory once said to me that and became a priest, and so she was Chesterton, but the reading public while she loved Chesterton’s writings, the other half of the partnership, even has not. The book has been through Maisie’s book gave her reason to love though her name was now technically several editions, far outselling the Chesterton himself. Sheed. Among the many authors they other thirty books she wrote. It is still Hagiography? We’ll see. would publish were Hilaire Belloc, in print. Its popularity even led to a Jacques Maritain, Etienne Gilson, C.C. sort of sequel: Return to Chesterton. Martindale, Fulton Sheen, Dorothy Day, Most Chestertonians consider Maisie’s and G.K. Chesterton. book to be the definitive biography of In 1933, Frank and Maisie came to their man. It is an engaging compila- New York to set up an American office tion of personal accounts and letters, for Sheed and Ward. It was during and both published and unpublished this time that Dorothy Day and Peter excerpts from Chesterton’s own writ- Maurin began to publish The Catholic ing. In terms of analysis it reveals Worker. Dorothy said that Frank and Maisie Ward as a literary force in her Maisie “were our first friends and over own right. She is able to reflect on the years our most faithful ones.” In Chesterton’s profound effect on the addition to her publishing and writing audience for whom he wrote. But the duties, Maisie devoted great effort to standard dismissal from the critics is providing housing for the poor both in that the book is “hagiography.” The England and America. When she died, obvious rebuttal to this jibe is that we her friend Dorothy Day kept a long don’t know that it is hagiography until Maisie Ward vigil beside her coffin. Chesterton has been canonized. What

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 13 : T r i b u t e t o s Tanley Jaki, O . S . B . : death of being ignored in their argument while being praised in their style. This refusal to admit that Chesterton meant what he knew and believed is the main concern of Father Jaki in this essay. What Chesterton “Becomes” One of the most memorable passages in Chesterton, who was a by James V. Schall, S.J. man often accused of innocence and optimism, is his walk with Father tanley Jaki’s essay and exhilarating. It is Chris- O’Connor in which the question of evil “G.K.C. as R.C.” reflects tianity, nothing else, that the and the influence of Satan were quietly a book edited by J.P. great poet described in the discussed. In the meantime, students DeFonseca with the term, “Divine Comedy.” He of Cambridge had no idea of the pro- title, G.K.C. as M.C., a had a reason, a reason that fundity of the knowledge of the Church Scollection of G.K. Chesterton Chesterton understood quite on the reality of evil’s influence. book introductions. Father well and practiced in every- Jaki is continually struck by Jaki’s own essay is a rather combative thing he wrote. the disbelief or incomprehension of analysis of several books and essays on At the beginning of his essay, non-Catholics, and sometimes even Chesterton that endeavored to mini- Father Jaki remarked that the famous Catholics, that surrounds the practice mize or deflect the sincerity, content, paradoxes of Chesterton were designed of confession. They cannot imagine or importance of Chesterton’s 1922 “to awaken the mind.” There is some- that Chesterton was not naïve when conversion to Roman Catholicism. thing already amusing in a paradox, in he repeated, as he often did, that the What Jaki does is show that such seeing how one thing implies another, main reason he became a Catholic failures to understand or accept as the essence of laughter. This is why was to rid himself of his sins. Either, sincere and intelligible Chesterton’s Aristotle said wit was a sign of intel- they surmised, he had no sins or conversion are rooted in the back- ligence. That Chesterton did this he was unsophisticated. ground theories of the critic, not in awakening in a manner few others That Chesterton may have indeed any evidence of Chesterton’s life itself. have ever matched goes without saying. sinned seems overly dramatic, except The critics have a motive for avoiding He does awaken minds. when critics want to apply some the central issue: that it was Roman Not a few quickly recognized Freudian theory to Chesterton’s claims. Catholicism that Chesterton chose to throughout the years that Chesterton Chesterton himself had examined adhere because it did provide the key was doubly dangerous, for being so such theories and found them want- that unlocked the door to what it is clear about what was true and for stating. They did not explain what needed all about. ing is in such an amusing manner. His to be explained, namely, how to be Jaki could never suffer fools gladly books are generally kept away from rid of one’s sins. There was only one and did not think it was his mission in students of philosophy and religion, organization that even claimed the life to do so. He is more in the tradi- lest they “corrupt the youth,” to cite power to do this. That was the Church. tion of Hilaire Belloc who dealt quite a famous phrase. Still, as the Author Jaki has great fun with one critic’s bluntly with those who “dared attack of Christianity said in the book that ignorant remark that two priests heard my Chesterton.” Chesterton himself depicts His life, we find many who rather charmed critics of his motives choose not to open their minds to the or ideas with a lightsome hand, but truth that makes them free. Some do one that always carried with it a clear seem to prefer darkness to light. The statement of and argument about the mystery of iniquity unavoidably lurks truth of things. This double content is in the shadows of the good. We learn why to read Chesterton is always both this lesson at least as early as our first a delight and a wrenching of one’s soul. reading of the book of Genesis and as No doubt it is, on the surface late as our last reading of the Confes- at least, easy to avoid the truth if it sions of Augustine. appears gloomy and we think our own Both Chesterton and Christ, in ideas hide no self-doubt. When critics retrospect, address themselves to the said of Chesterton that he could not human mind as well as to the human be intellectually “serious” because he heart. They found, perhaps surpris- was so “funny,” he pointed out that ingly to many, that they were, not the opposite of funny is not serious. infrequently, hated for it. Christ sub- The opposite of funny is “not funny.” sequently suffered death on the Cross. No conceivable reason exists why the Chesterton suffered the death dealt to truth cannot be likewise amusing great minds who state the truth, the

14 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : T r i b u t e t o s Tanley Jaki, O . S . B . :

Chesterton’s first confession in the Jaki also shows that the three intellec- while it was composed of souls like very unlovely church by the railroad tual books that Chesterton wrote after Pius X or Pius XI, good men but fairly hotel in Beaconsfield. his conversion, St Thomas Aquinas, ordinary, still there was something In the cases of C.S. Lewis and St. Francis, and The Everlasting Man more than ordinary about that office Chesterton, a veritable library of do show the depths of Chesterton’s originally founded on Peter. It was this speculation has been written about understanding of Catholicism and the fact, in Jaki’s mind, the strange resur- why one did not become a Roman arguments that support it. gence of the Church built on Peter that Catholic and the other did. The initial Jaki ends his essay emphasizing “Chesterton wanted to drive home with strand of Jaki’s treatment has to do the “perennial vigor of the Roman his paradoxes and awaken his read- with the period from about 1910 until Catholic Church.” This vigor was ers’ minds.” The famous gates of Hell, 1922, when Chesterton clearly had what Chesterton often remarked on. were, it seems, not prevailing against leanings towards the faith but was Why did it keep coming back when it. In the end, the Church was saving hesitant for a number of understand- it should have, like other institutions for us those things that, ultimately, able reasons to take the step. Some of man, disappeared long ago? The would delight us, starting with our very had to do with his wife and mother, answer was, he finally realized, that minds. others with his general busyness and disorganization, others with the time it takes often to meet the right people, arrive at the right moment, and make the final decision. It is not unlike reading Augustine’s slow process of Seer of Scientism conversion that he describes for us in the Confessions. by John Peterson The book that most annoyed ather Stanley L. Jaki such as man’s immortality—a Jaki was Alzina Dale’s The Outline of was uniquely qualified purely philosophical matter.” Sanity: A Biography of G.K. Chester- to address the problem As Jaki points out, the empiri- ton. “Most revealingly, Dale claims that of scientism. He held cism of Francis Bacon, which in 1914 only those dogmas mattered advanced degrees in has controlled the physical to Chesterton that Anglo-Catholics Fboth science and philosophy, sciences since the seventeenth and Roman Catholics had in common,” and this included PhDs in century, was focused on mate- Jaki writes. physics and theology and rial events and causes. It did Writes Dale, “The differences that post-doctoral research in the philoso- not allow for soul, grace, morality, the he cared about lay primarily in the phy of science. miraculous, the sacred, or the spiri- matters of daily discipline and habits.” But what is scientism? tual. In fact, as Jaki says, it could not Replies Jaki, in Catholic Essays: In “Antagonist of Scientism,” the allow for these things because Bacon’s This extraordinary appraisal of second chapter of his groundbreaking empiricism was by definition limited Chesterton’s state of mind and of the Seer of Science, Father Jaki defined to what can be observed, measured, respective nature of Anglo-Catholic this heresy as the doctrine that sci- and quantified. and Roman Catholic dogmas is cannily ence has “supreme competency in The essence of this fallacy is a left by Dale in its stupefying, primitive all fields,” a centuries-old belief that refusal to accept that empirical or vagueness. Finally, she deplores the was not formally defined until the experimental science is limited to fact that from that time on Roman Catholic literary and social leaders nineteenth century. It was, as Jaki the work of discovering and applying began to count Chesterton a one of describes it, a form of “intellectual truths about the material world. In their own. imperialism” that was “the chief Jaki’s view, empiricism is a wonder- characteristic of the times in which ful thing until the empirical view is Jaki obviously was most concerned Chesterton grew up.” imposed on religion and morality, when Chesterton’s real interest was According to Jaki, there were and where measurement and quantification made out to be something that was not are five major varieties of scientism. are generally beside the point. distinctively Roman Catholic. First is the very unscientific disre- The dominance of materialist Father Jaki goes on, in issue after gard for logic that so characterizes thinking owes its popular acceptance issue, to show that in fact Chesterton “popular science.” It is this disregard to what Jaki calls “institutionalized did know what Catholic teaching was that Jaki claims is “the very essence materialism.” It is force-fed in the in its uniqueness and intelligence. He of scientism: science degraded to the schools, from the atheistic com- also noted that Chesterton’s major level of quackery.” mentators of Darwin’s day, like books about his conversion, The A second manifestation of sci- Herbert Spence and Thomas Huxley, Catholic Church and Conversion, The entism, says Jaki, is the domain of to the atheistic commentators of Thing, and The Well and the Shallows legitimate scientists “who comment the current moment, like Richard have been ignored or played down. on patently non-scientific subjects Dawkins and Steven Jay Gould. Their

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 15 : T r i b u t e t o s Tanley Jaki, O . S . B . : relentless propaganda has success- In concluding his scientism chap- of technological achievement used in fully indoctrinated the public at large ter, Father Jaki looked to Cyrus Pym, support of dubious scientific ideas, 4) with what is billed as a sophisticated the scientist in Chesterton’s novel careless appeals to authority, and 5) scientific worldview. In truth, it is an Manalive. “Pym,” says Jaki, the enthronement of determinism as unscientific delusion. the default philosophy—all of which G.K. Chesterton would have none is a perfect stand-in for scientists who are confused by the lack of perspective of this: exalt science and debunk religion and that stems from the extreme narrow- the arts. He is still the paragon of those ness of scientific specialization. What can people mean when they scientists who are all too eager to use As Father Jaki makes abundantly say that science has disturbed their a terminology that, cut off from ethics view of sin? Do they think sin is and cosmology, is in itself the denial of clear, Chesterton was and is the great- something to eat? When people say responsibility and life. est of all the adversaries of scientism. that science has shaken their faith in The final words of the chapter are immortality, do they think that immor- In summary, the heresy of sci- these: “Chesterton was an implacable tality is a gas? entism, in Chesterton’s and Jaki’s antagonist of those who in the name of view, combines 1) a disregard for logic, science applied their dissecting scalpels Next, Jaki discusses the 2) materialist pronouncements on to the wholeness of man and, above all, widespread confusion between tech- spiritual matters, 3) the background to the wholeness of man’s mind.” nological progress and advances in pure science. The wonders of modern technology give scientists an unfortunate credibility when they speak on subjects that have nothing to do with technology. Ideas Understood Again, there is scientism’s indiscriminate and improper use of & Misunderstood authority figures to prove a case; “men- Natural selection, Chesterton, and Stanley Jaki tioning Darwin at the drop of a hat,” as Jaki describes it, “or dragging in by David Beresford Einstein’s name,” which “serves mostly those who want to show off.” n the chapter, “Critic of selection as a kind of benign And last, scientism includes the Evolutionism” from Fr. natural deity. For example, con- smug tyranny that equates science Stanley L. Jaki’s 1986 sider the statement, “Natural with determinism. The contrary view book, Chesterton: A selection ensures the survival is Chesterton’s “Free choice is an Seer of Science, Fr. Jaki of a species.” While biologically absolute.” Iexplains G.K. Chesterton’s true, this statement lends itself Scientism, Jaki makes clear, is main objection to evolution- to overemphasis when taken also aided by the ever-growing special- ism as a sloppy philosophy out of the context of biology. ization in the sciences. A specialist, that uses analogies drawn from This tendency can be seen if we sub- according to the very old joke, is biological theory as the basis for its stitute some other biological process someone who knows more and more business, social, and political ideology. in our original statement: “digestion about less and less until he knows The folly is easy to see when it comes ensures the survival of a species.” This everything about nothing. This division to evolutionary support for the myth statement is true, but no sane person of knowledge into ever smaller bits of of progress, which Chesterton called would base an ideology on the diges- territory leads to separating things that the belief in Mondayism. It is more tive process; the biological limit is we have always linked together, a sepa- difficult to see through the errors of obvious. So it should be with natural ration Chesterton deplored—as in this mis-applying natural selection. There selection, but is not. passage, quoted by Jaki, from What’s are few ideas more widely discussed, Why is this so? Natural selection Wrong with the World: and more widely misunderstood. We is just a process by which species are Everything has been sundered know, as well as we know anything maintained, go extinct, or come into from everything else, and soon we scientific, that natural selection can being. Let us define our terms. Natu- shall hear of specialists dividing the and does account for the variety of ral selection is persistence from one tune from the words of a song, on the species we see around us, why they generation to the next of the genetic ground that they spoil each other. This do what they do, and are what they stock of any individual that is able to world is all one wild divorce court; are. In this, good Chestertonian that I survive and reproduce. A collection of nevertheless, there are many who still hear in their souls the thunder of am, I am following Chesterton’s logic. these potentially reproducing individu- authority of human habit; those whom And, if I read Jaki right, I think he als make up a population. Populations Man hath joined let no man sunder. agrees with me. track the changes in a habitat or envi- As Fr Jaki explains, the error ronment over time, and members of creeps in over personifying natural a population descend only from those

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individuals that were successful in this. But it is a big mistake for us to whatever reason, is not genetically So if lots of people fish for bass in a reject evolution and/or natural selec- represented in the next generation. It lake and keep the large reproductively tion. The rules of biology require does not matter how fulfilled they are mature bass for their living room wall material causes, and natural selection personally, how fit they are, how fast but throw the little ones back in the is the best materialist explanation they rock-climb, how many houses lake, we are not surprised when we we have because it produces correct they own, how good they are at acting, find that the next generation of bass predictions. Natural selection accu- singing, dancing, or making money. matures earlier and at a smaller size. rately predicts what happens if we use If they do not produce descendents Fr. Jaki quotes Chesterton’s sum- pesticides, introduce new species to within a faithful family and instil these mary of this process: “Nature selecting an area, or use antibiotics. That is, it principles in their descendants, their those that vary in the most success- improves our understanding of agricul- lineages die out. ful direction means nothing whatever ture, conservation, and medicine—the Biologically, neither intelligence except that the successful succeed.” most pressing problems of modern nor scientific truth is sufficient for There is no direction to this biology. Getting it wrong costs money survival. Natural selection predicts process, no anticipation of progress and causes misery. that an illiterate people who love its with intermediate forms, and—what No argument, no matter how children will survive; whereas a techno- Chesterton and Jaki both point out—no logical or reasonable or heartfelt, can logically enlightened culture that does blending of distinctions. Paraphrasing make up for being wrong about the not know that a mother must teach Chesterton, for a species to survive, failure of DDT to kill insect pests, the her daughters how to make cookies, nature, like art, requires that lines be failure of antibiotics, and what will that a father must go fishing with his drawn between one thing and another. soon be the disastrous failure of geneti- kids, that aunts and uncles and friends With natural selection as the premise, cally modified crops. And no argument, must help teach the domestic skills of these statements are all true: no matter how logical or reasonable or friendship, home and hearth--in short, heartfelt, will make up for the demise that a culture that forgets these things ;;Every species is at the end of its of our Western culture now that the is doomed to extinction. No knowledge evolution in the present. traditional family is no longer sup- or truth will help a society survive ;;Every species is at a transitional ported in law. once it forgets what a marriage is, stage compared to the future. Natural selection explains these what a family is. things as a proximate material cause. Ironically, natural selection is a ;;In the past, every species was as For example, natural selection cannot fickle god, favoring religious funda- closely evolved to its habitat as it is tell us if we have a free will, for that mentalists who deny it but get family now. is not a materialist question and is life right, and punishing brilliant, sci- ;;No species can evolve closer to its outside of the competence of biology. entifically astute pro-choice libertines environment than it is, or was in the What natural selection can tell us is who ignore their family duties in the past, or will be in the future. that belief in free will is beneficial for pursuit of self-fulfillment. the survival of human beings. If things And that is a very Chestertonian Stated differently, every species is go wrong (and in life, they do), people paradox. a link, and clearly not a missing link. who believe in free will have the ability The only links that are missing are to decide to turn their lives around, extinct species that did not leave any pick themselves up, start anew and fossil record. Fr Jaki rightly explains rebuild. Fatalists, behavioralists, deter- Chesterton’s objections to the miss- minists, and assorted logicians who ing link, exposing the logical error of do not believe in free will cannot turn basing any scientific theory on species their lives around and start anew—they that are not there. No more needs to self destruct and despair. For biol- be said about missing links but that ogy, it is a meaningless to ask if there they are missing. actually is free will or not; the survival Mining biological theory for benefit accrues from behavior arising philosophical purposes is Jaki’s and from belief in free will. Chesterton’s basis for their attack Another example: The belief on evolutionism. In this, Chesterton that one has the duty to be a faith- continues to do science an important ful husband or wife and raise one’s service, that of seeing the dearth of children, including the religious ideas through a rhetoric of big words. underpinnings of that belief, is adap- We are right to reject evolutionism tive from a biological standpoint. Such and its attack on natural law, objective people will produce children who in reality, and categorical distinctions turn do the same. Anyone who lacks between right and wrong, up and down, this belief, whether due to an erosion yes and no. of religious custom, social norms, or

