We've eaten our hats; we've set the Thames on fire; we have even seen pigs fly. What will happen next? Well, you'll just have to come and read!
See you tomorrow night (Wednesday, 10/23/13) at Schwager chateau at 7pm.
Blessings,
Marcus
Showing posts with label Chesterton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chesterton. Show all posts
We Meet Tomorrow Night!
Greetings Chestertonians!
We've eaten our hats; we've set the Thames on fire; we have even seen pigs fly. What will happen next? Well, you'll just have to come and read!
See you tomorrow night (Wednesday, 10/23/13) at Schwager chateau at 7pm.
Blessings,
Marcus
We've eaten our hats; we've set the Thames on fire; we have even seen pigs fly. What will happen next? Well, you'll just have to come and read!
See you tomorrow night (Wednesday, 10/23/13) at Schwager chateau at 7pm.
Blessings,
Marcus
Prothalamion By Edmund Spenser
CALM was the day, and through the trembling air
Sweet breathing Zephyrus did softly play,
G. K. Chesterton and Abortion
Greetings Chestertonians!
We meet tonight at 7pm. Beside the previous post, I should mention that a church many of us hail from (Trinity Covenant Church in Aptos) is praying for the opening of the Forty Days for Life in Watsonville. The Forty Days for Life prays to end abortion. Some may even be fasting, so I thought I'd have a bit more snacks than usual for any who wish to break the fast this evening. You are free, as always, to bring anything you wish.
In case there was any doubt, Chesterton was decidedly against abortion long before it had set in as it has today. He generally attacked it at the roots of eugenics and Christian doctrine.
In Eugenic and Other Evils, Chesterton writes on the persecution of the beggarly in his land:
"The game laws have taken from him his human command of Nature. The mendicancy laws have taken from him his human demand on Man. There is one human thing left it is much harder to take from him. Debased by him and his betters, it is still something brought out of Eden, where God made him a demigod: it does not depend on money and but little on time. He can create in his own image. The terrible truth is in the heart of a hundred legends and mysteries. As Jupiter could be hidden from all-devouring Time, as the Christ Child could be hidden from Herod—so the child unborn is still hidden from the omniscient oppressor. He who lives not yet, he and he alone is left; and they seek his life to take it away."
Here is a nice turn against the idea that Christians today need to be more broad minded on issues like these since times have changed:
"Man can be defined as an animal that makes dogmas. As he piles doctrine on doctrine and conclusion on conclusion in the formation of some tremendous scheme of philosophy and religion, he is, in the only legitimate sense . . . becoming more and more human. When he drops one doctrine after another in a refined scepticism, when he says that he has outgrown definitions, when he says that he disbelieves in finality, when, in his own imagination, he sits as God, holding to no form of creed and contemplating all, then he is by that very process sinking slowly backwards into the vagueness of the vagrant animals and the unconsciousness of grass. Trees have no dogmas. Turnips are singularly broad-minded" (from Heretics).
Here is Chesterton waxing paradoxically wonderful: "The two facts which attract almost every normal person to children are, first, that they are very serious, and secondly, that they are in consequence very happy" (from the essay "In Defence of Baby Worship” from The Defendant, 1903).
We meet tonight at 7pm. Beside the previous post, I should mention that a church many of us hail from (Trinity Covenant Church in Aptos) is praying for the opening of the Forty Days for Life in Watsonville. The Forty Days for Life prays to end abortion. Some may even be fasting, so I thought I'd have a bit more snacks than usual for any who wish to break the fast this evening. You are free, as always, to bring anything you wish.
In case there was any doubt, Chesterton was decidedly against abortion long before it had set in as it has today. He generally attacked it at the roots of eugenics and Christian doctrine.
In Eugenic and Other Evils, Chesterton writes on the persecution of the beggarly in his land:
"The game laws have taken from him his human command of Nature. The mendicancy laws have taken from him his human demand on Man. There is one human thing left it is much harder to take from him. Debased by him and his betters, it is still something brought out of Eden, where God made him a demigod: it does not depend on money and but little on time. He can create in his own image. The terrible truth is in the heart of a hundred legends and mysteries. As Jupiter could be hidden from all-devouring Time, as the Christ Child could be hidden from Herod—so the child unborn is still hidden from the omniscient oppressor. He who lives not yet, he and he alone is left; and they seek his life to take it away."
