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

By Kevin Belmonte

You may be aware that G. K. Chesterton authored influential Christian biographies and apologetics. But you may not know the larger-than-life Gilbert Keith Chesterton himself—not yet. Equally versed in poetry, novels, literary criticism, and journalism, he addressed politics, culture, and religion with a towering intellect and a soaring wit.

Chesterton engaged his world through the written word. He carried on lively, public discussions with the social commentators of his day, continually challenging them with civility, humility, erudition, and his ever-sharp sense of humor. Today’s reader can find the same treasures, for as Chesterton said, “What a man can believe depends upon his philosophy, not upon the clock or the century.”

In Kevin Belmonte’s fresh new biography, you’ll get to know the real G. K. Chesterton and his literary and cultured accomplishments. A giant of his time, Chesterton continues to live large in the imaginations of twenty-first-century readers.

Endorsements:

“Chesterton’s explanation of Christianity makes absolute sense of the world. He reminds us that, free of our comforting delusions, reality is a tragic adventure in which we get to participate.” —DONALD MILLER, author of the New York Times bestsellers A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and Blue Like Jazz

“Bravo to Kevin Belmonte for turning his caring attention to the incomparably hilarious and brilliant genius that is G.K. Chesterton!” —ERIC METAXAS, New York Times best-selling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery

“There’s a great new biography about one of the Christian giants of the 20th Century. And I mean that literally. To read Kevin Belmonte's recent book Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G. K. Chesterton, is to feel a powerful sense of longing . . . because there is such a longing, a great need for advocates like Chesterton in our day. . . . But let's be grateful we still have the works of that great man to study and learn from. . . And we also have for you have Belmonte's vibrant new biography -- a wonderful reminder of the magnificent example Chesterton has set for us.”—CHUCK COLSON(http://patriotpost.us/opinion/chuck-colson/2012/01/26/defiant-joy-why-we-still-need-chesterton/)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Jan 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781595553836

Kevin Belmonte

Kevin Belmonte holds a BA in English Literature and two MA's in Church History and American and New England studies. He is the author of several books including William Wilberforce: A Hero for Humanity and winner of the prestigious John Pollock Award for Christian Biography

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Reviews for Defiant Joy

[wisewoman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was a sharp-witted British author famous for his genial sense of humor and unconventional way of stating truth. This collection of quotes covers a wide range of topics, from snippets of Chesterton's novels to his literary criticism of such authors as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Chesterton was an accomplished essayist—which in my mind means that he had opinions on every subject and no compunctions about sharing them! He loved to debate (especially with his friendly enemy George Bernard Shaw), and his reasoned defenses of Christian doctrine continue to instruct readers today. His fiction explores such diverse genres as fantasy and detective fiction, and he also wrote plays and poetry. Chesterton's style is very distinctive, and after reading a good dose of his quotes I would find myself thinking in his language, turning the meaning of truth inside out to make old things seem new. He said once that paradox is just truth standing on her head to get attention, and he made full use of the strength of that technique. His literary presence (like his physical) is mammoth; his continuing influence on other authors is astonishing. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man was instrumental in C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity, and countless other authors have pointed to Chesterton as their benefactor in some way, including Dorothy Sayers, Mahatma Gandhi, Neil Gaiman, and more.It took me quite awhile to get through this book of quotes. This type of collection is hard to read all at once; as much as I enjoy Chesterton, I found that a little goes a long way. The same was true when I started reading his Father Brown mysteries. They're excellent, but are best taken one at a time. But I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion into Chesterton's thought, and I think a collection of his quotes has been long overdue.Witty, often hilarious even when dealing with serious subjects, with his eyes wide open to the beauty and poetry of the ordinariness of every day, and with ideas that are startlingly relevant in our postmodern world, Chesterton is not an author to miss. And if you are the sort of person who enjoys crystalline quotes as representative of an author's thought, Chesterton is a veritable diamond mine. Recommended!Disclosure: I received this book at no cost through Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program. This review is my honest opinion of the work.

[ladyd_books · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Quotable Chesterton is an amazing compilation of articles (quotes) by G K Chesterton, an English writer and literary critic that were published in the early 1900's. I am a first-time reader and have come away with a deep respect for an extremely intelligent man who was a brilliant word-crafter.You'll find his quotes, and many of my favorites, covering a vast amount of topics such as Charity, Eternity, Greatness, Marriage and Music; just to name a few since Chesterton covers many passages from Politics to Fairy tales.What has impressed me the most in reading his book of quotes is understanding Chesterton's stand on defending the Christian faith and sharing his perspective and take on so many things that were so relevant to the 20th century.I found Chesterton to be a great poet and a good one at that. Indeed his writings are a blessing to mankind. He wrote, "If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of man become in its long journey towards the stars."I can see why Chesterton `s book The Everlasting Man contributed to C.S. Lewis' conversion. Now I am a Chesterton fan. This is a great book, The Quotable Chesterton.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was a sharp-witted British author famous for his genial sense of humor and unconventional way of stating truth. This collection of quotes covers a wide range of topics, from snippets of Chesterton's novels to his literary criticism of such authors as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. Chesterton was an accomplished essayist—which in my mind means that he had opinions on every subject and no compunctions about sharing them! He loved to debate (especially with his friendly enemy George Bernard Shaw), and his reasoned defenses of Christian doctrine continue to instruct readers today. His fiction explores such diverse genres as fantasy and detective fiction, and he also wrote plays and poetry. Chesterton's style is very distinctive, and after reading a good dose of his quotes I would find myself thinking in his language, turning the meaning of truth inside out to make old things seem new. He said once that paradox is just truth standing on her head to get attention, and he made full use of the strength of that technique. His literary presence (like his physical) is mammoth; his continuing influence on other authors is astonishing. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man was instrumental in C. S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity, and countless other authors have pointed to Chesterton as their benefactor in some way, including Dorothy Sayers, Mahatma Gandhi, Neil Gaiman, and more.It took me quite awhile to get through this book of quotes. This type of collection is hard to read all at once; as much as I enjoy Chesterton, I found that a little goes a long way. The same was true when I started reading his Father Brown mysteries. They're excellent, but are best taken one at a time. But I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion into Chesterton's thought, and I think a collection of his quotes has been long overdue.Witty, often hilarious even when dealing with serious subjects, with his eyes wide open to the beauty and poetry of the ordinariness of every day, and with ideas that are startlingly relevant in our postmodern world, Chesterton is not an author to miss. And if you are the sort of person who enjoys crystalline quotes as representative of an author's thought, Chesterton is a veritable diamond mine. Recommended!Disclosure: I received this book at no cost through Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program. This review is my honest opinion of the work.