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they think they are. Each is actually as predictable and tame as, well, a Rock Bottom: Heretics, fruitcake. While Chesterton and his wife GKC, and Fr. Jaki Frances kept dogs as pets, I do not by Nancy Carpentier Brown think the pet heresy as we see it today—dog spas, doggie Advent Calen- eanuts character Lucy is actual doctrine that they each dars, dog clothing fashions, and dog giving writing advice to taught. But before taking apart hotels—was a factor in early twentieth- Snoopy sitting at a type- these men and their ideals, century England. Couples now chose writer. “You should write Chesterton laid out his funda- to have dogs instead of children, about something pleasant,” mentals so the reader could carting them around in doggie baby Pshe says. “You know, something compare. A person’s view of buggies and front-pack carriers and let- that will make everyone happy.” the universe, Chesterton argued, ting their dogs chose the color of their Heresy is not a happy topic, but was just as important when arguing water bowls. People have certainly in the hands of Father Stanley Jaki, it religion as it was when renting a room. always loved their pets, but today some was positively humorous. At the 2005 Fr. Jaki then makes the remark- pets are treated like babies—or better. Chesterton conference, Father Jaki able observation that the men This generation has had a dete- gave a talk on Heretics, the G.K. Ches- Chesterton chose to dismember have riorating belief in the will. People terton book we were celebrating that (mostly) long been forgotten. But today believe choices are made by anniversary year. because his work is so universally true determining what makes one happy or Father Jaki’s talk was interest- and will probably never go out of print, what makes one feel good. Saying no ing, insightful and amusing. Jaki Chesterton has effectively memorial- to one’s self is repressive, judgmental, quipped that the New York Times was ized the very forgettable men he picks and produces guilt. Free will is a belief an “infallible daily dogmatic organ of apart as heretics. of the past, taught to us by overbear- secularism.” He also remarked to great What heresies would Chesterton ing, ruler-carrying nuns. laughter that the Chesterton’s book fight today? What is different in our Chesterton early on warned Heretics was “Nineteen…chapters, all world from one hundred years ago? against the consequences of birth equivalent to a most delightful fruit- The pseudo-divide of religion from control; the abortion problem wasn’t cake,” after which he said the book, science creates debate that wages ever quite as large as it is now. Birth control “could easily cause indigestion if taken on in our world. The religion of Sci- in Chesterton’s time was touted as in at one sitting,” presumably, and ence today has an even larger number the cure for abortions. We see how possibly quite originally, comparing of converts than in Chesterton’s time. well that worked. Today’s children are Chesterton’s work to fruitcake-eating. Sometimes it is disguised as environ- taught that abortion is a simple medi- One notable insight Jaki brings is mentalism, or it manifests itself in cal procedure, no more harmful than that although heresy is usually a word the worship of technology, or belief in going to the dentist. reserved for religion, Chesterton most the salvation of math. And it seems The heresy of Sunday is a modern often was fighting a sort of world- that people today would rather wear heresy. In Chesterton’s day, Sunday was view heresy. Jaki described those old an infinity symbol around their necks a day of rest, a day for church, family, heresies Chesterton had to fight back than a cross. Math provides more and friends. Today Sunday is for shop- in the early twentieth century, and meaning to them than Jesus. ping. It’s a catch-up day from working compared them with the new heresies As in Chesterton’s time, the media away from home. Public schools are of this century. today are dogmatically secularist in now open on Sunday to have a “Read- Fr. Jaki said that the most their preaching, although today’s talking Event” for parents and children so universally valid point in Heretics ing heads seem even more involved in that parents don’t have to bother with remains valid today. It is that there telling people what to believe than in reading to their children at home in the are first principles,or what Jaki neutrally reporting the facts. living room on their own laps. calls fundamentals, representing And, as in Chesterton’s time, Like Fr. Jaki, Chesterton remained the ultimate or rock bottom. To breaking the rules is viewed as more a fundamentalist, believing dogmati- argue anything is to start from first exciting than keeping them, although cally in first principles and the rock principles, but today’s debaters and it is the opposite course that is true. It bottom. Jaki’s exploration of Chester- philosophers want to leave even the is funny how fashionable and modern ton’s work reminds us that if we don’t rock bottom up to individual opinion. people think they are when they rebel start at the bottom, we’re heretics too. Chesterton argued that rock bottom against the norm--when they are really As Snoopy contemplates Lucy’s was rock bottom. quite predictable. The English teacher suggestion about happy topics, he Heretics, Jaki told his listeners, who describes herself as a feminist, or begins to type. “The cat,” he writes, as took various literary men of the times the teenage “goth” boy who revels in only a dog would write if a dog could and discussed not their books, but the nihilism: neither is half so daring as write about heresy, “left the room.”

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reception, and concluded that ‘liberal” was precisely the right word to Liberal Thinking define them. They were reformers David W. Fagerberg who worked for a good earth, and my study of a supernatural subject seemed to them childish. Jaki had described remember once being made authors because I don’t want to them without ever having met them, uncomfortable about my expend the time reading some- because he had met them a hundred occupation as a professor of one who is still alive and might times in other persons before. “Hence theology. It was at a table of any day change his mind and in the emphasis of liberal theologians strangers at the reception his next book retract everything on respect, in the guise of ecological Idinner after a wedding, and the he has said so far. And under this concern, for Nature as if Nature had conversation began to unearth principle, it is sad to note, but been created for its own sake and not certain presuppositions that clashed good fortune for me, that it is time for man’s sake.” Save the planet, but with my profession. These were civic for me to begin reading more by Fr. we are not sure if we have souls to save, activists who bicycled to work, recy- Stanley Jaki, although I doubt that my or if they need saving. cled their newspapers, cleansed their concerns would actually have been Upset the balance of nature and colons, grew home herb gardens and grounded in his case. It seems that he super-nature, and something goes ate organic tomatoes, worked their would not change his mind, that he has wrong, as Chesterton noted. “As a way through the New York Times’ not changed his mind since he started fact, men only become greedily and bestsellers list on summer vacation, writing, even though he wrote about all gloriously material about something volunteered at the women’s shelter, sorts of things. spiritualistic. Take away the Nicene and walked for a cure for diabetes. The reason for this consistency Creed and similar things, and you do What did I look like to them? I was of thought is revealed, I think, in a some strange wrong to the sellers of a professor. Strike one. theological essay Jaki wrote entitled sausages. Take away the supernatural, I taught instead of doing. My sub- “Liberalism and Theology,” in which and what remains is the unnatural.” ject matter was theology. Strike two. he identifies liberalism as “a habit of Chesterton’s conversion to Catholicism I read books by dead white Euro- mind, a point of view, a way of look- in no way involved a turning away from pean males. And my area of focus was ing at things.” What is that spirit? He the world, or away from science, or the liturgy. Strike three. quotes Dorothy Thompson who said away from the delights of nature. His In this world of chaos and sorrow, “liberalism is a kind of spirit and a sort conversion did involve finding a way I didn’t light a candle to dispel the of behavior, the basis of which is an to shoehorn the supernatural into the darkness; I read a book about candles enormous respect for personality.” liberal’s stubborn mind. that pious old ladies lit in the bowels of By that, Jaki was not villainizing When Chesterton came to that, a cathedral for which the Church had the liberal person, or the liberal cause, he one time also found himself at an taken money from the poor to build. uncritically. He was too critical a uncomfortable dinner. His compan- It was an uncomfortable reception thinker to do that. He can acknowledge ion at a Cambridge dinner abruptly dinner. the liberal’s capacity for justice, truth- turned to him and said, “Excuse my To this suspicious crowd, I could fulness, and self-command; liberals can asking, Mr. Chesterton, of course I have defended my hopelessly out- be generous, open-minded, and enter- shall quite understand if you prefer of-date irrelevancy by joking, as I prising. But even so, Jaki says, “It is the not to answer, and I shan’t think any sometimes have, that I read dead essence of liberalism to focus on mate- the worse of it, you know, even if rial well-being down here on earth.” Of it’s true. But I suppose I’m right in course, liberalism will then work for jus- thinking you don’t really believe in tice and generosity: we want well-being those things you’re defending against here on earth. However, the result (or Blatchford?“ Chesterton informed cause) of this is an excessive focus him that he most definitely did. “Oh, upon the natural, and Jaki proceeds to you do,” he said, “I beg your pardon. work out the special emphasis on the Thank you. That’s all I wanted to natural over the supernatural in liberal know.” And Chesterton concludes, approaches to creation, sin, Jesus, the “he went on eating his (probably sacraments, the priesthood, and more. vegetarian) meal. But I was sure that “What is the common theological trait for the rest of the evening, despite his of all these manifestations of liberalism calm, he felt as if he were sitting next in theology? It is the upsetting of the to a fabulous griffin.” balance between the natural and the Imagine! A theologian who was a supernatural.” scientist, a scientist who believed in At reading this, I thought of my the supernatural—Jaki was a fabulous dinner companions at the wedding griffin himself.

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with the real, the hard realities of In Another Language the senses and the experience of by Kyro R. Lantsberger life, and then moves to the world of thoughts and ideas. Fr. Jaki contrasts had the opportunity to meet Gier, it certainly fits with his this against the pillars of modern Fr. Stanley Jaki a few years theme. A 1965 index compiled philosophy, Kant and Descartes, who ago. I shared a breakfast of Chesterton’s writings, as begin with thought and reason but table with him and Gier quoted by Fr. Jaki, finds nearly never quite manage to bring their Hasnes during one of the an equal appearance of the ideas down into the material world. IChesterton conferences at the terms “science and evolution” as Metaphysics is often called “The University of St. Thomas. We “religion” and “Catholic Church.” Science Before Science,” and it was had a wonderful, wide-ranging discus- Chesterton was among the first in this area that Chesterton makes sion that spanned such topics as the in the literary and journalistic circles his finest contribution, showing the Church in Scandinavia, Sigrid Undset, of his day to criticize individuals and hidden dogmas and agendas behind and St. Jean Vianney. It was wonder- groups advocating eugenics. It was in many who attempt to misuse sci- ful to spend time with two individuals this context that Chesterton accused ence. Actually, if one thinks of it, the of such deep and varied credentials. science of providing a mere vulgar dispassionate outlook required by the Fr. Jaki struck me as a true priest, a familiarity with matter and of gen- scientific method, clearing the sub- man who had poured out his life in erating wordy explanations to cover ject of all distractions and illusions, his vocations, both in Holy Orders the errors of the rich. Early critics sounds rather like the recollection and as an intellectual. I have traveled branded Chesterton unfairly as anti- required for true prayer. and lived in Eastern Europe, and the science because of these positions. G.K Chesterton did not have Hungarian heritage of Fr. Jaki, the Fr. Jaki wonderfully unravels the credentials in physics, advanced sharpness of his features and bear- conundrum posed by Chesterton in mathematics, or any training in ing, lends an authority to his words, this regard. To Jaki, Chesterton is statistical modeling or research meth- and his words were those of someone not a scientist but a realist; he was a odologies. However, if one chooses to whose mind and soul had spent a man of letters who could accurately see science as a tool which enables us lifetime bathed in prayer, study, and capture the caricatures of science to acquire knowledge about the world teaching. I am truly grateful for the and expose their prejudices. And around us, and to make sense of our brief minutes I had with these com- one who could also provide the meta- observations of the material world, panions. I must say that the level of physical grounds for science to bear then Chesterton certainly is a scien- conversation, however, coupled with fruit. Chesterton’s thought begins tist, merely in another language. the international nature of my associates, at times made me think that they Fr. Stanley L. Jaki, OSB, Bibliography must be speaking in another language. 1989. Miracles and Physics. It is with this thought of language Front Royal. VA.: Christendom and communication in mind that 1966.The Relevance of Physics. 1980. Cosmos and Creator. Scot- Press. I approach Fr. Jaki’s treatment of University of Chicago Press. tish Academic Press. 1989. God and the Cosmologists. G.K. Chesterton as the “Interpreter 1969. Brain, Mind and Comput- 1983. Angels, Apes and Men. La Regnery Gateway Inc.; Edinburgh: of Science.” Chesterton’s academic ers. Herder & Herder. Salle IL: Sherwood, Sugden & Co. Scottish Academic Press. shortfalls as judged by the British 1969. The Paradox of Olbers’ 1984. Uneasy Genius: The Life 1990. The Only Chaos and Other Essays. Lanham MD: University school system of his time are part Paradox. Herder & Herder. and Work of Pierre Duhem. The 1973. The Milky Way: an Elusive Hague: Nyhoff. Press of America & Intercolle- of the lighthearted mystique sur- giate Studies Institute. Road for Science. New York: Sci- 1986. Chesterton, a Seer of Sci- rounding his development as a writer ence History Publications. ence. University of Illinois Press. 1991. Scientist and Catholic, An Essay on Pierre Duhem. and as a human being. In terms of 1974. Science and Creation: 1986. Lord Gifford and His Front Chesterton’s actual scientific creden- From Eternal Cycles to an Lectures: A Centenary Retro- Royal VA: Christendom Press. tials, Fr. Jaki honestly relates that this Oscillating Univers. Edinburgh: spective. Edinburgh: Scottish 1998. Genesis 1 Through the aspect of Chesterton’s transcript is Scottish Academic Press. Academis Press, and Macon, GA.: Ages. Edinburgh: Scottish Aca- demic Press. the thinnest of that already meager 1978. Planets and Planetar- Mercer University Press. 1996. Bible And Science. Front volume. Maisie Ward, one of the ians. A History of Theories of 1986. Chance or Reality and the Origin of Planetary Systems. Other Essays. Lanham, MD: Royal, VA: Christendom definitive scholars of Chesterton, also John Wiley & Edinburgh: Scottish University Press of America & 2000. The Limits of a Limitless emphasizes this point. Academic Press. Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Science and Other Essays. This outlook, however, is a 1978. The Road of Science 1988. The Absolute Beneath Intercollegiate Studies Institute. mis-characterization of Chesterton. and the Ways to God. Univ. of the Relative and Other Essays. 2002. A Mind’s Matter: An Returning in memory to Gier Hasnes, Chicago Press, and Edinburgh: Lanham, MD: University Press of Intellectual Autobiography. I recall part of his talk that year dealt Scottish Academic Press. America & Intercollegiate Studies Eerdmans: Grand Rapids. Institute. with stereotypes and caricatures of 1978. The Origin of Science and 2008. Hail Mary, full of grace: the Science of its Origins. Scot- 2000 (1988). The Savior of Sci- A Commentary. New Hope, KY: Chesterton, although this particular tish Academic Press. ence. W. B. Eerdmans. Real View Books. aspect was not a point covered by

20 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : T r i b u t e t o s Tanley Jaki, O . S . B . : debates with Blatchford were dealing with merely “the low levels of materialism or atheism.” When Chesterton “Champion of the Universe” encountered more sophisticated think- by Dale Ahlquist ers like Shaw, he was forced to speak more sophisticatedly. But, says Jaki, “Chesterton became a philosopher To acknowledge the contin- learn science from Chester- without ceasing to be a poet. And this gency of the universe is hardly ton’s books, once could yet is what makes Chesterton’s philosophi- a natural move. It has never mine them with great delight cal works both most difficult as well been natural for fallen man to for endless insights about sci- fall on his knees. as delightful reading. The poet always ence. Which is exactly what reasserts himself. In ‘The Ethics of Jaki did in putting together the Elfland’ there is not a single paragraph hesterton: A Seer of lecture series that became the without a poetical interruption of lines Science is a comfort to those book, Chesterton: A Seer of Science. of ordinary reasoning.” of us who, not being scientists, But the more troubling recep- As the Champion of the Uni- still manage to understand the tion was that the initial skirmish verse, Chesterton disputes moral and importance of science without regarding the lecture series and the philosophical relativism. He writes in Cbeing sucked into a matter- anti- book was also the last. The book was All is Grist: “The world must be some matter vortex. I still remember the subsequently ignored, just as Chester- shape, and it must be that shape and intellectual stimulation and delight ton has largely been ignored by the no other; and it is not self-evident I experienced when I first read Fr. academic world. It has remained the that nobody can possibly hit on the Stanley L. Jaki’s book almost twenty most effective way of dealing with right one.” (and as Jaki points out years ago. Here was a man with both him. But as Jaki points out in the in a footnote—Chesterton elsewhere scientific and theological credentials final of chapter of the book, Chester- equates shapelessness with evil—even who spoke with a certitude rarely seen ton was more interested in serving with Satan himself.) in the modern academic world, who the cause of the universe than of Form is a frame. Facts are limits. was not intimidated by science (or the university. The universe is, in the terms of “the so-called scientific establishment Jaki calls Chesterton a “champion physics, a particular event. Worse and its pseudo-philosophical consen- of the universe.” His wonder of the still, it is a contingent event. The sus” as Jaki says), and who presented world obviously led him to a wonder ramifications of that resound as they a plethora of G.K. Chesterton’s of its creator, but Jaki emphasizes touch everything else. It points to a profound insights drawing from an that it began with “youthful atten- Creator. It is not something that one astonishing amount of material. tiveness” to the universe and all it can be neutral about. “Chesterton Meeting Fr. Jaki, first on the encompassed that propelled Chester- knew,” says Jaki, “that truth demands phone and then in person about ton “toward developing a philosophy commitment to it.” fifteen years later, only confirmed in which the real universe played a my initial impressions. I was bowled pivotal part.” over both by his intelligence and the Chesterton is a realist. Not in clarity with which he explained cum- the moody and muddy artistic sense bersome and difficult ideas. I felt like but in the happily mud-splattered I had earned a college degree after philosophical sense. He can play in every conversation. He spoke at our the mud because he appreciates the Chesterton Conferences in St. Paul, reality of things, the reality of the Minnesota, three years in a row. His universe. Thus his scientific insight. first talk was about this book. As Jaki said in his conference talk: He began by mentioning the “Chesterton hit the nail of science on reception it received. When he was the head again and again because he invited to give a lecture series at the loved reason and even more so reality, University of Notre Dame pertaining which is far more in its fullness than to the history of science, he surprised cold logic, or a mere push and pull a lot of people by choosing Chester- between bodies. Reality, even non- ton as the lens through which to view living matter, is vibrant with the vigor the subject. One professor com- of a marvel, which greatly appealed plained that Jaki was seeing more in to every sinew in Chesterton’s entire Chesterton than there was to see, that make-up.” Chesterton was a “mere journalist.” For me, it was sublime to see the What did he know about science? great mind of Jaki stand in admira- Fr. Jaki’s response was that it tion of the great mind of Chesterton. while would be a mistake to try to He points out that Chesterton’s early

