Your road map for exploring Catholic Web sites on the information superhighway.

The American Chesterton Society
( www.chesterton.org )

There has been a renaissance of interest in the writings of Gilbert K. Chesterton. And for good reason. The man was a giant — both figuratively and literally — who saw with unequaled clarity and analyzed with wit and unparalleled penetration the seeds of moral and spiritual chaos that were being sown in his day. They have largely come to fruition in ours. The American Chesterton Society is dedicated to bringing Chesterton’s "common sense for the world’s uncommon nonsense" to a larger audience and their Web site furthers that goal admirably.

The opening page is simple but tasteful and appealing in its use of background graphics. The rest of the site is fairly pedestrian in its format but rich in content. Chesterton was not only incredibly prolific, he was multitalented. At the site, you will find samples of his poetry and art work along with his prose writings.

Chesterton was unequaled in capturing the essence of an issue in a pithy, quotable phrase; I’ve heard it said that he’s the most widely quoted English writer after Shakespeare. So be sure to check out the topically organized quotations on this site the next time you need a real zinger for your paper or speech.

There’s a nice bibliography that will steer beginners to Chesterton’s larger works. And this site will also keep you informed of conferences and other events in case you become a committed Chestertonian.

The Newman Collection
( gaelnet.stmarys-ca.edu/study/newman )

Cardinal Newman was, like G. K. Chesterton, a convert to Catholicism. He was the leader of an Anglo-Catholic revival in mid-nineteenth century England; news of his entrance into the Catholic Church fell like a thunderclap on all of Britain. Like Chesterton, he possessed that rare amalgamation of a towering intellect and a deeply devout soul.

The Web site of the Newman Collection, hosted at St. Mary’s College of California, will give you a fine introduction to the life and works of this intriguing figure. A collection of short essays outline Newman’s biography, cultural background, major themes in his writing and his impact on subsequent Catholic thought.

While only a small fraction of the more than 5000 works that comprise the Newman Collection are available on-line, this Web site gives you links to the writings of Newman that are already in electronic format. Included are such prose masterpieces as his Apologia Pro Vita Sua, The Idea of a University and the spectacular Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine; this last work is a daunting but indispensable study to understand how the Church does not invent new doctrine but comes to ever greater understanding of the deposit of faith.

You will also find examples of Newman’s poetry and prayers. And be sure to check out a collection of images of Newman hosted by the Newman Collection and scanned into graphical format for presentation on the Web.

Into the Wardrobe: The C. S. Lewis Web Site
( cslewis.drzeus.net )

C. S. Lewis never became a Catholic, at least not in this life. But he’s been compared to Moses, who never set foot in the Promised Land but nevertheless guided thousands to it. There are many tens of thousands (I am one) who owe a great debt to Lewis for giving them reasons to believe that Christianity is true; many of those also find his influence impels them toward the Catholic Church.

The C. S. Lewis Web Site is a wonderful introduction to the life and writings of this gifted Christian thinker. Lewis’ works are copyrighted, so you won’t find the actual texts on the Internet. But a comprehensive annotated bibliography steers the prospective reader to his fiction — the beloved Chronicles of Narnia, the science fiction Space Trilogy, and The Screwtape Letters, his theological and apologetic works (including the classic Mere Christianity and the hard- hitting Miracles) and his literary criticism and poetry.

This site hosts some real treats for the Lewisophile: audio clips of Lewis reading his works, a wealth of graphics and a couple of nicely done biographies. And from the links page, the intrepid explorer can locate related Lewisian themes such as his friendship with the Catholic writer J. R. R. Tolkien and his correspondence with Catholic convert, Sheldon Vanauken.

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