May 20, 2011. (Romereports.com) G.K. Chesterton is remembered in many literary circles for his career in journalism and writings that ranged from philosophy and poetry to detective novels. Chesterton was also a devout Catholic who would often defend his beliefs through debates and essays.


In 1974, the Chesterton Institute was created to promote his ideas on morality and apply them to modern life.

Fr. Ian Boyd, CSB
President, G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture
“We're careful to avoid turning the review and the institute into a kind of cult of Chesterton. Chesterton was keenly interested in the actualities of contemporary life, so our idea has always been to apply the wise Chestertonian philosophy to contemporary life and the issues of contemporary life.”

The Institute meets annually in different countries with scholars to discuss topics such as the privatization of religion to the protection of the family.

In these meetings, the group chooses a novel or essay by Chesterton to examine a current social crisis that is felt throughout the world. One of Chesterton's most popular characters was Father Brown, the main character in his detective stories.

Dermot Quinn
Professor of History, Seton Hall University
“This year we are celebrating the Fr. Brown stories, which are such a popular part of Chesterton's work. And we will always be exploring Chesterton's economic thinking, in a number of conferences particularly in France and in South America.”

This group of scholars, who refer to themselves as 'The Chestertonians', continue the work of this English novelist, who is considered one of the greatest Christian writers.

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