Ignatius Press: Off the Shelf

With the start of the fifth chapter of part two, Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss Chesterton’s claim that Europe would be just like Asia if it were not for Christianity. They also reflect on Chesterton’s claim that Christianity is the answer to the problem of evil and superior to philosophy. Then they cover chapter 6, where Chesterton describes the five deaths of the faith where people expected that the Church wo...

In chapter 4 of the second part, Chesterton moves to a discussion of the Church and argues that those who claim that the Church is a mere human institution fall into absurd conclusions. Furthermore, Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro reflect on how the Church’s understanding of faith often comes as the result of errors and heresies.

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C.S. Lewis famously claimed that Jesus was either a liar, lunatic, or God, and in chapter two of section two of The Everlasting Man, Chesterton makes a similar argument. Father Fessio, Vivian Dudro, and Joseph Pearce reflect on Chesterton’s reducing to the absurd all opinions that claim that Jesus is other than what he says he is–God Himself.

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Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro begin the second section of Chesterton’s Everlasting Man and reflect on his words about the mystery of the Incarnation. They reflect on how we can become too familiar with the infancy narrative in which the God of cosmic creation now comes to us as a little, local infant. With Chesterton, they remark on the significance of Christ being born into a cave and the importance of myth.

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After quickly wrapping up chapter seven, Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro jump into the climax of the book–chapter eight–where Chesterton talks about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. They discuss that even the greatest of human societies are bound to fall and that the more decadent one’s life becomes the more one desires to return to natural and simpler life.

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Having covered monotheism and polytheism, Chesterton begins to cover religions that he calls “the demons” and “the philosophers” in chapter 6. Fr. Fessio, Vivian, and Joseph discuss how demonic acts are done because they know that they are known to be evil. They also reflect on how the pagan philosophers saw faith and reason as opposed whereas faith and reason are successfully unified in Christianity and the person of Christ. Lastl...

In chapter five of Everlasting Man, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss one of Chesterton’s most poetic chapters where he explains how myth is the work of the imagination and philosophy is a work of the intellect, but both did not fully come together until the myth became fact in the person of Jesus Christ.

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Moving to chapters three and four of The Everlasting Man, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss Chesterton’s response to evolution, progressivism, and comparative religion. Chesterton argues that the most radical change in human history is the coming of Christ who is unique among religious leaders and chose to enter the world at a specific time and within a certain culture.

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Welcome to the second book of Ignatius Press: Off the Shelf! Join the dynamic trio of Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro as they unpack one of G.K. Chesterton’s greatest works Everlasting Man. They begin by covering Chesterton’s thesis namely that Christ stands out from all man similar to how man stands out from all other animals. They then highlight Chesterton’s profound and often paradoxical wisdom in chapters 1 and 2...

Join Father Fessio, Vivian, and Joseph Pearce conclude their reading of Augustine’s Confessions by discussing Augustine’s use of poetry, his description of time, and his appreciation for the depth of Scripture. They end by talking about the importance of service and the act of receiving which is not merely passive, but active.

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Father Fessio, Vivian, and Joseph continue to explore the most profound sections of the Confessions in book 11. Father Fessio draws an insightful connection between evolution and Augustine’s claim that God’s creative act unfolds sequentially to us. Augustine’s claims about God’s omnipresence then launches our three hosts to reflect on the paradox of time.

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Book 10 of Augustine’s Confessions is a notoriously dense book, and in this episode, Father Fessio, Vivian, and Joseph take the plunge. Join them in the deep waters of this great text as they unpack Augustine’s thoughts on memory, knowledge, and Aristotle’s Categories. Their discussion ends by reflecting on St. Augustine’s famous passage “Late have I loved thee, beauty so ancient and beauty so new.”

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Moving to book 9, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro begin by examining Augustine’s views on hymns and singing before discussing St. Monica and her past weakness with alcohol. Then they begin to read the more philosophical texts in book 10 where Augustine writes about the movement of the soul from the things of this world to the divine.

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In this episode, the dynamic trio cover Augustine’s conversion and the moments leading up to it in book 8 of the Confessions. Father Fessio highlights the importance of friendship and the stories of holy men in St. Augustine’s conversion while Vivian and Joseph discuss the importance of true freedom from sin.

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Picking up with books 6 and 7 of Augustine’s Confessions, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro discuss the various sources of St. Augustine’s conversion, including prayer, his friendships, St. Anselm, and his mother. They reflect on Augustine’s struggles, the workings of God’s grace, and the reality of “spiritual substances.”

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Continuing with books 4 and 5 of Augustine’s Confessions, Father Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro take a deep dive into the profundity of marriage and the Church’s deepening understanding of the sacraments throughout the ages.

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Want to get more out of reading books?

Join Fr. Fessio, Joseph Pearce, and Vivian Dudro every Wednesday as they take an important book off the shelf and steadily unpack the most important passages over the coming weeks.

Not only can you enjoy their delightful and engaging banter, but their discussion will help you get more out of the text as you follow along.

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