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Heythrop College London G.K. Chesterton's Concept Of View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Heythrop College Publications HEYTHROP COLLEGE LONDON G.K. CHESTERTON’S CONCEPT OF HOLINESS IN DAILY LIFE A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY MARTINE EMMA THOMPSON LONDON 2014 1 Abstract The term holiness and the concept of sainthood have come under much scrutiny in recent times, both among theologians and the modern laity. There is a sense that these terms or virtues belong to an age long past, and that they are remote and irrelevant to modern believers; that there is the ‘ideal’ but that it is not seriously attainable in a secular, busy modern world with all its demands. Moreover, many believe that sainthood is accessible only to the very few, attained by those who undergo strict ascetic regimes of self-denial and rejection of a ‘normal’ life. However, these conceptions of holiness are clearly at odds with, and may be challenged by others, including the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching of a ‘universal call to holiness’. One of the aims of this thesis is to address those misconceptions with particular focus upon the theological concepts of the writer G.K. Chesterton and his understanding of holiness in the ordinary. Having been a popular writer and journalist, it has proved difficult for some academics and laypeople to accept Chesterton as a theologian. Furthermore, Chesterton considered himself to be an ordinary man, he did not belong to a religious order or community, and yet he was a theological writer who formulated an original conception of holiness in the ordinary. This thesis will begin by reflecting upon some relevant current debates in theology and spirituality, which will be an important task as a way of pouring light upon the concepts of holiness in the past, and more importantly in the present. Furthermore, this particular discussion aims to reveal the relevance of Chesterton’s own theological stand within the current debates. Following on from this will be an analysis of the term holiness, as well 2 as a reflection upon some of the major tensions that have arisen in Christian history: tensions that appear in the way people think or write about holiness, or struggle to live holy lives and which have contributed to the occurrence of current conceptions of holiness. This thesis also hopes to show how Chesterton’s theological perception, through the use of the imagination, offers an interesting, coherent and in many ways original contribution to current debates about ways of understanding holiness, and how the main themes of his concept can contribute to the Church’s argument: that the attainment of holiness is a ‘universal call’. I will begin by showing how Chesterton’s sense of wonder and joy at existence formed into what I will label his ‘theology of Creation’ in some depth. I will move on to his innate sense that God is still in His Creation despite the fall, due to Christ’s coming into the world, and explore what is really his Incarnational theology. The final section of the main body of my work will deal with the suffering brought about by sin, subtitled ‘The Cross’; this in some depth in order to counter-balance Chesterton’s profound optimism; an optimism that draws much criticism. The overall thesis will claim that this writer is a serious candidate to be considered as a representative of a teaching of holiness in the ordinary. Consequently it will contend that Chesterton was a writer who should be taken seriously as a theologian. 3 4 Table of Contents Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Declarations Page 4 Table of Contents 5 Outline of Thesis 8 Chapter 1: Introduction – Context and Current Debates 10 1. The Place of Imagination in Theology 10 2. The Divorce between Spirituality and Theology and the need for Integration 15 3. Understandings of Holiness 21 3.1 Holiness in the Bible 21 4. Historical Responses to God’s Call 25 4.1 “The Ordinary” versus “The Heroic” 25 4.2 “The Heart” versus “The Intellect” 30 4.3 “Engagement” versus “Withdrawal” 34 5. Conclusion 43 Chapter 2: Literature Review 45 1. Chesterton as Theologian: David W. Fagerberg, Aidan Nichols O.P. and Stratford Caldecott 45 2. Chesterton’s Understanding of Evil: Mark J. Knight, William Oddie and Ralph C. Wood 50 3. Chesterton’s Understanding of Holiness: Sr Marie Virginia, Emile Cammaerts, Fr Robert Wild and The Holiness of G.K. Chesterton ed. by William Oddie 54 4. Chesterton’s Use of Literary Devices: Hugh Kenner, Herbert Marshall McLuhan and Michael D. Hurley 60 5. Conclusion 68 Chapter 3: Chesterton and Creation Theology 71 1. What is the Doctrine of Creation? 