The Everlasting People - (Hansen Lectureship) by Matthew J Milliner (Paperback)

About the Book

How might the life and work of Christian writer G. K. Chesterton shed light on our understanding of North American Indigenous art and history? In these discerning reflections, art historian Matthew Milliner appeals to Chesterton's life and work in order to understand and appreciate both Indigenous art and the complex, often tragic history of First Nations peoples.

Book Synopsis

First Things Book of the Year award

What does the cross of Christ have to do with the thunderbird? How might the life and work of Christian writer G. K. Chesterton shed light on our understanding of North American Indigenous art and history?

This unexpected connection forms the basis of these discerning reflections by art historian Matthew Milliner. In this fifth volume in the Hansen Lectureship Series, Milliner appeals to Chesterton's life and work--including The Everlasting Man, his neglected poetry, his love for his native England, and his own visits to America--in order to understand and appreciate both Indigenous art and the complex, often tragic history of First Nations peoples, especially in the American Midwest.

Based on the annual lecture series hosted at Wheaton College's Marion E. Wade Center, volumes in the Hansen Lectureship Series reflect on the imaginative work and lasting influence of seven British authors: Owen Barfield, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams.

Review Quotes

"Somewhere under the larches of Paradise, G. K. Chesterton and Nicholas Black Elk are sharing a pipe to celebrate the publication of The Everlasting People. Down here we can do our part by spreading the word. Buy a copy for yourself and three more to give to friends."

--John Wilson, founding editor of Books & Culture

"Taking Chesterton's baton to recognize the 'Red Indian, ' Milliner continues the relay. His work of 'unexpected connections' looks at Native rock art, Christianity, and massacre sites left in the wake of westward expansion. Native rock art tells the story of a people who sought the same as the Christians--release from darkness, hunger, sickness, death, and threats from a hostile world. Milliner is a go-between between the worlds, following the greater relay, the cross of Jesus. Milliner's work recognizes the supplication, contradiction, and contagion of Native rock art. The Everlasting People is a reminder of the stain on America's history. For the Native Christian, however, behind the shroud of heavy sails was the light of Christ."

--Diane Glancy, author of Island of the Innocent: A Consideration of the Book of Job

About the Author

Matthew J. Milliner (PhD, Princeton University) is associate professor of art history at Wheaton College. He has written for publications ranging from The New York Times to First Things. He was awarded a Commonwealth Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia to complete his book Mother of the Lamb.