One of the most remarkable things about following Jesus is how He transforms the way we see the world—not just our own lives, but history itself. G.K. Chesterton’s classic book, The Everlasting Man, explores this very idea. This was a book given to me for my ordination in 2009 by a mentor. It was published exactly one hundred years ago in 1925. In this important book that influenced C.S. Lewis towards faith in Jesus, Chesterton invites us to step back and see the grand sweep of history, not as a random progression of human achievements, but as a story leading to one defining event: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Chesterton was writing at a time when many historians and thinkers—much like today—saw religion as just one stage in humanity’s slow evolution toward progress. They argued that ancient people were simple-minded, that myths and religions were just early attempts at science, and that modern humanity had finally "moved beyond" faith. But Chesterton turns this idea on its head, arguing that humanity has always been unique—not just an advanced animal, but a creature made for meaning, beauty, and worship. And Christianity, he says, is not just another religion among many, but a completely unique event that changed everything.
The Uniqueness of Humanity
One of Chesterton’s key insights is that humans are different from every other creature. Unlike animals, we don’t just survive—we create art, write poetry, seek truth, and ask ultimate questions, “Art is the signature of man.” (p. 28) Consider the earliest humans we know of—those who painted on cave walls like our own First Nations people. These were not just primitive beings struggling to survive; they were people creating beauty, expressing something beyond mere physical needs. Even from the beginning, human beings have been searching for God.
In one of my favourite books by Julian Barnes, Nothing to be Frightened Of (2008), he talks about facing his own death. As a tentative agnostic, he returns to the beauty of the idea of Christianity - especially in relation to art: “I miss the God that inspired Italian painting and French stained glass, German music and English chapter houses.” Consistent with Western secularism, Barnes is an unbeliever who is haunted by a belief in God.
The Everlasting Man seeks to bring out the intriguing connections between art, religion and the uniqueness of humanity to reach out towards the abstract transcendent. God has made human beings in his own image: creative and inquisitive: we are his masterpieces (Ephesians 2:10). This is Chesterton’s first major thought.
Jesus: The Turning Point of History
If humanity has always been reaching for God through art and other ways, then the coming of Jesus is the moment everything changes. Chesterton describes Christ as the “Everlasting Man”—not just another religious teacher, but the fulfilment of every human longing, the answer to every question.
But unlike mythological gods or heroic legends, Jesus was a real historical person. And unlike philosophers or religious founders, Jesus didn’t just give advice—He made extraordinary claims. He claimed to be God. He claimed to forgive sins. He claimed to be the only way to the Father.
Jesus’ claims are so radical, says Chesterton, that we cannot simply admire Him as a great moral leader. We must either reject Him or worship Him—there is no middle ground.
Christianity: Not Just a Religion, But a Revolution
Chesterton points out how utterly unexpected Christianity was. No one could have invented it.
In the ancient world, gods were either distant and indifferent (as in Greek philosophy) or chaotic and flawed (as in pagan myths). But in Jesus, we see a God who humbled Himself, who took on human flesh, and who suffered and died for His people.
And because of Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity didn’t just survive—it transformed the world. The Roman Empire tried to stamp it out. Philosophers dismissed it as foolishness. But the Church endured, and its message of hope and grace changed the course of history.
Historian and podcaster Tom Holland made waves in his tome Dominion (2019), where he argued that many modern secular values—such as human rights, equality, and even compassion—derive from Christian teachings, even when people no longer recognise their origins. Christianity is the radical water we swim in, he argues. Like Chesterton, he challenges the assumption that modernity has outgrown Christianity, instead showing that its moral and cultural legacy continues to shape contemporary Western thought and society.
What This Means for Us Today
So why does all this matter in 2025? Because the world is still telling the same story—that Christianity is outdated, that we’ve moved beyond it, that faith is just an old superstition.
But Chesterton reminds us that the Church has been here before. Every generation has tried to reject Christ, and yet He remains. The Church is not dying—it is alive because Christ is alive.
If Christianity were just another human invention, it would have faded long ago. But it hasn’t. Because it is true, “A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” (p. 244)
As we go about our week—at work, at school, in our households—let’s remember: we are part of something bigger than ourselves. The story of Christianity is not just something in history books; it is the story we are living in today. Christ has come, Christ has risen, and He is still changing lives.
Let’s hold fast to Him, knowing that He is the Everlasting Man—the One who was, and is, and is to come.
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