The New Jerusalem

"The New Jerusalem" by G. K. Chesterton is a travel journal from the early 1900s that records the author's experiences in Jerusalem, using them to explore history, culture, and religion and to compare Western and Eastern societies. The book begins with Chesterton leaving England during Christmas and uses the symbols of a dog and donkey to represent the differing ideals of the West and East. As he moves through different places, they help to create a background for his thoughts on different modern and earlier societies and show his efforts to understand challenging issues. Chesterton talks about anything from politics of labor and capitalism to philosophical ideas about democracy and what it means to be human. This intro helps evoke a sense of remembering and looking inward, and shows that Chesterton wants to find understanding on his travels.