He pointed out that many students today are fed a steady diet of practically oriented readings, with a decreased emphasis on stories that "capture the imagination and impart a moral truth."
"And yet, when Our Lord wants to impart a truth, what does he do? He tells stories," Check said.
"This is the educational device par excellence: the story. And Our Lord knew it."
Joie de vivre
Chesterton, the inspiration for the series, was born in 1874 and became a prolific writer and staunch Catholic apologist after his conversion to the faith. He is renowned for writing apologetic classics such as "Orthodoxy" and "The Everlasting Man," as well as for his fictional "Father Brown" series, among many other works.
He died in 1936 and is remembered for his humor and wit.
Check said the virtual conference aims to whet participant's appetites for the writings of Catholic authors like Chesterton, and to be in the company of fellow Catholics "and feel that joy" when the coronavirus outbreak ends.
Joseph Pearce, another presenter and director of book publishing at the Augustine Institute, told CNA that Chesterton's way of seeing the world was and is very Catholic, because a sense of humor, infused with grace, is crucial for evangelization.
Troubadours, in a Catholic sense, have a spirit of joie de vivre that comes from faith in Christ, Pearce said.
Chesterton brought people to God through a hearty cheerfulness and jollity, with a smile on his face, Pearce said.
"Basically, the victory is already won. We, as Christians, understand that God is in charge...we really should be walking around full of that joy, the joie de vivre that comes from the joie de crist, from the joy of Christ. And if that's not present, there's something wrong," Pearce told CNA.
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Fostering a troubadour attitude
The spirit of the troubadours has a rambunctiousness about it, Pearce said.
"The whole idea of the format is that the seriousness of the message is nonetheless delivered with 'levitas'- gravity with levity," he explained.
He mentioned a famous Chesterton quote from his book "Orthodoxy": Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
"Yes, I want to talk about serious things, while at the same time having that Chestertonian levity," Pearce said.
"That's what we should be aiming at. What Chesterton succeeded in doing so well is something that we disciples of Chesterton should try to emulate," he said.