About the G.K. Chesterton Institute

Imagining a world with leaders rooted in Chestertonian ideals

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.

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."

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.

The G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture is based at Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. Its purpose is to promote the thought of G. K. Chesterton and his circle and more broadly, to explore the application of Chestertonian ideas in the contemporary world. The Institute’s work consists of conferences, lecture series, research and writing. The move of the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture from Canada to America occurred 25 years ago. Monsignor Robert Sheeran, then President of Seton Hall, invited Father Ian Boyd to come to the University. In July 2020, after 46 years as President of the Institute and Editor of The Chesterton Review, Father Boyd retired. Upon his retirement, he was named President Emeritus of the Institute and Founding Editor of The Chesterton Review. Father Boyd continued to be involved from afar in the affairs of the Institute until his death in January 2024.

Meet the Team

Gloria Garafulich-Grabois, in 2017 was appointed Director of the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture and since 2004, she has been the Managing Editor of The Chesterton Review and The Lonergan Review, a publication of the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute, is the other central member of our group. A native of Santiago, Chile, and a citizen of the United States, and she comes from a distinguished family who have their roots in Croatia. She joined our Chesterton project eighteen years ago. Among her many achievements, she is responsible for the recent launching of the conferences around the world and the foreign language editions of the Review.

 

Professor Dermot Quinn has taught at Seton Hall University for many years and in 1999, it was thanks to him that Monsignor Sheeran was eager to make the University a Chesterton Centre. Doctor Quinn, a native of Derry in Northern Ireland, was educated at Trinity College Dublin and at Oxford University. An author of a number of books and numerous scholarly articles, he is the Associate Editor and a frequent contributor to the Review. Many of his writings deal with Chesterton’s distributist social philosophy.

 

G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture
Walsh Library, Room 431
(973) 275-2431
chestertoninstitute@shu.edu