Here is a nice turn against the idea that Christians today need to be more broad minded on issues like these since times have changed:
"Man can be defined as an animal that makes dogmas. As he piles doctrine on doctrine and conclusion on conclusion in the formation of some tremendous scheme of philosophy and religion, he is, in the only legitimate sense . . . becoming more and more human. When he drops one doctrine after another in a refined scepticism, when he says that he has outgrown definitions, when he says that he disbelieves in finality, when, in his own imagination, he sits as God, holding to no form of creed and contemplating all, then he is by that very process sinking slowly backwards into the vagueness of the vagrant animals and the unconsciousness of grass. Trees have no dogmas. Turnips are singularly broad-minded" (from Heretics).
Here is Chesterton waxing paradoxically wonderful: "The two facts which attract almost every normal person to children are, first, that they are very serious, and secondly, that they are in consequence very happy" (from the essay "In Defence of Baby Worship” from The Defendant, 1903).
G. K. C. September Meeting, Wednesday, September 25, 7 pm.
Come one, come all! We will be reading chapter three of Tales of the Long Bow.
Here is a gem from our last reading. Owen Hood speaks:
“But then, for that matter, we all support Dr. Hunter. I myself have always found him quite supportable; I should say quite satisfactory. He is truly a progressive, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than to watch him progress. As somebody said, I lie awake at night, and in the silence of the whole universe, I seem to hear him climbing, climbing, climbing. All the numerous patients among whom he has laboured so successfully in this locality will join in a heartfelt expression of joy if he passes to the higher world of Westminster. I trust I shall not be misunderstood. Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song.”
“But then, for that matter, we all support Dr. Hunter. I myself have always found him quite supportable; I should say quite satisfactory. He is truly a progressive, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than to watch him progress. As somebody said, I lie awake at night, and in the silence of the whole universe, I seem to hear him climbing, climbing, climbing. All the numerous patients among whom he has laboured so successfully in this locality will join in a heartfelt expression of joy if he passes to the higher world of Westminster. I trust I shall not be misunderstood. Sweet Thames, run softly till I end my song.”
And those who came last week know how the Thames did run that night!
We
will begin our next G. K. C. reading with the heart of Chesterton's
allusion above ("Sweet Thames, run softly...": Edmund Spenser).
August Meeting: Wednesday the 21st at 7pm
Chestertonians!
Usually we meet on the fourth Wednesday, but as I have a back-to-school night, I need to move it to the third Wednesday (the 21st) this month.
See you then for chapter two of Tales of the Long Bow!
Blessings
Usually we meet on the fourth Wednesday, but as I have a back-to-school night, I need to move it to the third Wednesday (the 21st) this month.
See you then for chapter two of Tales of the Long Bow!
Blessings
The Pig Flies July 24, 7 pm
Mark your calendar: our next meeting is Wed., July 24 at 7 pm.It is time for us to begin plowing through a complete G. K. C. book together. We will read the collection of fictional tales I drew our name from: Tales of the Long Bow. In past months' G. K. C. readings, we've noticed how well Chesterton's thoughts speak to current issues. You will find this no less the case in his fiction. Tales of the Long Bow is the wild story of a small group of truth tellers taking on a bloated, liberty and property redefining bureaucratic State (sound familiar?). Chesterton drew from the tales of Robin Hood for inspiration. You don't want to miss it!Please secure a copy of this book for our July meeting. We have a wonderful resource for Chestertonia in our midst: Santa Cruz Books (Diane Garaway: santacruzbooks@gmail.com). Find the edition that suits you, and email her with your request:1. Modern Editions* Paperbacks: $16.00* Collected Works of GKC Volume 8: The Return of Don Quixote, Tales of the Long Bow, and The Man Who Knew Too Much (all three in one book)- Hardback with Jacket: $43.00- Softcover: $27.00
2. Vintage Hardback Editions*New World Chesterton (1950's vintage awesome hardback!): $40.00* First US Edition (first edition vintage awesome hardback!): $65.00Or, if you'd like a free .pdf copy for your digital reader, go here:http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/Tales.of.the.Long.Bow-G.K.Chesterton.pdf.See you on the 24th, armed for battle!Marcus (Kusie) Schwager
It's Official
Our Chesterton society is now recognized by the American Chesterton Society (http://www.chesterton.org/explore-the-acs/local-societies/)! California is now tied with New York for the greatest number of Chesterton societies in America (Societies of Refuge, no doubt =). As you might have guess from our blog title, we are The Long Bow League: Watsonville Chesterton Society. Hurrah!
June Chesterton Meeting, 6/26/13: Do the Math, Part π
Chestertonians unite: take back the night! If it is warm this evening, and all are happy to, we will read outside. I'll fire up the outdoor firepit for some evening ambiance. If any are faint hearted, we will remain in house (51 Roosevelt St., 7pm). I have reading selections printed for you.
