Orthodoxy: With Annotations and Guided Reading by Trevin Wax

Loved this book by one of the theologic inspirations for CS Lewis. Chesterton gives a both wry and deeply philosophical in argument of the Christian religion through his personal journey of faith.

This book is absolutely beautiful, to the point where I can't stop looking at it and holding it. I ordered one as a gift and I may have to get another copy for myself. For Catholics who might hesitate to buy this because they worry the added content might be theologically suspect, I wouldn't worry. The chapter summaries seem mostly objective, and in any case are easy enough to skip if you prefer. The footnotes explaining obscure references are unobtrusive and helpful. The inserted chapter subheadings are more intrusive but do aid readability.I hope we see more Chesterton books added to this collection in the future!

Chesterton needs no recommendation from me. He’s never lacked an audience since his writings appeared decades ago. On the other hand, perhaps I could share something with those like me who had never gotten around to taking a dip into the unique world of Chesterton. Like it did for me, this new annotated edition presents you the perfect opportunity.First, there’s Chesterton. I found him as fresh as any author today. You might call him idiosyncratic as he is refreshingly distinctive and even peculiar as any I’ve read. He sees things you don’t and when he pulls them out and lays them before you all you can think is why hadn’t you always known it. He has one of the best senses of humor I’ve ever encountered. Not in the sense of a comedian, but one in a successful effort at clarity who causes you to laugh out loud. He couldn’t be boring if he tried, but it appears he never tries.Second, there’s his “Orthodoxy”. He approaches orthodoxy or apologetics in a whole new vein. Rather than following the template of most all apologetic works, he more shares the lofty journey that took place in his own mind. He takes the most common criticisms of our faith and turns them on their heads. He confronts the heavyweights of Bible critics and leaves them looking juvenile. Not that he is condescending, just that he sees the implications of what they believe so much more clearly than they do. He writes in a easy to follow style, except occasionally he saw more than I could take in. He’s an awesome writer and it was clear those few lapses were completely on my side. I had about two chapters that were a little too good for me, but what a joy to try. More often, I loved comprehending his beautiful thoughts.Finally, there’s this new annotated edition by Trevin Wax. Wax met you briefly at the beginning and end of each chapter to foster success by you. The only dated material in this timeless work was his use of names, places, and movements. Wax succinctly filled that gap so you can keep rolling with Chesterton. Wax’s approach allowed Chesterton to be Chesterton and let you interact with him. I thought it the perfect approach, plus a nice introduction, and it’s exactly what I would want. For icing on the cake, the publisher delivers this title in a lovely hardback edition.I hope we get more works just like this one!I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I first read "Orthodoxy" when I was sixteen. I was extremely impressed with G. K. Chesterton's precise thinking, writing style, and wit, and the librarian who helped me with my inter-library loan copy was extremely impressed with me for reading it. However, even though I greatly appreciated Chesterton's writing and his unconventional approach to defending Christianity, there were many elements that went over my head, or that I didn't understand well enough to remember long-term. "Orthodoxy: With Annotations and Guided Reading by Trevin Wax" is a beautiful, nicely bound new edition that makes this classic apologetics text more accessible to modern readers, and it was the perfect way for me to reread this title.In some ways, "Orthodoxy" seems amazingly current. One of Chesterton's first topics is the modern folly of trying to "believe in yourself," and he addresses many of the same circular, flawed arguments against Christianity that we still hear today, especially in terms of the relationship between science and the supernatural. However, even though nothing much has changed in some spheres since 1908, we live a world apart from Chesterton in other ways. The annotations from Trevin Wax help to bridge that gap, explaining cultural references, place names, events, and people referenced throughout. He is extremely thorough with this, without assuming what his readers will know, and the notes are never obtrusive or distracting.Since Chesterton references a dizzying array of past-century writers and philosophers, I found the footnotes extremely helpful. I also appreciate the way that Trevin Wax broke up extremely long paragraphs to make them more digestible, and he added headings to help readers follow Chesterton's ideas and see his arguments unfold. There are also brief summaries at the beginning and end of each chapter, helping readers either anticipate or further process what Chesterton covers. These changes all add to the reading experience, and Catholic readers should know that the summaries are all very objective and directly related to the text, without Protestant-focused commentary.If someone is planning to read "Orthodoxy" for the first time, I would strongly encourage them to choose this edition, since the annotations and chapter summaries make it much easier for someone to follow Chesterton's references and his brilliant, complex lines of argumentation. However, I would also recommend this to readers who are already familiar with the book. Reading this version helped me gain much more from the classic text, and this new edition will be a wonderful resource for new readers and Chesterton fans.

Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy” is a treasure trove of wit and wisdom, uncannily speaking to contemporary secular thinking, now over a century removed. However, as Peter said of Paul’s writing, “His letters contain some things that are hard to understand.” In Chesterton’s case, it is all the harder, given his many references to persons and publications with which we are unfamiliar.Enter Trevin Wax and his wonderfully organized and annotated presentation of “Orthodoxy.” What Trevin does for Chesterton is not unlike the teacher to whom Jesus referred, saying (in Matthew 13:51-52), “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Thanks to Trevin’s unique formatting of Chesterton’s work, the modern reader is able to glean new treasures from Chesterton’s remarkable storeroom.