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 21 : C o n f e r e n c e R e p o r t : St. Paul, Minnesota, at which he was asked what stage the cause toward G.K. Chesterton’s beatification had reached. Oddie replied. “There was no The English Chesterton cause,” explaining that there had to be evidence of a “local cult.” Society Conference In what may go down in the annals of canonization history, one July 4, 2009: The Holiness of Chesterton man stood up and, indicating the audience of approximately 500, said, by Fr. Thomas Lutz “What the heck do they think we are?” In a paradox that Chesterton would surely love, Oddie said that XFORD, England—This sum- Chesterton Review and a Trustee while many argue that Chesterton was mer’s conference of the of the Chesterton Institute of Faith indeed a saint, others say it would be (English) Chesterton Society and Culture; Fr. Ian Kerr, a senior began on an Distributist note research fellow in theology at St. when Dr. William Oddie, chair- Benet’s Hall, Oxford, and expert biog- Soon after the Oxford confer- Oman of the Chesterton Society, began rapher of the soon-to-be beatified John ence, a prayer for private use only for his introductory remarks by remind- Henry Cardinal Newman; Fr. John the beatification of G.K. Chesterton ing attendees, “Only those who had Saward, a fellow of Blackfriars and was composed by a priest and layman paid for sandwiches would be eligible pastor of Saints Gregory & Augustine who attended the conference and to eat them.” Church, Oxford; and Fr. Aidan Nichols, who wished to remain anonymous. Even so, it was holiness, and not O.P., a member of the Cambridge Distributism, that dominated the July University Divinity faculty. 2 4 conference, held at the Catholic Oddie began with “Faith, Hope, Chaplaincy at Oxford University. and Charity: the basic Chestertonian God our Father, You filled Along with Oddie, speak- Virtues,” and recalled first the paper the life of your servant Gilbert ers included Dr. Sheridan Gilley, he delivered to the 2008 American Keith Chesterton with a sense of member of the editorial board of the Chesterton Society conference in wonder and joy, and gave him a faith which was the foundation of his ceaseless work, a charity towards all men, particularly his opponents, and a hope which sprang from his lifelong gratitude for the gift of human life. May his innocence and his laughter, his constancy in fighting for the Christian faith in a world losing belief, his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and his love for all men, especially for the poor, bring cheerfulness to those in despair, conviction and warmth to lukewarm believers, and the knowledge of God to those without faith. We beg you to grant the favours we ask through his intercession {and especially for………}, so that his holiness may be recognized by all and the Church may pro- claim him Blessed. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Attendees at the July 4 Chesterton Conference in Oxford, England, listen to Fr. John Saward 2

22 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 was dry during Prohibition. Fran- ces became quite ill during her visit. Gilbert canceled several of his engagements and summoned the local Catholic priest to her bedside. CD OF THE MONTH CLUB Frances, lying in bed, sees a perfectly gigantic priest….swarthy as a Spaniard, BY ALL YOUR FAVORITE SPEAKERS enter her room. The priest greeted JUST $5 PER MONTH her boisterously: “I was told ye were WHICH INCLUDES SHIPPING! ill: but I didn’t know how ill. I’ve brought the Holy Oils.” “Then take them away again. I don’t want them just yet,” Frances said. However she consented to a drink of bootleg whiskey and a bless- ing. After administering the whiskey DR. SCOTT HAHN, ARCHBISHOP FULTON SHEEN, (which, the priest assured her, was FR. CORAPI AND MANY, MANY MORE, quality stuff), the priest intoned, SIGN-UP ONLINE / CANCEL ANYTIME AT: “Benedicat te Omnipotens Deus, etc. http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.com etc.,” he said, followed by huge laughter from both of them. JUST CLICK ON THE “FIND OUT MORE” “Mirth or humor is the antidote to BUTTON ON RIGHT HAND SIDE AND THEN the sin of spiritual pride in the soul of “JOIN ONLINE NOW”. man,” Kerr said. “Chesterton firmly believed in the divinity of laughter.” Be sure to use Promotion Code 56129 Kerr concluded by telling the Oswego biscuit story, in which a cold, snow- covered Chesterton once arrived at counterproductive to name him one. and faulty arguments of his the most a vicarage for a winter lecture and The object of the Oxford conference gifted opponents. “Chesterton firmly was offered an Oswego biscuit by the was to entertain the possibility of believed in the divinity of laughter.” priest. Chesterton heartily laughed, Chesterton’s cause—Catholic lingo for, Kerr said. turned about face, and entered the “Did this man live virtues to a heroic He told the delightfully humor- public house across the street for a degree, and can we persuade the ous true story of Gilbert and Frances warm satisfying meal and drink. Church to at least look into it a bit?” Chesterton’s visit to Chattanooga, The last two speakers were Gilley recalled the Church’s Tennessee, which is Puritan and Fr. Saward and Fr. Nichols. Saward practice of creating patron saints for all sorts of professions, even tanners; and suggested the future possibility of declaring Chesterton a patron saint of journalists. Chesterton often said that he was a “jolly journalist” and had a strong affection for his fellow journalists. “It is a remarkable thing,” stated Gilley, “that G.K. Chesterton is still widely quoted today by the same journalists who honor his memory.” Father Ian Kerr, speaking next, recalled Chesterton writing that “Humor is undignified, that’s why it is so good for the soul.” He reminded his audience; “Mirth or humor is the antidote to the sin of spiritual pride in the soul of man.” A good joke or humorous story about oneself can help erase embedded pride in any man. Chesterton, more than most, recognized this and wielded his colossal humor to disarm the proud

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 23 addressed Chesterton’s deep spiritual childhood and “this child- likeness in Chesterton’s soul as the first indication of his sanctity.” The Fantastic “Chesterton,” Fr. Saward said, “lived with a childlike awe and Fiction of wonder of God’s creation and his Gilbert Chesterton profound gratitude for the gift of life and sheer existence,” were by Martin Gardner ever evident in his writings. Fr. Saward sees Chesterton as a “true apostle of the Gospel of Life,” by his heroic witness against the social acceptance of suicide as a corruption of the social order and Foreword by John Peterson 8. Chesterton’s Flying Inn the human soul. Fr. Saward noted Introduction 9. The Poet and the Lunatics the timeliness of this Chesterto- 1. The Napoleon of Notting Hill 10. The Man Who Knew Too Much nian warning, pointing toward the 2. The Club of Queer Trades 11. The Trees of Pride present drive toward state spon- 3. The Man Who Was Thursday and Other Tales sored assisted-suicide in the United 12. Tales of the Long Bow Kingdom and many other Western 4. The Ball and the Cross democracies. 5. The Innocence of Father Brown 13. The Return of Don Quixote In final lecture, Fr. Aidan 6. Did Sherlock Holmes 14. Four Faultless Felons Nichols noted that it was beyond Meet Father Brown? 15. The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond his ability to compress Chester- 7. Chesterton’s Manalive Afterword by Pasquale Accardo ton’s orthodox theology into one short lecture, though he gives full treatment of this topic in his most “I read Martin Gardner’s manuscript and really enjoyed doing so. recent book, Chesterton: the Theo- It’s quintessential Gardner, which means it is gracefully written, logian. Nevertheless, Fr. Nichols well-argued, extremely informative, quite convincing, already a summarized several of Chester- classic. He certainly writes in an agreeable fashion. I knew from the first page I was reading an MG book. It is, of course, a collection of ton’s theological points of view, columns, chapters, essays, forewords, etc.” —John Robert Colombo most notably the reasons for his conversion to Catholicism and his “For more than half a century, Martin Gardner has been the post conversion-conversion. Nich- single brightest beacon defending rationality and good science ols defined a Doctor of the Church against the mysticism and anti-intellectualism that surround us.” as, “a teacher of the faith par —Stephen Jay Gould excellence.” Chesterton described the Church as “much bigger on the “Martin Gardner is a national treasure, and Did Adam and Eve inside than on the outside….the Have Navels? should be compulsory reading in every high school world inside out, and the greatest and in Congress. It will no doubt hold back the current tidal wave truth the world as ever conceived.” of lunacy about UFOs, Scientology, Creationism, and the like.” Nichols explained the term, —Arthur C. Clarke penned by Chesterton, of the “fossilization of Protestantism.” “Martin Gardner’s contribution to contemporary intellectual culture is unique in its range, its insight, and its understanding of hard The post-Reformation churches questions that matter.” —Noam Chomsky are the shell of the Catholic Church—frozen in time. Fr. Nich- Quality Trade Paperback, 240 pages; $22.00. ISBN 978-1-55246-803-6 ols concluded by stating that if Shipping to USA and Canada $6.00 G.K. Chesterton is ever declared a Doctor of the Church, he will Check or PayPal accepted; no credit card orders certainly be known as a “contro- The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box — George A. Vanderburgh versialist doctor, similar to the P.O. Box 204, Shelburne, Ontario, Canada LON ISO likes of St. Cyril of Alexandria.” website: www.batteredbox.com Chesterton is indeed a Doctor of e-mail: [email protected] Orthodoxy, par excellence.

24 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : Ta l e s o f t h e S h o r t B o w : “I was an astronomer,” the alien replied. “Oh, cool!” Tommy said. “Did you get to look at the stars and planets with a big telescope?” “Well, no, Tommy,” the alien The Explorer replied. “In my studies we used radio telescopes.” by John Peterson “We read about radio telescopes in science class,” Jenny said. he alien had no name in the currency during midnight visits to a At the library, the alien had Earthly sense, nor any need for retail store and a bank, he settled in at quickly learned that the earth was one. He was what we would call a home whose owners were taking an technologically primitive by any stan- an explorer by profession, and extended vacation. The house was not dard, and his own people would have his task was to seek out and find far from a public library. nothing to hinder them from extermi- Tstores of the most precious commod- After several weeks, and when nating the population and taking this ity in the universe—water. That was he was close to wrapping up his planet’s water. Then he read something why, when he first caught sight of information-gathering duties, he was that surprised him. His education had planet Earth, he thought his percep- approached by a woman whose home taught him that intelligent races were tual sensors might be deceiving him. he walked past daily in his trips to and always organized in one of two possible Here were quantities of water beyond from the library. ways. There were societies structured calculation! The task of transporting “Mr. Allen!” she cried. Her name, as hives and there were societies com- it would require more tankers than he he had learned, was Kate Hansen. posed of individuals. The people of his could imagine. Or, perhaps, it would “Please call me Albert,” he replied, own home planet were of the individu- be better to colonize the place. Those having noted the first-name style of alist breed. The peoples of Earth, he decisions were not his to make. address popular among the Earthlings discovered, were organized in a third He was not surprised to learn that of this place. way—a sort of compromise between the planet teemed with biological life, “Well, Albert, where are you off to hives and individualists. They were and judging by the artificial light show- on this Thanksgiving afternoon?” organized into units called “families,” ing on its dark side, there surely was “More research at the library,” he and it was clear that the Hansens were intelligent life there as well; but he did said. On the occasion of their first a typical instance of a family. not see that as a threat. He thought it exchange of pleasantries, he had dis- The alien’s attention was suddenly unlikely that this race would have the covered to his surprise that he did not arrested by the sight of Kate’s younger means to detect his space craft, let speak the woman’s language perfectly. sister Edith rising and banging on the alone destroy it. He could fly directly She had asked him what his home table with a spoon. “Let me propose a through the heart of a small nuclear country was and because he wanted to toast,” she said, raising her wine glass. explosion without harm to himself or name a place whose accent she would “Welcome to America, Albert. We are to his craft. be unlikely to be familiar with, he delighted to call you our neighbor and In the unlikely event that the picked Ukraine. friend.” alien’s ship were to be destroyed by Kate was staring at him. “But The alien had been so enchanted weaponry powerful enough for that Albert,” she said, “you must know the by the Earth’s pure and abundant purpose, a sub-space warning message library isn’t open on Thanksgiving. drinking water, he had never been would be sent automatically to his Here,” she said, taking his arm and interested in sampling the brewed or home base. To date, no explorer craft steering him toward the house. “You’re fermented versions of liquid that this had ever been destroyed, and no such having Thanksgiving with us.” planet had to offer. Now he drank message had ever been sent. After Grandpa had said grace, deeply from his wine glass—and the For his initial surveillance, the the Hansen family began enjoying Hansens forgave him for drinking to alien used equipment in the spacecraft their feast in earnest. The alien, who himself, assuming he was following a to read and manipulate what Earth- until now had been eating perfunc- Ukrainian custom. For his part, the lings would call DNA to change himself tory meals at a restaurant simply to alien was finding his first taste of wine into a bird—a hover hawk. After some nourish his human body, was surprised overwhelming in delicious complex- hours of flying and surveying the at how good this dinner was. He was ity. It gladdened his Earthly heart. He countryside below, he decided to settle very nearly overwhelmed by the sheer stole a glance at Edith. He found he in a small town near Minneapolis. He number of the inviting and delicious was attracted to her, in an Earthly way. returned to his craft and changed him- foods and the variety of flavors and Also, she was unattached, or to put it self into a human being, a young man aromas that somehow blended together in this family’s way of speaking, she of pleasant though rather ordinary perfectly. was neither married nor engaged. appearance. After having procured “What did you do for a living in the After dinner, Kate showed the a collection of suitable clothing and Ukraine, Albert?” Grandpa asked. alien around the Hansen home. It was

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 25 : Ta l e s o f t h e S h o r t B o w :

an interesting tour, but he was puzzled “This is my baby, Babsy,” she said, how to think about the moves.” by the amount of food on display in holding up a large doll complete with Some months after the Thanks- the kitchen. rattle and baby bottle. giving celebration, the alien boarded “Excuse me if the question is Later, he watched as Tommy and his spacecraft for the last time. He impertinent, Kate,” he said, “but you Uncle Miles played a game they called carefully set the automatic naviga- seem to have prepared three times the “chess.” The alien soon discerned the tor so that the craft would fly off in amount of food that your family could rules and strategies of the game. When a trajectory calculated to plunge it possibly eat at one sitting.” the game was finished, he asked him if directly into the precise center of the “Oh, you are right,” she replied. he would like to play a game. Earth’s sun. Then he waited for and at “We’ll be taking this extra food to the The alien did not play to win. length he received the message sent to homeless shelter. My sisters and I will He turned the game into a teaching the individualists on his home world. play waitress.” session. “No, Tommy, that’s a wasted It said—translated into Earthly terms— “I see,” the alien said. move,” he said. “Take it back. Good. that this particular solar system was “Tommy!” Kate said in a stern Now think how you’re going to attack dangerous, and in the future it must be voice. “Stop teasing your sister. And I the squares at the center of the board.” given a very wide berth. With that task mean now!” Tommy moved a knight. “Good, out of the way, he returned to work at “Come with me, Uncle Albert,” Tommy!” the alien said. “Perfect. Now his engineering company. Bessie said, holding out her tiny hand. watch what I do.” He had founded the firm because The alien took hold of it gently and Later the alien overheard Tommy he needed money to make restitution allowed himself to be led to the stair- tell his Aunt Edith about the game. for everything he had stolen and also way. Up on the second floor, he was “He taught you some better moves, because, he reasoned, he would have to shown into Bessie’s bedroom. It was then?” have a livelihood if Edith and he were full of treasures. “No,” Tommy said. “He taught me ever to have a family of their own.

Sweethearting “The camera caught her.” by James G. Bruen Jr. “How much time did you spend reviewing video looking for this?” she did it, Ma!” exclaimed Todd Doane operations, it was easy to find out who asked. “You could have been helping as he burst from the small office was stealing. Those cameras I talked out in the store instead.” into the common area of Ma D’s the StopLoss company into installing “No time at all, Ma. This security Grocery Store. “I told you I’d figure on a trial basis? Well, they focused on system’s got algorithms embedded in it out!” the three cash registers, and the theft it— I Jeannette Doane, “Ma D” to one is on the video, clear as day for anyone “Algorithms?” and all, was at a cash register, doing to see.” “—mathematical formulas. A com- checkouts. “Excuse me for a moment, “A robber stuck us up, and I never puter uses them to look for movements Mrs. Michaels,” she said, interrupting noticed him but you got him on film, it thinks are unusual, and— her conversation with a customer. “Did Todd?” laughed Ma D. “When you got “A machine thinks?” murmured what, dear?” she asked, turning from your MBA and asked me to put you in Ma D. the items she was scanning. charge of training and security, I didn’t “—whenever it identifies an anom- “I know who’s been ripping us off,” know what to expect, but I didn’t aly at the cash register, an alert pops he continued. “It’s…” expect you’d film invisible robbers!” up on my screen, and I can look at the “Not now,” she said softly. “I’ll join “Sweethearting, mom, not armed footage.” you in the office in a few minutes.” robbery,” Todd replied. “It’s Alexa.” Todd Doane picked up a remote, Ma D resumed scanning. “Have “Alexa is a sweetheart, Todd,” clicked it a couple of times, and an a nice weekend, Mrs. Michaels,” she smiled Ma D. “And so are all of those image appeared on a video monitor. said as she finished and the customer young men and women who come over He and his mother watched as a young left. “See you next week.” Then she after school to visit her.” man put several items on a conveyor. motioned for Alexa Peabody, a high “That’s the problem, mom,” he “That’s Jimmy Lanier,” observed school sophomore who worked at the said. “They’re sweethearting.” Ma D. “Nice boy. He took Alexa to the family-owned grocery after school, to “Sweethearting?” movies last Saturday night, you know.” take over as cashier. Ma D removed her “Alexa blocks the bar code or slips Alexa stared at Jimmy as she checked bib apron, then joined her son Todd in an item behind the scanner, or she out his purchases. the office. passes two items while swiping one, “There,” exclaimed Todd as he “I was right, Ma!” chortled then her friends make off with the paused the video, then restarted it in Todd. “With my modernization of our goods without paying,” he explained. slow motion. Never taking her eyes