71 5 1.1 Chesterton’s Theology of Creation 74 2. The Development of a Spiritual Awareness 74 2.1 What does Chesterton mean by Wonder? 77 2.2 Before we can Love it is Necessary to Wonder 79 2.3 Awakening to the Garden of Eden 83 2.4 Chesterton and Original Sin 88 2.5 Surviving the Wreck and Recapturing the Innocence of Wonder 90 2.6 Discovery of Evil: The Spirit of Revolt 96 3. The Problem of ‘Over-Familiarity’ 107 3.1 Stirring the Senses 110 3.2 The Significance of Colour 120 3.3 The Banal and Ordinary as Strange 126 3.4 The Nonsensical and the Absurd 128 4. The Link between Chesterton’s thinking on Wonder and Creation Theology 136 5. Conclusion 142 Chapter 4: Chesterton and the Incarnation 145 1. Chesterton and Paradox 145 2. Chesterton’s Understanding of the Incarnation 147 2.1 Christ as Man: An Early Perception 149 2.2 The Consequences of God becoming Man 153 3. ‘Glory to God in the Lowest’: ‘A Religion of Little Things’ 156 3.1 The God Born of a Human Mother 169 3.2 The Domesticity of Christianity 173 3.3 God as Outcast: Changing the World’s Perception of the Poor and Ordinary 176 3.4 Humility, Charity and the Holy ‘Human’ Family 190 4. Conclusion 193 Chapter 5: Chesterton and the Cross 196 1. The Cross 196 1.1 Critical Views of Chesterton’s Understanding of Suffering and the Cross 197 2. Christian Asceticism: Elitist and Otherworldly? 204 2.1 Asceticism and St Francis of Assisi 209 2.2 Asceticism and the Re-Ordering of Fallen Free Will 215 2.3 Chesterton’s use of the Ballad Form 219 6 3. The Scandal of Christ: an Apparently Weak God 226 3.1 Using the Everyday Experience of Suffering as a Way to Holiness 231 3.2 The Humiliation and Fear of St Francis and King Alfred 232 3.3 Faith and Hope: Failure in the World but Becoming Holy 240 4. Vulnerability, Dependence and Thanksgiving 247 4.1 A Sense of Gratitude which Blooms into Love 256 5. Conclusion 259 Chapter 6: Conclusion 263 Bibliography 269 7 Outline of Thesis It is fair to say that until recently Chesterton has not generally been considered as a serious theological writer. This thesis hopes to show that the popular writer and journalist has a very important contribution to make within the current theological debates on holiness. My aim in this thesis is to work through a large section of the corpus of Chesterton’s writings, across his literary genres, in order to draw out and present his concepts in an academic theological framework. In particular, this thesis aims to present his theological concept of a holiness that is accessible and attainable to contemporary Christians living in a twenty-first century, post-Christian secular society. I will use the term ‘holiness in the ordinary’ or ‘holiness in the everyday’ as a shorthand reference to his concept. The originality of this thesis lies in the study of Chesterton’s use of a combination of literary techniques and imagination in order to develop and teach his theology. This thesis hopes to show that Chesterton’s theology is both traditional and contemporary, yet fresh and indeed original. In Chapter 1 I will be looking at aspects of some of the current debates in theology and spirituality. This will be followed by a study of different definitions of the word holiness, as well as a survey of some of the major tensions that have occurred in Christian history as a result of the differing views on ‘who’ and ‘what’ was considered to be holy. This discussion of the major tensions will also reflect upon those figures who strove to resolve these problems and tensions. Carrying out this particular task will prove useful and important; Chesterton himself grappled with similar tensions and dualisms and strove to resolve them when coming to an understanding of holiness in the 8 everyday. This will provide a context for the following chapters which will show how Chesterton approached such tensions and dualisms, and the way he sought to resolve them. Chapter 2 will be a review of the relevant secondary literature on Chesterton’s understanding of holiness. I will be examining here what work, if any, has already been completed on Chesterton’s thinking in this area and what areas therefore are in need of developing. Chapter 3 will explore the main aspects of Chesterton’s ‘theology of Creation’ and will be an investigation into why he considered that the reawakening of wonder and joy towards the ordinary world around us important; a world which he perceived as created by, and reflective of God Himself. Chapter 4 will examine this writer’s understanding of the Incarnation, the main themes which arise in his thinking on the subject and how they relate to his concept of holiness in the ordinary.
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