Intense Reading- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Over the last few days i have been pouring over John Henry Cardinal Newman's essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine. At first, this essay seemed daunting and rather intimidating. After several cracks at reading (and actually savoring it) i have come to appreciate Newman and his opus. The essay primarily focuses on the following points:

• Christianity is not arbitrary. Christianity has a purpose in history and within the divine plan.


• Christian doctrine is the result of human experience coupled with the longstanding tradition and history of the Church.


• The approach and articulation of Christian doctrine will continue to change with each generation. However, the doctrine will not change.


• To grow as a Church is to grow in our understanding.

One of the things that draws me to Newman is that he was a convert to Catholicism. Born and raised in an Anglican home, he was a faithful Anglican. As a scholar at Oxford, his research and study of Chrisitianity and Catholicism in particular, drew him to reject the Anglican Church and become a Catholic. In essence, his belief was that to be immersed in history is to be immersed in Catholicism and to embrace history was to embrace Catholicism. Newman was part of teh Oxford Movement, which sought to reconcile the Anglican Church back to Catholicism. Newman went on to become a priest.

Years later his work was misinterpreted and was silenced by the Church, mostly at the doing of his peers. The moment of reconciliation came when Pope Leo XIII created him a cardinal-deacon. His contribution to Christian thought is similar to that of the greatest: Aquinas.

Reading Newman can be a daunting task. But in the end, one can appreciate his work and hopefully, like he, be transformed with fond appreciation for Catholic scholasticism and the patrimony of thought handed down to us through the history of our Church.