26 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : Ta l e s o f t h e S h o r t B o w :

off Jimmy, Alexa dragged a candy bar “She’s no innocent, Ma. Just look behind the scanner before dropping it at those videos. She’s a thief.” Introduce in a plastic bag. “Todd, you can’t learn everything “Is that it?” asked Ma D. in school, not even in business school. “There’s more, Ma.” Sometimes you have to know what’s Chesterton Soon, there was Alexa on the in people, not just what’s in books and to screen again, talking excitedly on classrooms and computers and formu- her cell-phone as a middle-aged las. Alexa is no thief.” Children woman hurried to stack groceries on “Look at those videos again, Ma,” the moving belt as rapidly as space said Todd. “Take off your rose-tinted became available when Alexa swiped glasses and enter the real world. items across the scanner. The activ- People steal. Even ‘nice’ people. Pro- ity was so frenetic that, if Todd had tect your investment in this business. not slowed the video, Ma D would not There’s no question: she’s a thief.” have noticed Alexa double up on a “Todd, when that nice young fellow, purchase, dragging two frozen pizzas Jimmy Lanier, noticed he’d received over the scanner while swiping only more change than he’d expected, he one bar code. “We do have a problem,” came back and insisted on paying for observed Ma D. that candy bar. Alexa got so flustered “I can show you several more that she came to me for instructions places where she sweethearted,” on what to do. Is that on your video? Todd said. When I told her to scan the bar code “That’s not necessary, Todd,” Ma D from another candy bar, put the replied. “I’ve seen enough.” money in the register, and return the “I called Chief Jacobs,” said Todd. second bar to the display rack, she “He wants to send a cop over to view laughed, maybe from relief, but more the video before they’ll arrest her.” likely because the solution was simple “You called the police?” she said. but she hadn’t thought of it herself in “I’d have called Alexa’s parents if her embarrassment. She’s no thief.” anything was wrong,” she added softly. “But the two pizzas? I bet that cus- “They’d take care of it.” tomer didn’t return the ‘freebie.’” “Mom, that’s the old way,” berated “No, the second pizza wasn’t paid Todd. “If I’m ever going to grow the for, as far as I know,” said Ma D. “But The Inconvenient Adventures of Uncle business and add more stores, you’ve take another look at that video, Todd. Chestnut introduces GKC to readers got to acknowledge that business is Alexa’s so distracted by her cell phone young and old through four fictional business, mom. No more sentimental- that she probably never realized she’d short stories of Uncle Chestnut and his ity: let the law prosecute. The kids bagged two pizzas but only charged for nephew Jack, based on the life and probably think this store is an easy one. Sloppy, yes; dishonest, no.” works of the real G.K. Chesterton. target now. Prosecution will discourage “So you’ll let her go quietly, for “I found the stories to ring very true to others from trying the same thing. It’ll negligence?” inquired Todd. “That’ll the spirit of Chesterton’s writings... It deter shoplifters, too. And it lets the send a message too. Not as strong a captures that lovable thing about community know we won’t be pushed message as prosecuting her, but people Chesterton that makes you keep around.” will take notice.” coming back for more.” -Luis Escobar, Artist, The Simpsons TV show “The community already knows me, “No, Todd,” insisted Ma D. “I Todd,” said Ma D gently. “And it knows won’t fire Alexa. She just needs better “Uncle Chestnut is a delightful I wouldn’t prosecute Alexa. Heaven training and instruction. That’s the character... Reading this book will forbid, Todd. She might even be problem we have. And we both know certainly generate an interest in the convicted! That would never do, would who’s in charge of training, don’t we? written works of G. K. Chesterton.” it? How would I face her parents? You’d probably do better on that if you Charles Ashbacher, Amazon.com Top 50 Reviewer Why would they ever come into my weren’t so focused on security and store again? Why would their friends sending messages.” Buy it at UncleChestnut.com, come here?” Todd Doane clicked the remote; or wherever fine books are sold. “Might even be convicted? That’s the monitor went dark. the whole point!” exclaimed Todd. “And, son, call Chief Jacobs Published by the distributist press “How else do we make an example again, please. Tell him there’s no Eternal Revolution of her?” need for him to send an officer to (616) 425-8873 “It could ruin her life, Todd,” the store unless he wants to purchase Eternal-Revolution.com replied Ma D. “Besides, why would I some groceries.” want to convict an innocent child?” “Yes, mom.” ISBN 0977223493

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 27 : M a n a l i v e : accepted such a sunny view of mari- “I mean to keep those bullets for pessimists–pills for pale people.”—G.K. Chesterton tal dissolution. The moral was always the same: if you’re a child of divorce, you should shut up, suck it up, and be glad that your parents were having fun with other partners. Funderburke would denounce this view for the massive stinking pile of elephant manure it is. Fun- derburke would ideally be for the Funderburke: A Book Proposal divorce industry what Uncle Tom’s by Chris Chan Cabin was for slavery. The central character is Isaiah Funderburke, an ’ve wanted to be a novelist since values, but a couple of years ago a angry twenty-something who has I was little. I enjoyed reading so new approach to dealing with this devoted himself to the cause of much that I felt a deep desire to problem came to me. children’s rights. A child of divorce write books of my own. As a child, Growing up, I saw the devastat- himself, Funderburke is traumatized I determined that when I grew ing effects of divorce on many of by the anger, neglect, emotional Iup I would write solely for children my classmates. Formerly outgo- blackmail, manipulation, and by providing my peers with qual- ing friends became withdrawn and betrayal that his parents and their ity reading material. This stemmed depressed in the wake of their par- lawyers inflict upon him during their from my deep disapproval of many of ents’ separation. Many of my peers divorce. Funderburke grows up a the books that were recommended internalized their anger over the pawn in the continual war between for young people, since I found so helplessness and betrayal they felt, his feuding parents, and as an adult, many entries on library reading lists and turned to all sorts of destructive he spends every waking hour acting to be a) depressing, b) boring, c) activities as a consequence. Thank as an advocate for children caught in patronizing, or d) all of the above. God I never went through anything the crossfire of divorces, looking out My career goals shifted a bit over the like that myself. Even so, while grow- for their interests and playing merry years, but I started writing in high ing up I came across many different hell with the divorce courts. To school, and since then I have built books and television specials that Funderburke, in cases where kids are a substantial collection of mostly were supposed to teach children how involved, divorce lawyers and divorce unpublished work. to deal with their parents’ divorce. court judges are glorified child abus- I have a number of writing These depicted kids initially sad- ers. For Funderburke, children of projects that I really want to work on, dened and hurt by their parents divorce shouldn’t smilingly accept including revising some previously splitting up, but by the end of the the situation. They should get mad as written novels, some historical plays, book, the child always accepted hell and not take it anymore. Along and a doctoral dissertation. There the situation, declaring that her the way, Funderburke slowly moves is one project, however, that seems (it was usually a girl) parents were out of his emotional isolation by to be mattering more and more to happier apart, and she was happy building connections with his young me: a novel I’ll call Funderburke: A they were happy. clients and an assortment of allies. Cautionary Tale. One of the lessons Now, I could accept a fantasy But what, you may ask, do I that G.K. Chesterton has taught me about time travel or talking animals, hope to achieve by such a book? The is that really good books need more but this was too much. The animated answer is simple. I hope to change than literary talent behind them. specials and picture books lied. In the culture. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s They need to have an important mes- these divorce stories, the parents House purportedly started a social sage as well, one that readers really always looked out for the kids’ revolution by portraying a woman need to see. welfare, and the split was always who abandoned her husband and Spend a few minutes in any for vague reasons of incompatibility. children. Funderburke will ideally issue of Gilbert Magazine or on any Nowhere did they tell kids how to provoke a similar firestorm by depict- Chestertonian blog, and one social deal with a mother who wanted nothing a group of children who lash out problem tends to stand out above ing more to do with her children, or at their parents’ abandonment of all others: the myriad attacks on a father with a couple of pregnant them. Funderburke will incorporate the family. These come from the girlfriends, or the constant emotional many true tragedies and absurdi- government, from self-styled elites, barrages of warring parents trying ties of the divorce industry into its from the manufacturers of culture, to turn a child against an ex-spouse. plot, and hopefully will revolution- and countless other sources. There Furthermore, they set an unreason- ize the mainstream view of children have been plenty of works that have able standard for kids. I never knew and their role in contemporary bemoaned the demise of family a single child of divorce who ever culture.

28 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : J o gg i n g w i t h G . K . : stuck in a block of traffic,” Chesterton “Do not look at the faces in the illustrated papers. wrote in The Illustrated London News. Surely, if we are talking about tread- Look at the faces in the street.” —G.K. Chesterton mills, then yes, we risk becoming less human, less connected to the world around us and to our own rhythms as they are linked with nature. We could never imagine Chesterton on a treadmill, could we?—much to the On Treadmills treadmill’s relief, I’m sure. Though by Robert Moore-Jumonville perhaps we could consider a new line of Chesterton jokes that all begin with the question: “What did the treadmill echnology is an unmitigated to me dripped away (to his room, I say when it saw Chesterton coming?” evil—always a temptation to take hope). I switched off CBS so I could But the issue is not simply choos- the easy way out, always a path pray for a few minutes. “Technology is ing between treadmills or trails, toward destruction—and G.K. okay if it’s used properly, right?” As I between hotels or inns. The point is Chesterton would agree, right? was having this internal monologue, I that through our use of technology “WhenT we say this is the age of the recalled Chesterton’s opinion of large, in the West, we risk overuse, or even machine,” he mused, “that our present impersonal American hotels: addiction. We risk separating ourselves peace, progress and universal happi- from nature, from each other, from ness are due to our all being servants A fine American epic might be our very selves, and from God—mirror- of the machine, we sometimes tend written about the battle in the big ing, incidentally, the effects of the Fall: to overlook the quiet and even bash- hotel, with its multitudinous cells for its swarming bees. It might describe ful presence of the machine gun.” In Comforts that were rare among The Ball and Cross, what symbolizes the exciting battle for the eleva- tors; the war of the nameless and our forefathers are now multiplied in modern machinery at the end of the numberless guests, known only by factories and handed out wholesale; book is the asylum, with its “cold their numbers. It might describe... and indeed, nobody nowadays, so miracles of modern gunnery.” the deathless deeds of 65991, whose long as he is content to go without I’m at a Marriott Hotel west of name, or rather number, will resound air, space, quiet, decency and good Chicago, near where a collection for ever in history. manners, need be without anything of Chesterton correspondence is whatever that he wants; or at least a housed. I am hoping they don’t sport Of course, in light of the battle of reasonably cheap imitation of it. machine guns on the roof as part of the lamps in The Napoleon of Notting It is not that Chesterton is arguing their modern technological “comfort Hill, Chesterton’s satire is obvious. for no technology, no toasters and no package.” Fighting a cold, I tossed and Who would not want to defend Not- trams. Rather: turned most of the night, snuffling and ting Hill with its quaint shops and hacking. I rolled out of bed before six shopkeepers? But who, on the other Unless the Socialists are frankly ready a.m., unusually early for me. Since my hand, would care an ounce about for a fall in standard violins, tele- wife and daughter were still sleeping, defending Marriott room number 417 scopes and electric lights, they must I thought I would go running. I had in the west Chicago suburbs some- somehow create a moral demand on two options. First, I could run outside, where off Interstate 88 between I-294 the individual that he shall keep up his present concentration on these trudging through a frustrating run, per- and I-355? A healthy optimism might things. It was only by men being in haps with sidewalks, but likely not, yet dare to declare, “My cosmos, right some degree specialist that there ever certainly facing annoying starts and or wrong,” but to fight for machines were any telescopes… stops every block for traffic—caged at seems rather addled. I understand we cross-walks by lights and cars—dodging are talking about a matter of degree. Rather, Chesterton warns that through one more labyrinth of Amer- I might fight for a decent commuter the world should feel “the danger ica’s “geography of nowhere,” past train to Chicago, certainly for a good of machinery deadening creation, faceless strip malls, restaurant chains, bicycle, but only to the degree that and the value of what it deadens.” bank branches, and gas stations. they would help foster in me and He sanely proposes “admitting them Instead, I opted for the treadmill others a deeper humanity. for particular purposes, but keeping in the hotel exercise room where At some point, technology does watch on them in particular ways.” the temperature remained a steady seem to make us less human, doesn’t Vigilance, then—that key New Testa- 68 degrees, with towels piled neatly it—relegating people to mere numbers? ment virtue—ought to serve as the next to the water cooler, and Katie Never mind that half the time technol- guardian of all our use of technology. Couric chattered in the background ogy fails to even work: “The modern How difficult it is, however, while plod- about some aspect of U.S. immigra- world is a crowd of very rapid racing ding on a hotel treadmill to muster tion policy. After awhile, the man next cars all brought to a standstill and anything at all like vigilance.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 29 : t h e D e t e ct i o n C l u b : “There’s not much going on at the moment,” the sheriff said. “There’s the “The mystery of life is the plainest part of it.” —G.K. Chesterton usual aggravation of traffic violations. Oh, and a smash and grab, but that isn’t something you would find interesting. There’s no mystery in it, and I know you love mysteries as much as I dislike them.” The Crime of Sheriff Dirks “Tell me what was smashed and by John Peterson what was grabbed,” the priest said. Dirks was proud of having cracked a difficult case without the priest’s help, ne sunny morning in May, a suggested. “You have to admit, not and so he was delighted to explain how man of very ordinary appear- many smash-and-grab artists use a bus he had achieved this triumph. ance known as Tiger Coffman for a getaway car.” “It happened at A&J Jewelers on paid a call at a dingy office “Could be you’re right,” Tiger said. Main Street not far from here,” he said. building in the more downscale “I was just walking down the street “Last Monday a guy we know as Tiger Oend of the county’s commercial-indus- when I spotted the necklaces in the Coffman smashed the front display trial park. As was his frequent habit, window. With no one in sight and the window and grabbed two diamond he was visiting the place of business of bus coming up the street, I couldn’t necklaces. Old Art Reilly was in back— his friend and associate Marty Devine. resist. That jeweler, old Reilly, is so he’s the owner—and he’s not so fast on When the door had been locked and slow on his feet I figured he’d never get his feet any more. But still, he hobbled Devine had taken certain other precau- in position to see anything useful.” up to the front of the store just in time tionary measures, Tiger was pleased Devine stowed the necklaces in to see the thief hop on the shuttle to produce two diamond necklaces for a drawer, which he then locked. “So,” his friend’s study and evaluation. After he said, facing Tiger again, “suppose squinting at them for some minutes old Reilly is just fast enough to get W h od u n i t T h e o l o g y through a jeweler’s loupe, Devine pro- a glimpse of somebody boarding a nounced the items “pretty good stuff” bus,” Devine said, “and he thinks, hey, Father Brown on Ecumenism and fairly easy to fence. there’s a witness.” “I’ll shop them around and let It is true, and it is not at all unnat- “Let me use your phone, Marty.” you know,” he said. Tiger nodded his ural, that England does not know approval. “By the way,” Devine asked, ; ; ; much about the Church of Rome. But “did you see the ad in the the Daily England does not know much about A few days later, Sheriff Dirks Sentinel?” dropped in on his friend Father Brown, the Church of England. Not even as “What ad?” Tiger said with a nega- whom he found in the parlor of St. much as I do. You would be aston- tive shake of the head. Dominic’s parish rectory reading a ished at how little the average public “You should read it. Look, I’ve got worn and leathery book. grasps about the Anglican controver- it right here.” “Do you have time for a cup of sies; lots of them don’t really know The headline shouted, “$400 For coffee this morning?” the priest asked. what is meant by a High Churchman Information!” Tiger sat down to study “I thought you’d never ask,” Dirks the advertisement, which continued in or a Low Churchman, even on the said. Father Brown nodded his head smaller type: particular points of practice, let alone in the direction of a tea table that Mrs. the two theories of history and phi- The man waiting for the shuttle James, the housekeeper, had set up losophy behind them. You can see this across the street from A&J Jewelers with coffee mugs, teacups, and two ignorance in any newspaper; in any and who boarded the bus at 10:45 pots. The sheriff helped himself to a merely popular novel or play. a.m. Monday morning may have been cup of the coffee and a sugar-covered witness to a crime. If you are this man donut. and can supply a useful description “To what do I owe the pleasure of the criminal, A&J Jewelers will pay you $400 in cash, with no further of your company this morning, Sher- questions asked. Call 955–3132. iff?” Father Brown asked, hoping for news of a puzzling crime. Now in his “I’ll tell you this,” Tiger said. nineties, the old priest was no longer “There wasn’t anyone waiting for that capable of pursuing criminals, but he shuttle. This jeweler guy must have had proved himself a wizard at find- been seeing things.” ing answers hiding in what to Dirks “Maybe he saw you and didn’t know seemed a meaningless jumble of evi- you were the guilty party,” Devine dence and testimony.

30 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : t h e D e t e ct i o n C l u b :

bus across the street. Reilly gave us a out,” he said. “You return the neck- “I mean I can’t help but have some description of sorts. He didn’t see the laces and pay Reilly for the broken sympathy for Mr. Tiger Coffman’s man’s face, but he did see enough to window, and we’ll plead you down to a point of view. A man answered an know the guy was of average height, misdemeanor.” advertisement in which you promised average weight, brown hair, blue jeans, “Law enforcement officers,” Tiger a reward for providing a useful descrip- white tee shirt...” had muttered, “liars, cheats, frauds, tion of a thief. Not to put too fine “In other words,” Father Brown swindlers, con artists.” Dirks had a point on it, but there is no better said with a laugh, “his description pressed him to make up his mind. description than producing the thief might fit half the men in this county.” “Okay, okay,” Tiger had said. “You’ve himself. I do believe in all justice that “It seemed hopeless,” Dirks said. got your deal.” you fellows have withheld from Mr. “We talked to the bus driver, but he “You mean that’s the end of the Coffman the sum of four hundred dol- didn’t remember the stop or the pas- story? Father Brown asked. lars that is rightly his.” senger. I guess driving that shuttle gets “Basically, yes,” Dirks said. “There Sheriff Dirks stared at the space monotonous. So anyhow, Reilly was was nothing else to talk about, and so between his shoes for several minutes. our one witness. He says the street was Tiger turned on his heel and stomped Father Brown refused to break the deserted when it happened.” out through the door. So you see, silence. Finally, the sheriff said, “I’ll “Because the thief waited for just Father, our advertising stunt worked tell the county commissioners that we the right moment,” Father Brown said, just as we hoped it would.” incurred some miscellaneous expenses “or took advantage of his luck when he “You let this man Tiger go free?” in cracking the case. And maybe I can saw he was alone on the street with “I gave him a good deal,” Dirks talk Reilly into making a donation to that bus coming along.” said. “Over the years, I’ve gotten to the cause.” “Right,” Dirks said. know Tiger Coffman pretty well. He “Have another donut,” Father “With such a hopeless start,” Father won’t run. He may be a thief, but he’s Brown said, with just the faintest hint Brown said, “I’m curious to know how always been a man of his word.” of a smile. “You mustn’t let them get you caught up with the thief.” “Unlike you and Mr. Reilly,” Father stale.” Dirks grinned as he reached for Brown said. Dirks reached for one with white a second donut. “Advertising,” he “What?” Dirks asked. “What do icing. “That would be a crime,” said. Then he told Father Brown how you mean?” he said. he, a deputy, and the jeweler had set their trap. The afternoon after Reilly’s advertisement appeared in the Daily Sentinel, Tiger Coffman had approached the jewelry store for the second time that week. On this occa- Chesterton’s Bloodthirsty Heirs sion, unlike his earlier visit, Tiger had “I should enjoy nothing more than always writing detective an appointment and he was expected. stories, except always reading them.”—G.K. Chesterton As Dirks described the encounter, Brief Reviews of the Contemporary Mystery Scene by Steve Miller Reilly greeted Tiger with a hearty welcome. “Ah, yes indeed,” he had said, Mary Roberts Rine- a gardener who may be a “you are the very man who boarded hart. The Bat (1926). A fugitive embezzler, a Japa- that shuttle bus yesterday. You must sinister criminal known nese butler, a shady doctor, have seen something.” only as the Bat robs and a shadier police detective, a “Sure I did,” Tiger admitted. “I saw murders with impunity. bound-and-gagged intruder, the guy who smashed your window, The police sent after him and an innocent real bat cru- and if I see four hundred simoleons in reside in the morgue. cified to a door. Shots ring real money, like the ad said, then I bet Who can stop this menace out, blueprints disappear, a I can describe him for you.” At that to the citizens of New hidden room is found, and point, by the sheriff’s account, he and York? Mary Roberts somewhere a stolen fortune his deputy appeared in the doorway Rinehart’s answer is that awaits discovery. By the leading to the shop’s back room. Dirks most underestimated penultimate chapter, Miss laughed as he described how disgusted and dangerous sleuth— Cornelia has disposed of all and upset Tiger had been. the feisty spinster. The adventurous such trifles. Rinehart’s detectives are “The cops,” he had muttered. “I Miss Cornelia Van Gorder seeks new often thrust into the role by circum- should have known you guys would challenges. A rented mansion in a stances and seek only to save family, stoop to a cheap trick like that. What Long Island district plagued by Bat friends, and perhaps their own skins. a pack of lies! Why...why you’re a dis- depredations is the answer. The house Miss Cornelia is troubled as much by grace to your profession.” soon fills with a superstitious Irish her hysterical but indispensable maid Dirks had told his prisoner to shut maid, a beautiful niece with a secret, and sweet but duplicitous niece as up and listen. “Here’s the way it falls

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 31 : t h e D e t e ct i o n C l u b : the master criminal. G.K. Chesterton a terrorist attack, Detective Superin- To persuade skeptical superiors would understand. The book has been tendent Harriet Martens (“The Hard and prosecutors of the truth of her filmed at least three times but the Detective”) tells her husband she will suspicions, she relies on an African first movie is the best. A classic old retire. Then a man in a fox hunter’s clinic receptionist, the Kenyan track dark house thriller with subtitles that outfit haranguing a crowd of anti-hunt star who was the victim’s mistress, sometimes shout at the audience, it protesters is seriously injured by a a shrewd Bengali barrister, a society shows that the silent screen could be bomb disguised as a pages reporter who as fast-paced as any modern action rotten egg. The victim breaks an alibi, an thriller. The young Bob Kane watched is spirited away from illegal immigrant maid, the film with awed fascination at the a local hospital to a and the victim’s own aura of sinister menace and constant private clinic by a turgid travel memoir. danger. He recast the villainous Bat as group of old school This proves sufficient a champion of law and order who, at chums known as the to result in a chase least in his original incarnation, could Cabal. His subsequent through a massive be as murderous as any evildoer. Thus murder before regain- pro-fox hunting rally in the Batman was born. ing consciousness the heart of London. leads Martens to a plot To defeat despair, all H.R.F. Keating. Rules, Regs and by Cabal leaders to the Hard Detective Rotten Eggs (2007). Contemplating engineer a mercenary needs is a case worth an abrasive new boss and mourning invasion of a uranium- solving and wrongs the loss of two police officer sons to rich Caucasian nation. worth righting.

