8 h 58 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 8 h 58 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if two men care so much about their disagreement that all England must stop them fighting?
High above London's St Paul's Cathedral, Professor Lucifer and the monk Michael argue aboard a flying ship. Below, another quarrel takes shape. Evan MacIan, a devout Highland Catholic, breaks a window to defend his faith. James Turnbull, an atheist newspaper editor, welcomes an opponent who truly cares.
MacIan and Turnbull want a duel. Everyone around them wants it stopped. Their search for somewhere to fight becomes a chase through town and country, with argument at every turn. In The Ball and the Cross, G. K. Chesterton wraps a serious question in comedy: is wholehearted belief worth its dangers?
What you’ll discover
- A duel forever delayed Follow two determined opponents as each attempt to settle their quarrel meets another obstacle.
- Opponents who truly care Meet fierce, shy MacIan and quick-witted Turnbull, each unwilling to shrug away his deepest convictions.
- Belief under pressure Consider whether holding every belief lightly protects people or leaves something vital out.
- Fantasy above London Step aboard a flying ship where a scientist and a monk argue over faith and doubt.
- Comedy with a serious heart Enjoy a comic chase that makes room for sharp jokes, stubborn belief, and difficult questions.
Who will love it
For readers who enjoy a debate with a plot, comic adventures and friendships born of fierce disagreement, and anyone curious about Chesterton's wit and his faith.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A flying ship above St Paul's
- Two men and an insulted faith
- The law will not let them fight
- A chase through a polite England
- What the quarrel is really about
- How Chesterton tells the tale
Who’s who
- Evan MacIanA young Highland Catholic whose faith is so strong that he breaks a window to defend the honour of the Virgin Mary.
- James TurnbullA quick-witted Lowland atheist and newspaper editor who is thrilled to meet an opponent who truly cares, and who accepts the challenge.
- Professor LuciferA scientist in a flying machine who speaks for progress and doubt, and who wishes to see the old faith of the world swept away.
- MichaelA quiet monk who shares the professor's flying ship and answers his arguments with calm and stubborn belief.
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- Audiobook
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Ball and the Cross
by G. K. Chesterton · 1909
A Catholic and an atheist seek a duel over faith, but a polite England keeps standing in their way.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The Ball and the Cross is a novel by G. K.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A flying ship above St Paul's
The story opens in the air over London. A flying machine hangs above the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, and in it sit two very different passengers. One is a scientist known as Professor Lucifer. The other is Michael, a monk from the East who has lived a quiet life of prayer. The professor is shown to be more than a mere inventor, and the reader soon senses that he is the old tempter in modern clothes.
The ship drifts close to the top of the cathedral, where a great ball is crowned by a cross. The title comes from this sight. For Chesterton the ball and the cross are two shapes that stand for two ways of seeing the world, a closed circle and a sign that cuts through it.
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What is The Ball and the Cross about?
It follows a Scottish Catholic and a Scottish atheist who want to fight a duel over religion while England keeps stopping them. Above them, a scientist who stands for doubt argues with a monk.
What does the title The Ball and the Cross mean?
It refers to the ball and cross on top of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Chesterton uses them as symbols of two ways of seeing the world, a closed circle and a sign of faith.
Who are MacIan and Turnbull in The Ball and the Cross?
Evan MacIan is a devout Highland Catholic, and James Turnbull is a Lowland atheist who edits a paper. Their quarrel over an insult to the Virgin Mary drives the plot.
The author
G. K. Chesterton
1874–1936 · English writer and Christian apologist
G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was an English writer born in London. He wrote novels, essays, poems and plays. His books include Heretics (1905), The Man Who Was Thursday (1908) and The Innocence of Father Brown (1911). He moved to Beaconsfield in 1909 and lived there until his death.
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