The Chesterton Institute announces the publication of 'An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning' - Father Ian Boyd's Essays on G.K. Chesterton
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Cover Page of "An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning"
The G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture announces the publication of "An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning" Father Ian Boyd’s Essays on G.K. Chesterton.
The G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture with support from Seton Hall University is proud to announce the publication of An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning (CLUNY: Providence, RI, 2025). The publication is a collection of essays on Chesterton by the internationally renowned scholar, Father Ian Boyd, founder of the Institute, edited and introduced by Professor Dermot Quinn and includes a preface by Dr. Patrick Manning. This collection honors the life-long work of Father Boyd to promote the thought and writings of G.K. Chesterton, and the 50th anniversary of the Chesterton Institute and its journal, The Chesterton Review.
Professor Quinn remarks: “For nearly half a century, Father Ian Boyd was a commanding presence in the world of Chesterton scholarship. Founder and long-time editor of The Chesterton Review, he wrote with compelling authority not only on Chesterton and his circle but also on the tradition of sacramental writing that they represent. In these deeply scholarly yet also graceful essays, wide-ranging and incisive, we hear yet again the voice of a much-loved and widely admired priest and professor.”
The publisher adds: “The world needed to hear from Chesterton, and for half a century Ian Boyd made sure it did. An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning enshrines that legacy and ensures its continued happy effects.”--CLUNY
The Chesterton Institute is grateful to Seton Hall University for their support in making this project a reality.
The book will be available on November 15th. Pre-orders from CLUNY received before this date will receive a 5% discount if ordered directly from the publisher. After November 15th, the publication will be available through the publisher and Amazon.
An Earthly Story with a Heavenly Meaning
Father Ian Boyd’s Essays on G.K. Chesterton
CLUNY: Providence, RI, 2025
ISBN: 978-1685954529
Purchase Price: $22.95 not including a 10% discount if ordered before November 15th.
Order your copy online here: https://clunymedia.com/products/father-ian-boyd
ABOUT FATHER IAN BOYD, CSB
Father Ian Boyd (1935–2024) was a Canadian priest of the Congregation of Saint Basil.
For many years he was Professor of English at St. Thomas More College, University
of Saskatchewan; from 1999–2018 he was a member of the Department of English at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, lecturing extensively on the
subject of “Sacramental Themes in Modern Literature.” An internationally recognized
G. K. Chesterton scholar, Father Boyd was the author of The Novels of G. K. Chesterton (1975) as well as the Founder and President of the G. K. Chesterton Institute for
Faith & Culture, and the Editor of The Chesterton Review (1974–2020), both based at Seton Hall University.
About the G.K. CHESTERTON INSTITUTE FOR FAITH & CULTURE
For a half-century, the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture based at Seton
Hall University, has worked to promote the thought G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) and
his circle and, more broadly, has explored the application of Chestertonian ideas
in the contemporary world. The Institute’s work consists of conferences, lecture series,
research and writing. Chesterton was a multifaceted figure, and so is our work. He
was one of the most versatile writers of his day and his ability to write on serious
matters in a style accessible to the ordinary reader, made him one of the most beloved
figures in the twentieth century. His thought has particular importance for those
who value the sacramental tradition and Catholic social teaching and Christian spirituality.
His works have been translated into many languages and because his writings are increasingly
the subject of study by students and scholars, they continue to reach new generations
of readers. In the words of our Founder, Father Ian Boyd: "The Chesterton Institute
has had a key role in the Chesterton revival around the world—he is being rediscovered
and introduced to new generations. Our work, through our programs and projects, and
our highly praised journal, The Chesterton Review is present in a larger world beyond
our home—our outreach is global."
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