The Peter Paul Smith Casebook by Steve Miller

used a cultivated forest of seaweed to The Paradise of Human Fishes represent the Garden of Eden. Strange fish suggest that devils as well as angels Peter Paul Smith, a XIV of The Collected Works of may have halos. The God-like Gubbins Brompton official, search- G.K. Chesterton, published by who supplies air to his subjects rules ing for contraband, finds an Ignatius Press. that the garden is no longer useful and underwater city. Notable Allusions. (1) In must go. In a materialistic paradise, The Mystery. What is G.K. Chesterton’s time, the beauty does not count. going on in the sub-sea metrop- Fabian Society, which included The Opening. “Mr. Peter Paul olis of Gubbina City? Sidney and Beatrice Webb and Smith had just put on a new suit of The Subplot. How different George Bernard Shaw, advocated clothes; but he did not strike any is Gubbina City from Smith’s own a gradual nationalization of public special attitudes of vanity over it. His Brompton? works like water, gas, electricity, and face was more or less masked with a Other Characters. Dr. Robinson, mass transit. This was sometimes sort of goggles, even larger than those Smith’s friend who lowers him into the called “gas and water socialism” or, which perfect the personal beauty of sea; Robinson’s staff of assistants; the more cynically, “creeping socialism.” the American dude; but he was not American underwater stranger who Supporters gloated of ordinary English- going motoring. His trousers were as tells Smith about Gubbina City; Old men thinking themselves independent roomy and shapeless as plus fours; but Man Gubbins, who bought the bottom while receiving all necessities of life he was not going golfing. His costume of the Atlantic dirt cheap; the 75,000 from government controlled entities. was in a sense a uniform, for he was inhabitants of Gubbina City; and Chesterton’s fable may assist some an official; but it was not a uniform whoever supplies Gubbina City with air in national leadership to understand such as tradition associates with the and Brompton with water. why more than a few Americans seem ambition to fascinate the fair. It was Location. Under the sea where nervous about government takeover even in a sense a bathing-suit; but not Gubbina City may or may not be of health care. (2) Chesterton did not one which the most sensitive town found, and the pier near Brompton. often venture into the realm of science councilor would forbid as being of a Publishing History. “The Paradise fiction. Like his friend H.G. Wells, seductive indelicacy. It was in fact the of Human Fishes” was first published he seemed to realize that scientific costume of a deep-sea diver, with the in the March 28, 1925, issue of G.K’s advance may threaten human life helmet like the head of a huge owl, the Weekly. In 1986 Marie Smith included rather than making it more livable. four limbs like the legs of an elephant it in Daylight and Nightmare: Uncol- Chesterton perceived that dystopia and a long pipe protruding from the lected Stories and Fables by G.K. could already be happening even in back of the head like a monkey’s tail Chesterton. It can found in Volume beautiful Brompton. (3) Chesterton in the wrong place.”

32 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : t h e D e t e ct i o n C l u b : Sam was one-tenth-heartedly resumed in the final season, botched, then settled When Good Screenwriters blandly in the finale. Worst of all, Jack Malone, who originally specialized in Become Missing Persons psychological insight, was in later sea- by Chris Chan sons turned into a Jack Bauer knockoff. Where the early Jack cracked suspects by finding the chinks in their mental Alert: spoilers cast often received short shrift. This armor, the later Jack used guns and Without A Trace (2002) was especially sad in the case of Vivian. threats of violence to get information. Seasons One and Two Jean-Baptiste was by far the show’s Without A Trace had plenty of DVD, $79.99 strongest actress, but she was frequently rotten apples. Some episodes, like one hen it debuted in 2002, With- and cruelly shortchanged, sometimes that presented Catholic officials as out A Trace (WAT) was a getting as little as three or four lines sinister and surreptitious—one with a highly entertaining and well- an episode. vomit-inducing speech declaring that acted drama about a fictional After season four, additional “abortion is a Christian act,” a horribly FBI Missing Persons Unit. In changes caused adroit character misguided one-off attempt to play the Wits second season, the series matured story lines to crumble. Plots revolving show as a comedy involving agora- into one of the best shows on television. around Vivian’s ill-health and Martin’s phobic lesbians—are blemishes on the The dynamism that propelled the early painkiller addiction were introduced series’ reputation. years dulled a bit in the still decent third with great dramatic fanfare, played Although the show could plunge and fourth seasons, but midway through up for a half-dozen episodes, abruptly to disturbing depths, it could also season four, the clever plotting and dropped, referenced once in the ascend to magnificent heights. Arguably subtle character development slowly and fifth season, and then completely the series’ finest moment was “Wan- heartbreakingly collapsed. Despite occa- abandoned. Continuity in character nabe,” a second-season masterpiece sional resurgences, by its seventh and development disintegrated. In the final about a missing boy and the hell that final season WAT was an emaciated three seasons of Without A Trace, peer pressure and adolescent bully- version of its former self; yet better Vivian, Danny, and Martin’s characters ing can create. Other gems included writing could have easily nourished were hardly developed at all, and their cases about mysterious twins, a death the failing series back to health. connections to the other cast members penalty case, a sinister headmaster, and An exceptional ensemble cast were largely severed. Relationships media ineptitude. made the show sparkle. Jack Malone like the Vivian/Jack investigative Truly great episodes were non- (Anthony LaPaglia) starred as the partnership, the Danny/Martin existent during the latter half of the hard-and-sharp-as-nails director who rivalry-turned-best-friendship, and the show’s run. Pedestrian, cookie-cutter couldn’t save his crumbling personal Martin/Sam flirtation-turned-romance- episodes proliferated, and treatment of life. Samantha Spade (Poppy Mont- turned-brother/sister connection made the characters’ personal lives devolved gomery), Vivian Johnson (Marianne for great television. In later seasons, into soap opera. The actors struggled Jean-Baptiste), Danny Taylor (Enrique these characters rarely had screen with flat dialogue. Indeed, Without A Murciano), and Martin Fitzgerald (Eric time together. Trace’s woes were almost entirely the Close) rounded out the cast. Every Aside from disproportionate atten- writers’ fault. A missing persons case episode provided a little insight into tion on Elena, only the leads received is different from a murder mystery. each character’s life and mentality much attention in the last seasons. With a disappearance, it is crucial is in different ways. By the second and Montgomery’s pregnancy plot line was that the viewer care about the vic- third seasons, intense and intelligent mishandled badly, and the on-again, tims and want them to be found alive story arcs created real and sympathetic off-again relationship between Jack and or avenged. The first few seasons characters. There was a solid sense created sympathetic or interesting that the writers knew everything missing persons. When they were about these characters’ pasts and rescued, the viewers cheered; when psychology, and were gradually and they were dead, the viewers cried. skillfully revealing these details to The final seasons’ episodes could the audience. have pulled more heartstrings with a In the fourth season, however, kidnapped sofa. carefully crafted character devel- The first two seasons are avail- opment began to unravel. A sixth able on DVD, although poor sales have detective appeared: Elena Delgado made the release of future seasons (Rosalyn Sanchez). Her presence unlikely in the US. Thankfully, those would attract some fans and annoy early episodes are the reason that others. Heavy attention on Elena Without A Trace ought to be required meant that the rest of the supporting viewing for mystery fans.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 33 : B o o k R e v i e w s : he did his reading and writing first. A Lutheran by birth, he made another choice of great consequence when he decided to become a Catho- lic. And once he had done that, he surely belonged to his Church in a way that he did not belong to his Stranger In A Strange Land country. Here is where Chesterton might have entered the picture again. American Babylon: Notes Father Neuhaus is a Catholic who hap- Father Neuhaus might have borrowed of a Christian Exile pens to be an American, rather than the following from Chesterton: “When by Richard John Neuhaus an American who happens to be a we belong to the Church we belong to New York: Basic Books, 2009 Catholic. something outside all of us, outside all 270 pages; $26.95 (Hardcover) Not that his status as an American one talks about, outside the cardinals is unimportant. Far from it. A Cana- and the Pope. They belong to it, but Reviewed by John C. “Chuck” Chalberg dian by birth, he came to belong to his it does not belong to them.” To clinch adopted country and his adopted coun- his point, Chesterton adds one of his hile Fr. Richard John Neu- try came to belong to him in ways that specialty sentences, namely a sentence haus is no longer with us, were very real. Such was not the case than opens with an “if,” as in “If we all his books are. One of them, for Cold War spy Kim Philby. Earlier fell dead, the Church would still exist American Babylon, has only in the book, Father Neuhaus borrows in God.” come to us since Father a line from Philby to make a double Instead, the exiled Father Neuhaus WNeuhaus’s death. It will likely remain point. Accused of betraying both his borrows only one Chesterton line with us for a good while, because country and his country’s foreign for use in these notes. And why not? Father Neuhaus deserves to be remem- agents, Philby refused to concede that After all, the line is not just famous, it bered, and his final book will stand as he had betrayed anything or anyone: happens to be true. It is the line that his intellectual last will and testament. “To betray one must first belong. I distinguishes America from every But it also should be read for its essen- never belonged.” Well, Father Neuhaus other nation, as in “America is the”— tially Chestertonian message. belonged. Do I need to go on?—“only country In The Resurrection of Rome, G.K. But Neuhaus, American, was also with the soul of a church.” Chesterton states the obvious and fol- an exile, and an exile in a way in which To Neuhaus, the truth of the line lows it with the not-so-obvious: “In one Moscow resident Kim Philby was surely is not simply traceable to the notion sense, what is Catholic must be inter- not. If this English spy could not be that there is an American creed to national. But it is never quite normal if exiled from a country to which he which exiles in America must adhere it is not also national.” As if he realized did not feel that he belonged, Father if they are truly to be American. In that too many negatives can be confus- Neuhaus could and did live in exile in his mind, the line has a dangerous ing, Chesterton added, “Catholics his adopted New York City, right in the dimension to it in that it explains the know in their bones that men are heart of the American Babylon. His long-standing tendency of many Prot- citizens of a city, and not merely of a exile, of course, is every Christian’s estant thinkers to look upon America cosmos.” But Catholics know some- exile as we live where we live and await as “their Church.” This is an error thing else as well. They know that the the day of reunion that Father Neu- that the Lutheran Neuhaus and the “hearth,” as well as the altar, is “sacred.” haus has now encountered. Catholic Neuhaus long tried to avoid, Early on in American Babylon, Living and waiting. And not Father Neuhaus confides that when he just idle living and mindless waiting. encounters God, “I expect to meet him Not for Richard John Neuhaus, who as an American.” As if anticipating engaged in more than his share of real objections, Neuhaus quickly concedes living in this real world and anticipa- that being an American is not the most tory waiting for the next one. It was important thing to be said about him. always important to Father Neuhaus Nonetheless, that he is an American, that he engage the issues of the day; “is an inescapable thing about the life but it was even more important that I live.” Having confided and conceded, he never forget that the City of God Father Neuhaus refuses to conflate or awaits us all. It was also important to confuse—or be conflicted by the obvi- Neuhaus that he be able to enjoy what ous fact that he was both an American the City of Man had to offer, so long as and a Catholic. To say that he was he always remembered that Babylon both is simply to add to the Neuhaus was Babylon—so long as he thanked portrait; it is certainly not to contend God for beer and burgundy by not that the two are one and the same. drinking too much of them—so long as

34 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : B o o k R e v i e w s :

even as both understood the pull and the appeal. A Feather In Her Cap While Father Neuhaus certainly deals with this error in his book, he spends more of his time examining Does Harry Potter Tickle Using plenty of direct quotes and another sort of error, an error com- Sleeping Dragons? by taking the reader on literary a jour- mitted by unreformed Lutherans by Nancy Solon Villaluz ney of discovery, Villaluz’s book offers (Reinhold Niebuhr most prominently Renton, Washington: Ramance Press, 2008 readers a friendly, homey style. Have a among these) and unreformed skep- 338 pages; $24.95 (Hardcover) cup of tea and enjoy a cozy afternoon tics (Richard Rorty most prominently with this work of creative non-fiction. among those). Their error was to Reviewed by Nancy Carpentier Brown As I indicated above, the author distance themselves from their coun- hen will the definitive book has done a huge amount of research. try. Here Rorty was by far the guiltier about Harry Potter be She quotes from Rowling’s interviews party. It is ironic that specialists in written? When author J.K. and has a good grasp of the work of irony, namely Niebuhr and Rorty, Rowling writes it. But since other authors. She quotes and com- would be deployed by Neuhaus in Rowling has given no indica- pares notes between Lewis, Tolkien, order to link them with equally error- Wtion as yet that she plans to write such and Rowling; but she also mentions prone thinkers who went too far in the a book, what’s the next best thing? G.K. Chesterton, the Bible, Aquinas, opposite direction by way of embrac- A book using an accumulation Dickens, Frost, Shakespeare, Dante, ing their country as “their church.” of J.K. Rowling interviews could fill and John the Baptist. In addition, If there is a single prime target that empty analysis hole, of course. she discusses Monty Python, the in these pages, it is Richard Rorty. What if you could magically gather Fabian Society, Andrew Lloyd Weber, And if there is a single prime ally, it every radio, TV, talk show, documen- and Edison. Chesterton (with a little help from tary, podcast, written interview; every Villaluz has compared the Scho- Benedict XVI). In his concluding school visit, bookstore visit, and book lastic (American) to the Bloomsbury chapter, “Hope and Hopelessness,” signing; every professional interviewer (British) editions. To find clues as to Neuhaus makes his case for the Chris- as well as every question answered to what Rowling was trying to say, she tian virtue of hope and against the evil a sixth grader; in short, what if you read all of the books that Rowling of despair. In doing so, he also makes had access not to Rowling herself, but mentions were favorites from her child- his case against determinism, which is to nearly everything she’s ever said in hood. Villaluz has made connections “itself a form of despair.” public about Harry Potter, her personal between Rowling’s work and Rowling’s If there is another terrible life, or her sources of inspiration? past, including to her confession of alternative to hope, it is presumption. Not many have the time and faith and baptism as an eleven-year-old. Borrowing from Chesterton (without energy to find all of those podcasts Villaluz concludes Harry Potter is— attribution), Neuhaus goes on to note and interviews, and not just listen to definitely—Christian fiction in disguise. that “despair and presumption may them, but transcribe and analyze them. Villaluz’s evidence reveals Rowling as appear to be opposites,” but they are But author Nancy Solon Villaluz has an author who did not necessarily set actually the “two sides of the decision done just that. And now we can read out to write Christian-oriented fantasy, against hope.” the result, perhaps the most informed like Lewis or Tolkien did. But then Father Neuhaus long ago made analysis of Rowling’s thoughts and again, neither did Lewis and Tolkien his decision to hope. As a pilgrim inspiration yet published. intend to sent out to write allegorical in exile, he concluded that this was The first question a Christian or Christian fiction either. All three the most rational of decisions. As would want to ask Rowling might be have similar quotes about starting out an American in the heart of the be, “Is Harry Potter a Christian story?” just writing a story. Rowling started American Babylon, he understood that Or, “How can you promote witchcraft a story about a boy and then her life in exile was full of temptations, to children?” Or, “If Harry Potter is mother died. So she wrote her explo- whether it be the temptation to attach a supposedly Christian, moral story, rations on death and the afterlife into oneself too closely to America or to why are there spells and magic wands her work. Rowling states she didn’t set the temptations that are so plentiful in and wizards in it?” out to convert anyone. She was merely America. As a human being, American Rowling has already answered all writing a story she would like to read and otherwise, he realized that “eter- of these questions, and more. If you and investigating ideas pertinent to nal life understood as interminable life have ever wondered what Rowling has her life. would be more a curse than a bless- said about her series, about her own And an alert reader might wonder, ing.” Now that he has passed from this beliefs, her influences, her style, and “What kind of story would Rowling life, we can only hope that his eternal especially about her thoughts on Chris- have liked to read when she was a life is what he hoped it would be, tianity, I think you’ll be pleased with child?” and look back at the books namely the “fulfillment anticipated by Villaluz’s new book, Does Harry Potter she’s often told interviewers she loved all that is good, true, and beautiful in Tickle Sleeping Dragons? as a young person. this life.”

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Villaluz then read them all. The the surface, where you could find it if alchemy, symbolism, feminism, Little White Horse. E. Nesbit. Manx- you wanted to. adventure tale, hero’s journey, mouse. The Chronicles of Narnia. The And Villaluz concludes that, like moral tale, and so on. Many people Lord of the Rings. Jessica Mitford, The stained glass windows in the olden have grubbed at these same roots, Wind in the Willows. Some of these days that told stories to illiterate and some have dug quite deeply books were out of print and hard to people of the time, Harry Potter tells into one or the other. Villaluz digs find, but Villaluz found them. a story to our modern day moral and deeper into the right root—the And what she discovered was that religious illiterates—people who would Rowling-dug root—than anyone. Rowling loved moral tales that didn’t never read a word of a book labeled Villaluz is on the right track, preach. She loved ordinary characters “Christian fiction.” and Sleeping Dragons is the best that wore glasses. She loved adven- There are many wells in Harry Harry Potter analysis I’ve read ture stories with religion just below Potter that an analysis can dig into: to date.

