Achievement of John Henry Newman

The centennial of John Henry Newman's death in 1890 marks an appropriate time for a critical reevaluation of his work. Here Ian Ker, noted Newman scholar and author of the definitive John Henry Newman: A Biography, considers Newman's achievement as a whole but in a focused and selective way. Ker deliberately concentrates on five aspects of Newman's intellectual and literary achievement that constitute his essential genius.

Newman's role as an educator is examined first through an interpretation of his theory of a liberal education found in The Idea of a University, which Ker claims has often been misunderstood in certain crucial respects. Newman's philosophical writings, including An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent, are looked at next while Ker argues that Newman is not simply an important apologist for Christianity but also a significant philosopher in his own right, whose originality is only beginning to be appreciated. Ker also presents Newman the preacher, providing a critique of the Anglican sermons that have long been recognized for their spirituality but that have received surprisingly little attention with regard to their homiletic and literary art.

Newman's theological themes are explored as Ker offers a reassessment and overall view of the theological writings of both the Anglican and Catholic periods. And, lastly, Ker considers Newman's literary achievement, which has been generally underrated and to a considerable extent even unperceived. Throughout this provocative book, Ker mediates Newman's theological understanding to the believer of today, to the inquiring general reader, and to all scholars interested in embracing both post-Vatican II thinking and traditional Catholic thought.

Ian Ker is a member of the theology faculty at Oxford University. His many works include The Catholic Revival in English Literature, 1845-1961 (University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).