Chesterton Reading Plan

http://www.chesterton.org
August 31, 2012

Dale Ahlquist’s
Chesterton Reading Plan

Since introducing the Chesterton Reading Plan, I have made three major revisions. The first is this: Before reading any books by Chesterton, it is very helpful to start with my book, G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense.

The second revision is this: The second book you should read is Common Sense 101: Lessons from G.K. Chesterton

From this highly recommended place to begin, you can then continue with the Reading Plan, which is to read at least four books from the following list: either all four books from one category, or one book from each of the four categories.

The third revision involves a couple of different titles from the original list. No bother.

(All these books are available from the American Chesterton Society. Members receive a 20% discount on books. The annual membership is $42 and includes a subscription to Gilbert Magazine. Everything can be ordered on line at www.chesterton.org or call 952-831-3096)

1. Elementary Chesterton
What’s Wrong with the World
Father Brown and the Church of Rome
Charles Dickens [in Collected Works V. 15 but currently out of print]
Heretics

2. Indispensable Chesterton
Orthodoxy
The Everlasting Man
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Thomas Aquinas

3. Fundamental Chesterton
The Man Who Was Thursday
The Ball and the Cross
Tremendous Trifles
Illustrated London News Essays

4. Necessary Chesterton
The Outline of Sanity
A Miscellany of Men
Manalive
The Ballad of the White Horse