Why, we should ask, are our minds so perfectly shaped to understand the pat- Off the Shelf with Mike Foster terns of the deep world around us.” Pondering factors including gravity, electromagnetism, the elements, and So Finely Tuned A Universe: of the sun leads him to declare, “it’s only a very special universe, a finely tuned Atoms, Stars, Quanta, and God universe, a universe in a trillion…capa- by John Polkinghorne ble of having had the amazingly fruitful history that has turned a ball of energy ike Fr. Stanley Jaki, Rev. John creation began on Sunday, October 23, into a world containing human life.” Polkinghorne was a physicist 4004 BC (Julian calendar). “Every atom of carbon inside your and cleric who was not going The curse of freedom allowed body was once inside a star,” declares to abandon his quest for truth those collegians all the words they Polkinghorne, echoing Joni Mitchell’s just because he had turned his wanted, but the curse of Gilbert Maga- “Woodstock” observation forty years Lcollar around. zine gives me 600, putting the “purge” ago. “If those nuclear forces were in “I want to take absolutely seri- in Purgatory. any way slightly different from the way ously the possibility of religious belief This argument’s strength lies in they are, the stars would be incapable in a scientific age. I believe that Polkinghorne’s lucid writing. He states of the elements of which you and I are science and religion are friends and straightforwardly, “The universe did composed.” not foes,” he asserts at the beginning not spring into being ready made a So what? “Do you shrug your of this essay. His last words: “The few thousand years ago but that it has shoulders and say, “Well, that’s just search for understanding, which is so evolved over 15 billion years from its the way it is. No need to seek an natural to a scientist, is, in the end, a origin in the Big Bang, does not abol- explanation”? search for God.” ish Christian talk of the world as God’s “Who lit the touch paper of the Big Published in Commonweal on creation, but it certainly modifies Bang?” this much-honored physicist August 16, 1996, this eight-page certain aspects of that discourse.” and Anglican priest asks. He answers, lecture adaptation by Polkinghorne, His object all sublime—“as eco- “God is as much the creator today as then president of Queens College, nomic and as extensive understanding he was 15 billion years ago.” Cambridge, comes off the “English of the world as possible”—adds the God added free will. 111: Advanced Composition” shelf in Gospels and the sacraments in a “I believe that the Christian God, this college English professor’s office, “grandest unified theory.” who is both loving and faithful, has boxed upon my retirement. Polkinghorne notes “a deep-seated given to his creation the twin gifts Maybe part of Purgatory will force relationship between the reason of independence and reliability…in us to do things we chose to force within—in this case, mathematics, the fruitful process of the universe others to do. In this case, that was and the reason without (the rational through the interplay of between an essay summarizing, then agreeing order and the structure of the physical happenstance and regularity, between or disagreeing with this article. Sum- world). The two fit together like gloves. chance and necessity.” mary was challenging enough, but the That is a rather significant fact about Have your public library obtain reasoned assent or dissent frazzled the world. Einstein once said, ‘The this essay. Read it and decide, as a everyone from the hardcore rational- only incomprehensible thing about the thousand students did, if you agree. ist students to those who believed that universe is that it is comprehensible.’ I do.

36 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : B o o k R e v i e w s :

I like to walk to church on Sundays. Serious Comedy It puts me in the proper frame of mind for praying. But after running The Great Canadian Comedy: telling us that Eric the Red was so- the gauntlet of greeters who populate From Laughter to Tears named for his Scandinavian socialism, the entrance, I lose all sense of the sacred and have to start over. Medita- by Joe Campbell we see in the end that this isn’t just tion comes hard at this point, because Jordan Station, Ontario: Freedom Press, 2008 a groaner. I can’t help imagining that I’ve just 209 pages; $34.99 (Hardcover) Trudeau, the incarnation of Eric entered a Wal-Mart store and I’m on the Red, entrenched the welfare state the lookout for bargains. Reviewed by David Paul Deavel in a new constitution that is virtually Campbell knows he will be criti- bout Joe Campbell’s first collec- unamendable. Although an avowed cized for not understanding that we go tion of humorous essays, Take federalist, he was a closet separatist. to church to “celebrate.” He answers He separated religion from politics, Me Out of the Ball Game, I that he does understand: “I just don’t morality from law, courtesy from wrote [“Easy Reading, Heavy communication, and wealth from the believe we go to celebrate ourselves.” Work,” GM June, 2005] that West. The new constitution, a patri- The personal note appears in the “Campbell’sA willingness to play the ated BNA Act with a Charter of Rights same essay when Campbell recounts clown perhaps masks a and Freedoms, shifted power telling some of his grown children that seriousness at the heart from the lawyers elected to he prays for them every day, only to of his writing.” This new Parliament to the lawyers observe, “Their gratitude was less than collection takes the mask appointed to the Supreme enthusiastic.” This sadness about his off. Significantly Campbell Court. Since it changed children’s whole generation peeks out begins his preface with Canada into something else, periodically, gentle as always, when he two quotations. From G.K. it brought Canadian history notes that he and his wife “contributed to a close, at least for now. Chesterton in Heretics: to the baby boom. Now, as an entire “Funny is [not] the opposite Homer Simpson generation reaps what it sowed, we get of seriousness. Funny is famously called Canada to watch the baby boomerang.” It’s the opposite of not funny, “America Junior.” Those not just that lawyers, politicians, and and of nothing else.” From who have observed the bureaucrats have betrayed a genera- Shaw he takes a line from direction of American con- tion. They sprang from a generation The Doctor’s Dilemma: “Life does stitutional jurisprudence that betrayed itself. not cease to be funny when people over the last forty years will note that The old man, however, keeps going. die any more than it ceases to be Junior has been the leader, Senior the Whatever the kids and grandkids do, serious when people laugh.” Reader follower, in the move to close history. there is hope when a man like Joe beware—this book isn’t subtitled “From It should give Americans great pause Campbell keeps going, puncturing the Laughter to Tears” for nothing. to think that many American leaders ridiculous faux-seriousness of the age Of course, the froth and fizz also want to model health care on in which he has been placed. Whether that characterized his first collection Canada’s system, whose distinguishing he is taking on scientism, judicial fic- remain. Campbell’s friend Dingwall feature, in contrast to the American tion, nonsense-historical fiction, or the returns, this time making his name as system’s “unequal accessibility,” is its inclusive language that deprives us of a magician who doesn’t do magic and “equal inaccessibility.” “masterpieces” and “sportsmanship,” a writer who doesn’t actually publish Campbell lingers over this growing what we see beneath the mask of “Joe anything. And all the absurd puns North American bureaucratic and con- Campbell” the humorist is Joe Camp- are present. In “Two for the Show,” stitutional folly in a number of essays, bell the Christian man, who knows that Campbell describes coming out as a paying attention to its gruesome roots if you didn’t laugh about this world’s “bisectional” band member—he plays in abortion law. He is able to do this folly, you’d cry. As he might say, a veil trumpet and piano—at a nursing home. so well because his tone never turns to of laughter helps when going through Although he understands why the rage or hatred. Instead, he gives off an the vale of tears. people in the home like having animals abiding sadness at a culture that exalts If, as G.K. Chesterton noted, the around, he notes that he doesn’t like youth but not life, sex but not the secret of God hidden by the sadness of much interaction with them: “Just sexes, and religion but not God. the Cross was divine laughter, Camp- because I’m bisectional doesn’t mean In fact, as his writings are more bell’s strategy throughout this volume I’m a petophile.” political in this volume, so are they is to uncover the divine sadness at But the two-part title essay, “The more explicitly religious and indeed our society’s callousness toward life Great Canadian Comedy,” announces personal. In “Say One for Me,” Camp- by using human laughter. He wants the seriousness of the project. Though bell takes on prayer, noting that readers to laugh their way unknowingly this gentle jaunt through Canadian churches seem less likely to be condu- toward the Cross. There, beneath the history begins in nonsense fashion, cive to prayers these days. masks, the love of God is present.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 37 : F e a r o f F i l m : to a deliveryman, a chain reaction unleashes that spirals into imprison- ment and allurement to a life of crime and a final succumbing to a temptation to extreme evil. In a bewildering series of events, the young man loses his wife and child and everything that had Intended Audience: Take Note meaning in his life. And yet we also see that his choice of a hideous life of L’Argent (1983) crime was ultimately determined by Written and directed by Robert Bresson free will. None of your “society made No MPAA rating well why Bresson was able to work me this way” nonsense. only twice a decade and Carl Dreyer The movie does not present a Reviewed by Art Livingston once. Their intended audience did neat little package. Each step leads to not support them. Like writers such y opening foray into film criti- greater evil. Yvon, our victim, is clearly as Flannery O’Connor and Graham cism began quite by accident. offered redemptive opportunities, but Greene, many of the best Christian In the early 70s, the Art Insti- does not take them. As in real life, no filmmakers created radical techniques tute of Chicago through its observer (the audience) can quite ever or situations to draw attention to school instituted a film center. tell what may happen when he makes transcendence. MThe support staff included an array of his choice; that is between Yvon and Take Bresson’s last film L’Argent, writers who prepared extensive essays God. In one amazing scene, we may for example. Here his style coalesces and notes for each screening. During (or may not) be witnessing an act of entirely and seems to dissolve into this time, I had immersed myself in substituted love that redeems of one of a mature statement of moral theol- cinema and its history, commenced his dupes. Could it have a real effect ogy expressed in a story, in this case building step-by-step critical tools to on him? The first principle of morality aid viewers, and slowly became confi- can easily be stated as “do good and dent in applying my perspective. I was avoid evil.” In the breach, however, life increasingly annoyed, however, when is never quite that simple. the staff writers prepared material on I must mention, and even stress, Christian filmmakers that was nearly that a prior understanding of Bresson’s always meaningless drivel. Those who aesthetic intent will offset what might were quite at ease discussing the latest otherwise interfere with an immediate Marxian rage of Paris were clueless (a appreciation of his work. His approach rare, useful neologism) when talk- is the epitome what has been called ing about those who uphold Western “transcendental style,” actually a way of civilization. expressing the via negativa in film. He For the next eight years, then, I uses non-actors speaking lines without compiled notes on cineastes as varied expression. Their faces reflect their as John Ford and Andre Tarkovsky. By voices. We have constant close-ups 1983, I finally realized something even of seemingly trivial matters, as in a more appalling than the ignorance repeated showing of hands as money of the film center crowd. Among my a Tolstoy short narrative used as raw shuffles from person to person. Con- acquaintances and otherwise kindred material. Many of Bresson’s films stant reminders of the quotidian often spirits, the people for whom these rethink Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky; he make the atmosphere claustrophobic. films were created largely did not has also adapted three of Bernanos’ Not one of these techniques is arbi- watch them. novels (probably the best artistic cross- trary. This stuff is not arty. It is art. That modern sub-pagans could reference). L’Argent, of course, means Robert Bresson long ago found blithely misconstrue the oeuvre of “money,” the love of which (and all a way to point beyond this world by a true Catholic mystic like Robert cupidity) being the root of evil. On the drawing attention to the minutiae of Bresson and that the proper audience surface the want of it, as well as the the world on film. This genius was first might not be aware of his existence manipulations and dealings to acquire apparent in his 1951 masterpiece, The reflects horribly the brokenness of it, seem the basis of the action. Diary of a Country Priest. I have often contemporary artistic achievement. The tale begins with a forged thought St. John of the Cross would Constant jeremiads from people who banknote passed off by a young upper- have been the perfect subject for one should know better become hideously middle-class lout whose daddy refuses, of his movies; he did make a film on aggravating—the effect is as though with good reason, no doubt, to lend the trial of Joan of Arc. L’Argent and they would prefer to bellyache rather him money. When the shopkeeper other Bresson films are not popcorn than find the good art still being who receives the note passes it in turn, movies, but then Crime and Punish- wrought. This perhaps explains as with full knowledge of his wrongdoing, ment isn’t a bedtime story either.

38 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : F e a r o f F i l m :

and an idealistic vision for his country. Laura Linney is equally inspiring as his You Say You Want A Revolution wife, best friend, and closest advisor Abigail. The Adams’ marriage is one John Adams (2008) influential players in the creation of of the most interesting relationships Directed by Tom Hooper the new nation, and for generations in American history, and Giamatti and HBO miniseries one of the least appreciated of the Linney make the pair’s romance both DVD, $22.49 Founding Fathers. Intensely played by dignified and compelling. Paul Giamatti, John Adams emerges as Though John and Abigail Adams by Chris Chan a brilliant, stubborn, passionate man, naturally make up the heart and soul of with an indestructible moral compass ver the next few decades, hundreds of thousands of high school students will watch the Science In and Out of Its Realm HBO miniseries John Adams instead of reading the chapters ;;The supernatural is not a matter of ;;The disinfectant of science is con- Oon the Revolutionary War in their U.S. science; it is a matter of experience. science, or conscience. (Illustrated London history textbooks, or the masterful (Daily News, March 14, 1903) News, June 26, 1915)

biography by David McCullough. Given ;;The weakness in civilization is best ;;It would be an ideal definition of a the inferior quality of many textbooks expressed by saying that it cares more liberal education that every citizen glutting our school systems, and the for science than for truth. It prides ought to know enough about science superlative quality of this minise- itself on its “methods” more than its to leave it alone. (Illustrated London News, July ries, that may not be as bad as you results; it is satisfied with precision, dis- 15, 1916) might think. cipline, good communications, rather ;;Science boasts of the distance Despite the importance of the War than with the sense of reality. (“The False of its stars; of the terrific remote- for Independence, the natural drama Photographer,” A Miscellany of Men) in these events, and the rich oppor- ness of the things of which it has to tunities for actors, only a handful of ;;Our schools are swept nowadays with speak. But poetry and religion always quality films have been made about wave after wave of scientific specula- insist upon the proximity, the almost this seminal moment in American tion; by fad after fad and fashion after menacing closeness of the things with history. John Adams, based on the fashion. They are generally notions which they are concerned. Always the bestselling biography by McCullough, quite new even in the scientific world; Kingdom of Heaven is “At Hand”; and finally gives the era the treatment and each one of them will probably be Looking-Glass Land is only through it deserves. shown by science to be the same sort the looking-glass. So I for one should The nation’s birth is depicted of double-edged weapon. I am quite never be astonished if the next twist through the eyes of its title character, unable to imagine why we should say of a street led me to the heart of that who was arguably one of the most in such cases that we are educating the maze in which all the mystics are lost. children. I could understand it if we I should not be at all surprised if I said we were educating the educators, turned one corner in Fleet Street and by giving them a crowd of children on saw a queer-looking window, turned whom to experiment. (North American Review, another corner and saw a yet queerer- Nov. 1929) looking lamp; I should not be surprised if I turned a third corner and found ;;We give the name of enlightenment myself in Elfland.(“A Glimpse of My Country,” to a lightning succession of illusions Tremendous Trifles) and disillusions. This dream and self- deception are nowhere more dominant than in the thing we call science. Scientific ideas, even more than social and political ideas, are valued because they are new rather than true. (Illustrated London News, May 29, 1920)

;;It is a slander to say that science never arrives at any real and true conclusion. It often happens that science arrives eventually at a truth which common-sense has discovered without its aid a long time before. (Illustrated London News, Jan. 10, 1920)

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 39 : F e a r o f F i l m : the narrative, the supporting cast man- consistently setting the highest pos- humor belies a shrewd capacity for ages to make the Founding Fathers sible standard for the executive office, diplomacy evidenced by his uncanny heroic, interesting, and also engagingly despite being plagued incessantly by skill and unorthodox methods of win- human. This is not hagiography; each the cares of governing and by horrible ning over French high society. of the major players is presented as dentures. Intriguingly, Washington is Watching these men at work craft- a flawed human being, but still full portrayed as an upright and uncom- ing a new diplomacy unlike any other of moral courage and a preternatural monly principled leader, but he lacks at that time is inspiring filmmaking, capacity for leadership. the media savvy that is almost invari- but it also has the unintended effect of David Morse is properly dignified ably a prerequisite for a successful making contemporary elected officials and inspiring as George Washington, political career even then. look like blithering incompetents in Stephen Dillaine’s Thomas Jef- comparison. (Come to think of it, our ferson hits all the right notes in his elected officials have done a pretty fair depiction of the like/hate relation- job of making themselves look ridicu- ship between himself and Adams as lous even without comparisons to the they evolve from the friendly days of Founding Fathers.) revolutionary collaboration to their John Adams takes pains to friction-filled relationship as President emphasize that friction. Character and Vice-President, culminating in assassination and bitter infighting have their falling out as political opponents, always been a part of the American to their final years as reconciled and political experience; it is wrong to engaged compatriots in a rich and presume that the days of the early reflective correspondence. republic were somehow purer and Definitely the most eccentric, and more innocent than later eras. arguably the most endearing, is Tom Students of history will find much Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin. His to interest them in the minute details penchant for saying exactly what is scattered throughout the series. Odd on his mind with wit and often-bawdy little bits such as the effect of poor dental hygiene over time (pay attention to the makeup on the actors’ teeth as the series progresses) accentuate i N P r a i s e of P h r a s e s the more ordinary aspects of life during the late eighteenth and early ”Half our speech consists of similes that remind us of no similarity; pictorial nineteenth centuries. phrases that call up no picture; of historical allusions the origin of which we have Perhaps the greatest accomplish- forgotten.” —G.K. Chesterton ment of John Adams is not that it recreates the external trappings of “The tail wagging the dog.” Tom Taylor (1817–1880) the past, although it does do this so Tom Taylor began as a London journalist. Eventually he was appointed editor of extraordinarily well. Rather, every the English humor magazine, Punch, and later taught English literature at University scene and conversation is filled with College. His first love was the theater, and he achieved his fame by writing a number a sense of wonder. Unless the viewer is historically illiterate, he knows that of hit comedies. His attempts at more serious drama were not successful. the Revolution will prove successful, Taylor is remembered today for his 1858 play, Our American Cousin, which is that the Colonies will grow united and recalled now chiefly because it was the comedy Abraham Lincoln was watching strong despite all the infighting and when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. In the play, Lord Dundreary, a squabbling, and that the main char- good natured aristocrat, is given to inventing jokes and riddles. Here is the pertinent acters will become legendary within example: a few short decades. Yet each scene Dundreary. Now I’ve got another. Why does a dog wag his tail? is permeated with an organic sense of suspense, as every character is Flo. Upon my word, I never inquired. aware that there are countless ways Dundreary. Because the tail can’t wag the dog. that everything could go wrong. Yet somehow, to the amazement of all, It wasn’t long before “the tail wagging the dog” became a commonplace the newly United States of America expression for situations in which the trivial controls the essential. turn out better than anyone could Movie fans may remember the 1997 film, Wag the Dog, a comedy about a United have hoped. John Adams does more States president who invents a fictitious war to divert public attention away from a than make history come alive, it White House scandal. also makes a case for American exceptionalism.