Tonight's Readings:
Tonight's Readings:
- Anything from the Chestertonians
- Finish Jaki's chapter selection "Champion of the Universe" pp. 114-117
- G. K. C. "Principles, Medieval and Modern," April 7, 1923
- G. K. C. "Progress and the Progressives," April 14, 1923
Reivew of Chesterton's Birthday; May Meeting: Do the Math, Part I
Thank you for turning 139, G. K. C.! Thank you, Susie, for all the blessings you brought! Thanks to my wife for the glorious strawberry rhubarb crumble. I ate so much I couldn't sleep. Hehehe. Thanks to Joe for sharing from his book as he adds his final flourishes for publication. Our theme was "Do the Math," and, thankfully, we had three attendees who were stronger in the math and science departments to help the rest of us out. Since we've generally read prose since Christmas, I gave myself the challenge of finding science and math themes from Chesterton's verse. For those who couldn't come but would like to follow along, we read the following (just email me for copies):- "Beneath a Microscope"
- "The Broad-Minded Child's Religious and Philosophical Alphabet"
- "IV. Arithmetic"
- "The Hygenists in Heaven"
- "The Experimentalist"
- "An Agreement"
- Selections from Stanley L. Jaki's lectures on "Chesterton, A Seer of Science"
Next Long Bow League Meeting: Wednesday, May 29th
Let's celebrate G. K. Chesterton's 139th birthday with joy! Bring a snack and a drink. I will provide some more of the same and our evening's readings.
Next Chestertonian Society Meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013
Wednesday, Feb 27: Come one, come all to our next Chestertonian society meeting! We continue with essays by Chesterton on modernism the arts.
- Where? 51 Roosevelt St. in Watsonville, CA, at the home of Marcus and Meris Schwager.
- When? The fourth Wednesday night of each month, 7-9 pm.
- What do I bring? Nothing. Refreshments are neither required nor provided; bring anything you wish to share, and I will put out whatever I can dig up.
- What do you do? We read our writing for a bit (to encourage and jeer our aspiring writers); read Chesterton for a while; relax.
- Who is invited? You are.
- Why Chesterton? Chesterton was a profound and jolly thinker who had a powerful and positive influence on Lewis, Tolkien, Sayers...even Hemingway (if that were possible). He had a thousand marvelous things to say on a thousand subjects, so we have plenty to enjoy.
- Where can I get sweet old copies of Chesterton? Santa Cruz Books
- Do I need to bring a book? I will provide copies of for a while, then we'll get into a book.
Upcoming Longbow League Meeting: January
Chesterton (all invited; meets the 4th Wed. of the month)
- First meeting, Jan. 23, 7-9pm; 51 Roosevelt St., Watsonville.
- Subject: Art and the artist. I will provide copies of our reading when you arrive.
- "Whitman: The Artist as Pioneer," 1925
- "Swift and the Essay," 1932
- "The Brevity of Modern Poems," 1932
Very Brief Religious Biography of G.K.C.
- Theological note: Chesterton, in many ways, has a marvelous consistency of thought throughout his believing life. Externally, though, Chesterton has four basic stages of religious persuasion.
- 1874-1895ish: He grew up in a nominally Christian home. Chesterton, at age 19, was an agnostic in crisis...searching for a solid atheism. Reading atheistic writers cured him of that impulse.
- 1895ish-1922: Chesterton moves from his anti-atheism toward strong Christian faith. He fell in love with Francis Blogg in 1896. Her influence led him to take on the mantle of Protestant Anglican faith with growing Anglo-Catholic leanings. No doubt these leanings had much to do with his longtime Roman Catholic friend and cohort, Hillaire Belloc, whom he met in 1900.
- 1922-1936: Chesterton's leanings grew until he finally became officially Roman Catholic in 1922 (though he had delayed for years in consideration of the effect his Roman Catholic conversion might have on his wife).
- 1936-present: He went to heaven and was disabused of his wonderfully few, though fierce, misapprehensions.
Chesterton Reformed
Chesterton Reformed: A Protestant Interpretation
James Sauer
I've got a problem with Chesterton. The problem is that I think he is a wonderful, wise, witty, and pious man; after reading his works, I never leave the page without feeling edified. Then what's the problem? Perhaps, the problem, if it is a problem, isn't in Chesterton, but in me. For I am a Protestant; but not just any Protestant. I am an American Evangelical Protestant. But there's more. I am a Conservative, Capitalistic, Bible thumping American Evangelical Protestant. And hold on to your seats folks, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse; I must confess, I am also a Calvinist. We all have our crosses to bear. Anyone who is familiar with the writings of Chesterton will see the great irony in my situation.
The Longbow League: Chestertonian Literary Society
We are on hiatus (we have a bounding baby to keep us busy in the evenings right now).
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