In Defense of the Family: G.K. Chesterton on the Only State that Creates and Loves Its Own Citizens with Dale Ahlquist

Please see the video interview here!

“The disintegration of rational society started in the drift from the hearth and the family”, wrote G. K. Chesterton in 1933. “The solution must be a drift back.”

Today’s guest, lauded as “probably the greatest living authority on the life and work of G.K. Chesterton,” joins Hank to discuss his book The Story of the Family: G.K. Chesterton on the Only State that Creates and Loves Its Own Citizens—a compilation of texts and quotes from G. K. Chesterton, edited by Dale Ahlquist, illustrating the glory of the family—the heritage of romance, love, marriage, parenthood, and home.

In a world that has lost touch with normality, it takes a pioneer to rediscover the wonders of the normal and Dale Ahlquist represents Chesterton as a prophet from our past that can help us defend the role of the family as the key to a healthy civilization.

For further information about receiving The Story of the Family: G.K. Chesterton on the Only State that Creates and Loves Its Own Citizens for your partnering gift, please click here. 

Topics discussed include: Why does how we define the family matter? (5:30); why is G.K. Chesterton important today? (7:25); on natural law (10:45); the growing influence of the government in our lives—especially in public schools (15:00); the paradox of freedom (17:30); the modern attack on the family (18:40); what were G.K. Chesterton’s critiques of capitalism? (21:00); what is the mystical mirror? (24:15); the sacramental idea of sex as a picture of Christ and the Church (27:20); the problem with free love, birth control and divorce (29:20); the connection between eugenics and birth control (32:20); real birth control is self-control (36:15); communism, capitalism and something worse (40:10); the practice of self-control (41:40); is public education undermining the family more than anything else? (43:40); does it make sense for feminists to attack motherhood? (48:00); the value of homemaking—the original work from home (50:25); why bad philosophy is ultimately self-destructing (52:40); the main point of distributism—also known as localism (54:25); how should we read? (1:00:00).

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