40 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : T h e S i g n at u r e o f M a n : Chesterton on Art “The Trial of Queen Catherine.” It may well flare like a dawn, for it is the rise of historical painting once more, after its long discredit. When it fell, it had become an ignorant and bombastic thing of padded calves and Byronic Abbey’s “The Trial of whiskers. Nor did it deserve much sympathy when its stagey hypocrisy went Queen Catherine” down before the fiery lances of the Pre- Raphaelite Brotherhood. by G.K. Chesterton But now that it returns, it comes from the land of Whistler and Pennell, s a whole there are signs of a another. Her death may be regarded with all the technical mastery and healthy reaction in the relations from a moral, a legal, a financial, or a dashing realism of the young American between painting and litera- poetic point of view. school. But though his craftsmanship ture; and it is a matter upon So it is with the higher arts; a man is modern, Mr. Abbey comes to deliver which saner ideas are much who objects to a thing having many us from that Impressionist twilight in Aneeded. Much good has been done of aspects should rebel against the three which there were no harmonies except late years by the recognition that the dimensions. This singular modern between the greenest grey and the crafts, as crafts, are distinct; that a desire to resolve things into their ele- greyest green. He does not condemn line from Tennyson does not make a ments is surely the mortal sin against the portrait painter forever to ply his bad landscape good, or the possession civilisation. A man who seeks to break trade in the darkest corner of the of the most subtle allegorical ideas these immemorial unions, to keep room, as though he were selling bad justify the violent disarrangement of everything separate, might as well hats. He offers to the artist once more the muscles of a fellow-creature’s leg. analyse the air and divide the world the ancient wine of colour and poetry But in place of the old sentimentalism into Oxygenists and Hydrogenists. And and historic passion. The red robes there has come upon us the tyranny of of all these alliances the highest is that of Wolsey are alone a raging fire to a dogma equally fantastic and illogi- between painting and literature—the scare away the weak-eyed lovers of “art cal— the notion that the two arts may parent of nearly all the pictorial mas- colours.” And as the pictorial method not even be allied, as poetry and music terpieces on earth. But if men must has lost its early Victorian clumsi- are allied in a song. Critics have arisen protest against painting, and literature ness, so the literary feeling has lost its who bitterly accuse a picture of intel- the parent of the sister art of letters, early Victorian superficiality. Wolsey is ligible meaning: “literary,” “symbolic,” they would be more logical if they did not the somnolent hippopotamus we and “moral” have become vitupera- not, the moment they have gained knew of old: his face, gross indeed, is tive epithets of great strength; and it their freedom, name their pictures able and vigilant. It seems to us that is touching to reflect that an artist of after the sister art of music. a purified art has been reunited to an older sympathies might read through Probably the picture which is the enlightened history. a tirade in which his work was torn in most hopeful in this respect is that pieces with the firm belief that it was Shakespearian picture of Mr. Abbey, (from The Bookman, July, 1900) being tenderly appreciated. Now, this attempt to isolate art in a world where all things are linked together is really a somewhat humorous thing. Every occupation, of course, can be looked at purely technically if necessary. Good shooting, for example, is good shooting, whether we shoot a target or shoot our maiden aunt. If we shoot her under circumstances (technically) difficult, as, for example, if she is running violently across a distant range of mountains, then the shot which brings her down is (technically) admirable. But to say that good shooting is good shooting whether we shoot a target or shoot our maiden aunt is one thing; to say that it does not matter which we shoot is quite Edwin Austin Abbey, The Trial of Queen Catherine of Aragon (1900)

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 41 : a l l i s G r i s T :

“When he advanced his theory of evolution.” “The society Charles Darwin grew up in wasn’t noted for a belief in racial equality. He probably saw Darwinian Dilemma nothing to explain, no contradiction by Joe Campbell to reconcile.” Pausing a moment, he added, “Don’t get me started on volution,” he exclaimed, when “All of us, betters included, are Darwin’s Bulldog.” he returned from the races. said to have evolved from lower “I didn’t know he had one.” “Sounds like a winner to life forms. But in the latter stages, “Thomas Huxley, a true believer me,” I replied. groups of us did it in different who championed his theory, “From random mutation environments, and therein lies the doggedly.” Eand natural selection.” difficulty.” “Who would have thought bull- “Good pedigree, too, I suspect.” “Is this still about horse races?” dogs were that highly evolved?” My system for picking horses “Human races,” he said. “If “When Darwin left England with centers on their names. I’ve had they developed separately for a the Beagle—“ better luck with their names than significant time, their different “The beagle?” with their track records. A couple of environments would have selected “Surely you’ve heard of the years ago I won a bundle on a horse for different characteristics, Beagle.” named Revolution. That’s only one according to evolutionary theory.” “Of course. Everyone has. I’m letter away from Evolution. “And the difficulty?” just surprised Darwin had a beagle. “I can’t reconcile evolution with “Different characteristics mean I didn’t think it would get along with racial equality,” he said. different strengths and weaknesses the bulldog.” “If they’re running against each that would become apparent “The Beagle was the ship Darwin other, why would you need to?” when the races share the same took to gather evidence.” “For the sake of political peace environments.” First horses, now dogs. As I had and scientific consensus,” he replied. “You’re on sensitive ground, my no interest in further digressions “Were they running, too?” friend,” I warned him. into the animal kingdom, I tried to He told me that while watch- “Not I,” he replied. “I’m only move the discussion forward. ing his favorite sport, he began the messenger. It’s evolution “Now, let me get this straight,” reflecting on the theory that horses that’s on sensitive ground. As I I said. “According to evolutionary developed from fox-sized forest said, I can’t reconcile it with racial theory, environments are the great dwellers into the majestic mounts equality.” discriminators.” we see today. “I’m afraid I’m no help. I have “Absolutely,x” he said. “They “They were born, the theory difficulty reconciling the deposits select and they reject.” goes, from an eons-long interaction and withdrawals in my check book.” “On the basis of survivability.” of chance and necessity.” “Maybe the politicians can “Yes, but since survivability “Chance and Necessity. Now do it.” varies from one environment to there’s a couple of ponies I could “I wouldn’t trust a politician another, location is crucial.” bet on. Which one was the stallion?” within a mile of my check book.” “Organisms that flourish in one “Chance,” he explained, “refers “Politicians are masters of rec- place might die out in another.” to randomly occurring charac- onciliation,” he said. “Truth, error, “Evolutionary theory is rife with teristics. Necessity indicates the good, evil—all dwell peaceably in placial discrimination.” characteristics required to sur- the political conscience. Politicians “Placial discrimination?” vive and reproduce in different eat contradictions for breakfast.” “It’s with us still,” he said. environments.” “For lunch and dinner, too, I “North against south, east against “I thought we were talking about suspect.” west, urban against rural.” horse racing.” “If anyone can explain how the “And vice versa?” “Oh, we are,” he said. “Accord- races are biologically equal when “Absolutely. Country bumpkin ing to the theory, random variation they evolved in different environ- and city slicker are among the more and environmental selection pro- ments, it will be a politician.” common placist epithets.” duced the forebears of the racers I “Charles Darwin should have “Country Bumpkin and City was just watching.” explained it,” I said. Slicker! I lost money on both “What about the betters?” “Charles Darwin?” those nags.”

42 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : a l l i s G r i s T :

straight. The character development is Walk the Straight brilliant, although it takes two seasons for all the nuances to start shining and Narrow Path brightly. The titular main character is by Chris Chan Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), a self- destructive, hard-drinking, womanizing ’m glad that I don’t have cable grew on me, the changes are never for cop whose primary shot at redemption TV. I’m underwhelmed by most of the better. lies in his stellar police work. Among HBO’s acclaimed series, with two Each season has a different setting the massive supporting cast, the major exceptions: The Sopranos that reveals a different level of the cor- standout performances are Omar Little and The Wire. It’s the latter show ruption that America faces in the early (Michael K. Williams), a principled Ithat I wish to address here. Simultane- twenty-first century. The first season bandit who robs drug dealers; Lester ously inundated with critical praise opens in the dilapidated inner-city Freamon (Clarke Peters), a quiet virtu- and starved of ratings and awards, The projects, where the drug dealers rule oso investigator; world-weary detective Wire is an amazing achievement. I like tyrants and a ragtag police detail “Bunk” Moreland (Wendell Pierce); would not go so far as the tired cliché tries to bring down the kingpins. After abrasive boss William Rawls (John that it’s “the best show on television.” the first arc ends with some minor suc- Doman); Tommy Carcetti (Aidan But I would unhesitatingly call it a cesses but many more setbacks, season Gillen), an up-and-coming politician great television series and a magnifi- two moves to the Baltimore dockyards, who starts by seeking power in order cent indictment of the ills that plague where de-industrialization imperils to save his city; and “Bubbles” (Andre American society. I don’t have enough Royo), a homeless addict and police space to do The Wire justice, but informant starving for redemption. I will try. Fans of The Wire commonly praise The Wire revolves around the the show for being “realistic,” and in a Baltimore drug trade—from the per- way, that’s true. There are no mind- spectives of the pushers who sell the lessly happy Hollywood endings, the drugs, the cops who investigate crimes, actors are always talented but rarely and the citizens who get caught up glamorous, actions always produce in the mayhem. The human costs of consequences, and everything is far drugs are presented in gritty detail, less than ideal. Yet simultaneously, the where vices cripple a run-down city Sisyphean worldview, where nearly in which existence is brutal and life every gain by the good guys is quashed is cheap. Profanity, sex, and violence; and all attempts to repair fractured an entire social class and desperate trademarks of any self-respecting HBO institutions are crushed, is contrived men make foolish choices in order to series, appear in abundance, but they in its own way. The show’s creators are survive. Season three proves that some are used to illustrate the inescapable trying to make a point, but at times of the city’s worst crooks do not deal ugliness of a corrupt and crime-ridden the futility is spread a trifle thick. drugs on the streets, but instead serve system, not for titillation or shock At no point, however, are hope and in City Hall. The midpoint of the series value. The show takes its name from virtue discredited. has a “that for which we fight” theme, the fact that throughout the series, the Without preaching or condescen- showing just what might happen if police advance their investigations sion, The Wire explains why nihilism the police were to give up on their mostly through wiretapping the drug is poisonous, why sin is not a private struggles against drugs. Season four dealers’ phones. matter, and why virtue is necessary critiques how the public schools fail The Wire consists of five seasons despite the fact that doing the right their students, and season five points and sixty episodes. Amazingly, each thing frequently seems futile and rarely an accusing finger at a local newspa- season gets progressively better and earns thanks. Even as the magnificent per and a media culture that values more profound, with increasingly closing scenes of the final episode Pulitzers over the truth. Throughout scathing social commentary and com- depict wrongs going unpunished and each season, cops of varying levels of pelling character development. With selfish ambition reaping obscene virtue try to wrest control of their city each season, the storylines grow more rewards, every second of the series is from thugs and opportunists. Perhaps majestic and the insights more percep- a desperate cry for justice and righ- the finest season is the fourth one, tive. The one exception is the theme teousness to prevail. The Wire is often although my favorite is the fifth. song, which is excellent in the first charged with promoting moral ambigu- Few shows demand as much of season but gets worse with successive ity, but this is a misguided view. The their audience as The Wire does. By season, with a new and inferior remix show maintains a finely tuned moral the fifth season, viewers are required of the same tune tune. Maybe this compass, even though few charac- to keep track of more than a hun- is meant to reflect the series’ bleak ters are able to find their way out of dred finely drawn characters, as well outlook. Certainly, while each remix the jungle. as keeping several dozen plot lines

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 43 : t h e D i s t r i b u t i s t : Economics as if People Mattered the dogs but the bugs. In the chapter called “The Empire Of The Insect,” he observes: The old moralists, I say, permitted the ant to enforce and typify man’s morality; they never allowed the ant to upset it. They used the ant for industry as the lark for punctuality; they looked up at the flapping birds Insectolatry and down at the crawling insects for a homely lesson. But we have lived by Roy F. Moore to see a sect that does not look down at the insects, but looks up at the The one really rousing thing about hen G.K. Chesterton wrote insects, that asks us essentially to human history is that, whether or no bow down and worship beetles, like his book What’s Wrong the proceedings go right, at any rate, ancient Egyptians. With The World back in the prophecies always go wrong. The 1910, he cited several promises are never fulfilled and the The average supporter of the two things that were wrecking threats are never fulfilled. When good rivals to Distributism would shud- Wor would wreck civilization. Among things do happen, they are never the der to think so and deny it. But both these were attacks on productive good things that were guaranteed. And capitalism and socialism—especially its private property, the integrity of even when bad things happen, they Communist and Fascist variants—are the family, and the tyranny of self- are never the bad things that were materialist in nature. The things of appointed elites. These troubles are inevitable. You may be quite certain God, faith, and the soul are relegated not only still with us today, they that, if an old pessimist says the coun- to the edges of life or exiled altogether. try is going to the dogs, it will go to have worsened. As a result, both systems tend to see any other animals except the dogs. Chesterton never relished the humans as similar to insects; one role of prophet that we give him But in this case, he saw his as numbers to be raised or lowered today. He wrote back in 1926: England and the world going not to to enhance profit margins or aid in

Serious about the Western tradition? WE ARE. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know,” Keats reads from his Grecian urn. But in a world where truth is besieged and beauty is ignored in favor of “statements,” we need to know a lot more! Discover Dappled Things, a journal of fiction, poetry, essays, and art inspired by the Catholic tradition. TRY US FOR FREE! Write to [email protected] and receive a FREE sample issue! Or subscribe for one year (4 issues, $19.99) or two (8 issues, $29.99), and we’ll send a free back issue for each year purchased (mention this ad). Subscribe by check or money order, payable to Dappled Things (offer valid only in the USA). Dappled Things Magazine c/o Katherine Cybulski 1203 7th Street, NW, # 203 Washington, DC 20001 www.dappledthings.org

44 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 E i n s t e i n ;;There is a curious effect, a sort of social flutter, which is with the name. And I really believe that the reason is a certain produced by the mere word “relativity,” when, indeed it is increased laziness of the intellect; that fewer people are ready not produced by the mere word “Einstein.” (Illustrated London for a long, sustained logical demonstration, quite apart from News, April 15, 1922) whether we think that the demonstration really demonstrates. (Illustrated London News, Oct. 11, 1930) ;;Nearly all the latest discoveries have been destructive, not of the old dogmas or religion, but rather of the recent ;;No mystic of any mystical school would ever have swept dogmas of science. The conservation of energy could not away matter and materialism so ruthlessly as the physicists itself be entirely conserved. The atom was smashed to have done. There was not a parson in all the parishes of the atoms. And dancing to the tune of Professor Einstein, even world who would have rebelled against the laws of Newton, the law of gravity is behaving with lamentable levity. (“The Other left to himself; or desired to dispute with the discoverer of Side of the Desert,” The New Jerusalem) the Differential Calculus. It is a scientist and a sceptic who offers to prove that Newton is nonsense; or, perhaps, rather ;;The Athanasian Creed does not say that parallel straight to prove that the nonsense of Einstein is more true than the lines never meet, so it would be unaffected by Professor sense of Newton. I am not prepared for a moment Einstein saying, if he does really say, that they are not to arbitrate between the paradoxes of the new parallel or even straight. (Illustrated London News, Aug. 21, 1920) astronomy and the rationalism of the old. I only ;;Science was supposed to bully us into being say that the attack on astronomy has come from rationalists; but it is now supposed to be bul- astronomers, not from astrologers or flat-earthers lying us into being irrationalists. The science or adherents of really antiquated superstitions; of Einstein might rather be called following still less from sane and normal and traditional our unreason as far as it will go, seeing Christians. (Illustrated London News, May 9, 1931) whether the brain will crack under the ;;When people begin to talk about universal conception that space is curved, or that relativity, as if everything were as relative as parallel straight lines always meet. (“The everything else, so that presumably the very Battle with the Dragon,” The New Jerusalem) notion of relativity is itself relative, only relative ;;Most of those who talk about to nobody knows what, they are simply knock- Einstein know nothing but the name, ing the bottom out of the world and the human and the notion that something very brain, and leaving a bottomless abyss of bosh. important has happened in connection (Illustrated London News, Aug. 31, 1935)

undercutting financial rivals, the other of subsidiarity. Approaching problems generated by such small businesses as part of the oppressed masses, ripe related to power or the purse starts and cooperatives. with revolutionary potential, cannon at the lowest level possible. When a Building a Distributist society fodder for establishing a global prole- problem can’t be handled by means won’t happen overnight and every- tarian dictatorship. of its own resources, only then should where at once. But we can start Chesterton coined the word the neighborhood, town, or city call for constructing it today where we live. “insectolatry” for this twisted worldview, help from a more centralized authority. How, one may ask? Shop whenever as twisted as anything spewed from This authority would be restricted in possible at small stores and coopera- the depths of Hell. But Man is not a what it could do according to law. For tives. Do your banking at credit unions bug. Mankind is not a hive. It is cruel us in America, this process is well- and mutual banks whenever possible. to think so even as an unconsciously spelled out in the Tenth Amendment Get involved in local politics, the accepted principle of either Wall of our Constitution. policy-making body most responsive Street or Red Square. But as Shake- In economics, subsidiarity means to change. If you’re able, run for local speare wrote in his play Henry V (and eliminating laws that micromanage office and work to change the laws I slightly paraphrase), when leniency small and medium-sized businesses and statutes to reflect Distributist and cruelty play for a kingdom, the and worker-owned, worker-managed principles. Finally, network with other gentler gamester is the surest winner. cooperatives. It also encourages big like-minded individuals and groups Distributism sees Man as he really businesses to break up into small, to change your county and state step is, made in the image of God, albeit more manageable units, with worker- by step. flawed due to original sin and its ownership and management of these Above all, resist and fight those effects. Unlike her rivals who believe newer entities as an ideal. One of groups and forces scheming to reduce in some form of top-down centralism, the best examples of these policies us all to a mindless hive of consumers either economic or political, Dis- is in Emilia-Romagna in northern or “comrades”—or, God forbid, both tributism holds fast to its core tenet Italy, where 40 percent of GDP is at once.

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 45 : C h e s t e r t o n U n i v e r s i t y : An Introduction to the Writings of G.K. Chesterton by Dale Ahlquist God.” The modern world portrays itself as full of noise and energy and restlessness. Rather, says Chesterton, the age we live in “is really very sleepy; Still Fighting From the Grave all the wheels and the traffic send one The Common Man to sleep.” In between these literary essays are reflections on love and laughter, ost of us do not regard read- The theme is launched with the including the wonderful “Two Stub- ing books as a mere animal title essay of the book. born Pieces of Iron,” a title used to pleasure. But G.K. Chesterton Modern emancipation has really describe those two very different crea- says that it was for him; at been a new persecution of the tures—man and woman—who can only least it was when he was a Common Man. If it has emancipated be joined together when they are “red Mboy and he was reading books for boys. anybody, it has in rather special and hot.” There is also the sermon that He was almost mechanically recep- narrow ways emancipated the Uncom- Chesterton would have preached—had tive, chewing up stories with “the sort mon Man. It has given an eccentric he been a preacher—a sermon against of pleasure that a cow must have in sort of liberty to some of the hobbies the sin of pride and a tour de force of grazing all day long.” He was saddened of the wealthy, and occasionally to the history that might have been: “If that this literary genre had degener- some of the more humane lunacies Don John of Austria had Married Mary ated in his lifetime, but even so, the of the cultured. The only thing that it Queen of Scots.” newer adventure books still retained has forbidden is common sense, as it would have been understood by the This was the first posthumous something of the original delights, common people. collection of Chesterton essays edited even if they were only “the reflection by his secretary and literary execu- of a hundred reflections and each in a The modern intellectuals are trix, Dorothy Collins. The writer she distorting mirror.” always fleeing to different extremes had served so well had been dead for The Common Man is mostly a and then forcing their absurd theo- fourteen years but there was still a book about books. It is not dry liter- ries on the normal people who have demand for his books, albeit a waning ary criticism but is itself an adventure to suffer the consequences. All of the one. She put together some of his best story about adventure stories. Ches- ordinary things are under assault from uncollected essays for this volume, but terton walks with the classical heroes the altar to the hearth. The professors there was still a wealth of scattered as he slays the modern monsters. He who are supposed to appreciate and material to be gathered. She would writes great essays about great books protect the past instead rewrite history bring out seven more such books over but writes exciting essays even about and twist the time-honored texts into the next twenty years. But we are only boring books. He marches across time, tortured meanings. Chesterton muses seeing the beginning of Chesterton’s taking on The Song of Roland, Dr. that he would like to put the head of posthumous works. Not a bad accom- Johnson, Rabelais, Francis Thompson, such a professor on the end of stick, plishment for a writer to keep writing George Meredith, Rupert Brooke, Thac- “in the French Revolutionary manner,” so many books after his death. keray, Dickens (of course), the James and use it as a club with which to beat Brothers (Henry and William), Smollet, some sense into other professors who Tolstoy, Tennyson, Elizabeth Barrett have tried to empty Christianity of Browning, and Chesterton’s friend, its divinity and empty the Bible of its The Promise Walter de la Mare. Also included here inspiration. Emerald is the true color of frost, is Chesterton’s masterful exploration of Theologians and philosophers The promise of winter “the mysticism of happiness” in A Mid- debate about the inspiration of starker than loss, summer Night’s Dream, probably the scripture; but perhaps the most The joy of forgetting not best essay ever written about Shake- philosophical argument, for certain worth the cost. speare (or about any other writer). scriptural sayings being inspired, is Emerald is the true color of frost. There is a reason why great books simply that they sound like it. The slow horizon is soon cut across historical epochs. There is a to be crossed; reason why mediocre books get stuck They have spread the misconcep- The stone colossus cor- in their own era. “The first use of good tion that Christianity is dull, that the roded by moss. literature,” says Chesterton, “is that Christian virtues are tame and timid Emerald is the true color of frost, it prevents a man from being merely and even respectable. Chesterton The promise of winter modern.” Eternal themes don’t wear stands up against them: he asserts that starker than loss. out even when the current fashions the Christian virtues are “vast, defiant, neglect them for a moment in time. and even destructive things, scorning —Christopher Nield “What we call the new ideas are gener- the yoke of this world, dwelling in the ally broken fragments of the old ideas.” desert, and seeking their meat from

46 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : C h e s t e r t o n ’ s M a i l B a g : appreciation. In other words, we agree that it is worthwhile to dis- Gilbert Keith Chesterton Answers His Mail agree. This is not what is meant by agreeing to differ; because it is agreeing to dispute. Social Reform, Shaw, Art, Your friend, G.K. Chesterton Morality, and What to Call (“Second Thoughts on Shaw”)

People from Scotland ; ; ; Dear Mr. Chesterton, religious differences were very marked: Dear Mr. Chesterton, I know that we all agree on social that if our God be God He can deliver You write about art and morality, reform, and that there are things that us out of this furnace, but if not, we but I think you can no longer main- can be done for the poor, but let us be will not worship a golden image that tain your arguments. The time has honest. Let us admit that there really such men have set up; that the safety come where we are now done with is a deeper difference between the of the proud insults heaven; and that all moral judgment of art as art. The rich and the poor other than the fact idols are not always empty, but are the artist’s only moral duty as an artist is that they are either rich or poor. Suc- houses of devils. to be true to his art; and to express cessful people are successful because Your friend, his vision of reality as well as he can. they are trustworthy and hardworking. G.K. Chesterton Signed, Vagabonds and beggars and people (Daily News, Jan. 25, 1913) Mr. Spingarn who can’t hold jobs or won’t work are ; ; ; for the most part not trustworthy. It Dear Mr. Spingarn, is true that an executive may have his I saw that sentence when I was Dear Mr. Chesterton, secret vices, but they are secret and sixteen years old. I saw through it There are people who might be don’t affect anyone else. Whereas, the when I was eighteen years old. What amused at your debates with George public drunkenness and open vices is the meaning of “moral judgment”? Bernard Shaw, but isn’t this getting a of workers have to be prevented with Either it means nothing at all, or it little tiring? It is obvious that neither strict regulation. Food is for all: free- means a general judgment about the of you is going to convince the other of dom is for the few. social effect of men’s actions upon anything. You seem to like each other. Signed, each other. There must be some Why can’t you just agree to disagree? Mr. Tobold effect of artistic action, as of all other Signed, action. If there is, it can be morally Dear Mr. Tobold, Mr. Higgins judged; apart from any judgment And what shall we answer? I Dear Mr. Higgins, when it is artistically judged. confess I can only answer in that Mr. Shaw and I agree that Your friend, lamentable sort of language used when agreement is more practical than G.K. Chesterton (New York American, May 7, 1932)

; ; ;

Dear Mr. Chesterton, It is no longer proper to refer to the “Scots” as the “Scotch.” You may also say “Scottish” but not “Scotch.” Signed, Mr. MacDonald Dear Mr. MacDonald, I shall boldly say ‘Scotch’ because I am talking English. I never heard of Butterscottish, or a Scots-and-soda. Your friend, G.K. Chesterton (Listener, Oct. 17, 1934)

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 47 : N e w s W i t h V i e w s : wine scientists have discovered one Compiled by the Gilbert Magazine News-Gathering Staff of the core aromas of the country’s award-winning sauvignon blanc is— drum roll, please—cat’s pee. Tests by an expert sensory panel were able to discern this particular bouquet among other scents such as those of asparagus, apples, and snow peas. “When the real revolution happens, it They further concluded the fragrance won’t be mentioned in the newspapers.” also contributes to the wine’s unique flavor and that it is growing in popularity worldwide, although we wonder if FORGET THE QUEEN; GOD homicide and ordered to pay more consumer acceptance will continue SAVE ENGLAND than $5,000 in “blood money.” The once word gets out. Should it continue, woman, who was nine months preg- it might be time to revise Chesterton’s LONDON—In 1969, Queen Eliza- nant when the accident occurred, dictum that we should thank God for beth II established the Trinity Cross to had braked suddenly and another car beer, burgundy, and cats by not drink- honor citizens of Trinidad and Tobago pushed her into the car ahead. Even ing too much of them. for distinguished service and gallantry. though she was not at fault, the head Receiving the Trinity Cross is no mean traffic prosecutor said women in their LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE accomplishment, as the award is only third trimester should avoid driving to UNITED NATIONS exceeded by the Victoria Cross and the protect the lives of their unborn chil- George Cross. That hasn’t made much MEXICO CITY—Speaking at a dren. We can’t argue with protecting impression on the 30 percent or so of colloquium in Mexico City earlier this the unborn but as Chesterton noted, the citizenry who happen to be Hindus year, Arie Hoekman of the United the children of the desert tend to hold or Muslims, a number of whom have Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) a one-sided perspective on life, often- refused to accept the honor because of declared that high rates of divorce and times to the exclusion of compassion. its Christian symbolism. Ever ready to out-of-wedlock births were not signs trash its heritage for the sake of a noisy NIGERIAN POLICE ALWAYS of social crisis. Willing to see the glass minority, the Privy Council of London GET THEIR GOAT as half-full, Hoekman said the statis- ruled the decoration unconstitutional tics actually represent “the triumph as it breached the right to equality, LAGOS, Nigeria—Chesterton of human rights over patriarchy and freedom of conscience, and freedom of wrote it is when we regard man as an the rise of new values centered in belief. Perhaps the only upside is the animal that we realize he is not. Unfor- fundamental human rights.” Another decision won’t strip prior recipients of tunately police in Nigeria haven’t read speaker at the same meeting stated their honors. Henceforth the award will much Chesterton. In what has to be those who see the present situation be known as the Order of the Repub- a milestone in the history of criminal as a crisis recognize only one type of lic of Trinidad and Tobago and the detection, police in the Nigerian capital family. We guess they’d consider such Order of the Trinity will become the are holding a black and white goat as people on par with the narrow individ- Distinguished Society of Trinidad and a suspect in the attempted theft of a uals who acknowledge only one type of Tobago, the latter sounding more like Mazda 323. A group of vigilantes had marriage. While claiming to espouse the subject of a gossip column than a spotted two hoodlums attempting to “fundamental human rights,” we note, group honored for service and gallantry. break into the vehicle and gave chase. UNFPA has subsidized forced abortions While some quarters would applaud the While one suspect got away, witnesses in China and coerced sterilizations in Privy Council for its display of toler- said, the other attempted to avoid South America. As for Hoekman and ance, we think G.K. Chesterton would capture by turning himself into a goat. his cohorts, Chesterton would caution consider it another example of toler- A wire service contacted police spokes- them that the changes people talk ance showing a lack of conviction. man Tunde Mohammed, who advised about are never the changes that are that while they could not confirm the really going on. ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE SHARIA story and the alleged transformation had yet to be scientifically confirmed, nev- IMAGINE NO IMAGINATION DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— ertheless the goat remained in custody. While some still label Islam the “reli- LIVERPOOL, England—South We’re not sure whether to bring this to gion of peace,” it’s getting harder to Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral was to the attention of PETA or the ACLU. accuse it of being a religion of compas- sponsor an arts festival. What should sion. A case in point occurred recently ONE TERRIFIC SELLING POINT be its theme? Ever striving for inclu- in Dubai, when a Lebanese woman siveness, organizers delegated the who lost her unborn child in a traffic AUCKLAND, New Zealand—After decision to artist Cleo Evans, who accident was convicted of unintentional six years and $12 million, New Zealand promptly selected John Lennon’s dirge

48 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 : N e w s W i t h V i e w s :

“Imagine.” Recognizing that the song’s beast. According to a story in the making this up. Using models devel- composer himself described the tune National Post, the father of one of the oped to calculate the effects of more as anti-religious, some complained boys, in an effort to clear his son and plausible pandemics, the scientists of the choice. Cathedral representa- his companions, raised an interesting determined that unless humanity acted tives brushed aside criticisms saying, alibi defense. He alleged that the boys quickly, we might as well give up our “We recognize [the song’s] power to could not have been harassing the Vikings season tickets. While quaran- make us think. As a cathedral we do moose “because they were vandalizing tine or a medical cure might lead to not shrink from debate.” Nor from a church at the time.” As Chesterton the coexistence of humans and zom- capitulating to the spirit of the age once commented, “Men do not differ bies, the scientists were not optimistic it would seem, and “Imagine” pealed much about what things they will call these would be plausible measures. forth from the Cathedral’s hand-bell evils; they differ enormously about They’re convinced the most effective choir and from the world-famous what evils they will call excusable.” way to contain the rise of the undead Anglican bells in the Cathedral belfry. We wonder which is the more excus- is to “hit hard and hit often,” but they We suppose, as Chesterton saw it, able offense under Canadian law. were a little sketchy about what that people have to be induced to attend would mean. progressive churches like Liverpool AN UNDEAD ISSUE So let’s get this straight. Scientists Cathedral, even if it means turning it who for the most part call belief in OTTAWA—As if modern science into something else. God irrational and unscientific are hasn’t sought to terrify us enough, a calculating the effect of creatures that team of scientists from the University WE WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN? don’t exist on a world that actually of Ottawa has discovered civilization does? As Chesterton once said, sci- LONDON—In a survey of more as we know it would most likely perish ence is either a tool or a toy. In this than 1,000 British secondary school if ever attacked by zombies. We’re not case, you be the judge. students in which they were asked questions about the Holocaust, nearly a quarter could not identify Auschwitz C l e r i h e w C o r n e r as the place where 1.3 million human beings perished during World War The Originator II. Alternate answers were that it was Celebrating Famous & Mr. H.G. Wells a kind of beer, a type of bread, a Infamous Names with Was composed of cells. religious festival, or a country that E.C. Bentley’s Elusive He thought the human race bordered Germany. The survey also Light Verse Form Was a perfect disgrace. showed that 60 percent of those —Edmund Clerihew Bentley surveyed did not know what the Final Solution was, with 20 percent claiming it was the name of peace talks The Imitators held to end the war. The survey’s only Albert Einstein Alexander Hamilton encouraging result was 97 percent Had to pay a traffic fine For President could never run. of the students could identify Adolf For trying to reach the speed of light But money-wise it’s been his fate Hitler from a photograph, although the In his Packard one night. To beat Mr. Jefferson by eight. remaining three percent mistook him for Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali, —Lee Strong, Rochester, New York —Chuck Chalberg, Minneapolis, Minnesota or Albert Einstein. Gerard Manley Hopkins Alfred E. Neuman Chesterton said the disadvantage Lived long before pop cans. An exceptional human! of not knowing the past is that it But not before foil Impeccable in his diction, prevents us from knowing the present. And the ooze of oil. A shame that he’s utterly fiction. From what we see at present, this is —Archibald Skemp, Minneapolis, Minnesota —Matt Heflin, Bakersfield, California not a healthy state of affairs. Giacomo Puccini The notorious Brittany Spears AN INTERESTING ALIBI DEFENSE Liked linguini. Causes many a mom’s greatest fears. Had he filmed Tosca Mom just hopes and prays her daughter NEWFOUNDLAND—Three He would have won an Osca. Will do what she oughter. Newfoundland boys were cleared of —Bob Cook, Bainbridge, Ohio —James Wenders, West Allis, Wisconsin suspicion that they chased and beat a young moose. The moose, exhausted CLERIHEW: A humorous, unmetrical, biographical verse of four short lines—two closed and severely dehydrated, had to be couplets—with the first rhyme a play on the name of the subject. Readers are invited to put down. Apparently the boys did submit clerihews for “The Clerihew Corner,” with the understanding that submissions poke the moose with a stick in an cannot be acknowledged or returned, nor will all be published. effort to get the animal to stand up, but were not trying to hurt the poor

Gilbert Magazine Outlining Sanity 49 : E n c o r e ! : un-educated, has no means of A Shorter Essay by G.K. Chesterton distinguishing between the true and the false, scientists in general suffer discredit. It is a grave injustice done to science and scientists. But it is not Saner Science we who do it. We are indeed most by G.K. Chesterton eager to undo it. Nevertheless, even sound and reputable scientists have not been he Meeting of the British Asso- make fools of themselves anyhow just without blame in bringing discredit ciation has been remarkable for because they are wrong headed. It is a upon their fraternity. In the intoxica- at least one pleasant feature this mistake to suppose that an academic tion of a new discovery of great value, year. We have been spared the degree or a professional chair, even or in the formulation of a new theory painful exhibition of intelligent when capped by a knighthood, makes of great ingenuity and beauty, they Tmen making fools of themselves, or a great scientist of a man, still less have fallen into the sin of intellec- being made fools of by the Press. This a thinker or philosopher. He may be tual pride. Their lack of traditional learned Association, as David Brewster little more than a skilled technician philosophic balance, their ignorance conceived it, should be a gathering of and a keen observer; he may be even of philosophic standards and lack scientists which gives them an oppor- less. But it is a still greater mistake of philosophic anchorage, has left tunity of talking shop together, and to suppose that his colleagues do not them at the mercy of the storm in showing one another what they have know his failings or that they are taken a sea of error and unwisdom. They found in their gropings since they last in by him. The Press may be taken in, have fallen into the grave error and met. It was not meant to be a gather- and through the Press, the Public. But foolishness of assuming that because ing of vain jargon-mongers airing their the world of science as a whole will they discovered even partially the dog-Latin to impress the ignorant mob. tolerate a deal of foolishness for the how, they had simultaneously Still less was it meant to be a spectacle little good in him. discovered the what as well as the for the Peeping Toms of Fleet Street. Scientists as a body are not so wherefore and the why. The British Association probably did foolish as many people accuse us of There is hope when the scientists itself the worst possible service when believing them. Individually they may really begin to distinguish between it let the Press in. For the Press is out be as foolish as the rest of us. And knowledge and understanding—hope for something startling, and whether speaking of foolishness it is curious to that they are approaching the frame anything startling is uttered or not, the reflect that if we less academic mortals of mind in which they will merit the reporter who is sensitive to his family make a statement completely at vari- respect of all intelligent men, when responsibilities, will find something ance with the common experience they will not need to be reminded, startling either by design or accident. and belief of mankind, such as that as their own Kronecker The bulk of the proceedings of water never finds its own level or that reminded them, the British Association are intensely fish thrive best on dry land, we should that “God made interesting to the specialists. Yet while be ignored or treated as lunatics. In the integers.” the specialists admit quite frankly fact the plight of the ordinary man is that they have difficulty in under- little better if he makes a statement (G.K.’s Weekly, standing one another, the reporter is completely in accord with human September not allowed to have any difficulty in experience and belief, such as that 20, 1930) understanding them and conveying the family is a natural group or that the great news to the cabman’s wife. It men dislike slavery. Yet when a man is should not be surprising that the man labelled a scientist or a professor, and who cannot, or does not, usually report he makes a statement as completely a fire or an aeroplane crash or a public outrageous as our first examples, such meeting without getting the principal as that there is no God or that we names wrong, is expected to report are only a bigger sort of ant, we correctly a new theory of the nature of are expected to listen respect- matter or the nature of man. fully and assume that there In justice to the scientists it must must be something in it. Of be admitted that they are very often course, scientists are not so traduced by misreporting. They also foolish, but the Press is. And very often traduce themselves by suc- since the Press is now the cumbing to the publicity-complex—it general public’s only source is the pardonable result of a natural of information, and the weakness. Some of them, again, will public, being systematically

50 Volume 13 Number 1, September 2009 THE CHESTERTON REVIEW The Journal of the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture Seton Hall University

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