John Henry Newman: A Very Brief History

by Eamon Duffy

‘In another world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.’
From An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1903)

Saint John Henry Newman was one of the most controversial and influential thinkers of his day, and his many writings have remained highly influential since his death in August 1890. He is also widely regarded as one of the finest prose stylists of modern times, as well as a popular poet and hymn-writer.

Published to coincide with Newman’s canonization by Pope Francis in October 2019, this engaging and judicious introduction to Newman’ life and legacy will be welcomed by newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike.

Genres: Biography, History, Religion, Catholic, Christianity, Philosophy, Theology

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2019

About the author

Eamon Duffy is Professor of the History of Christianity at the University of Cambridge, and former President of Magdalene College.

He describes himself as a "cradle Catholic" and specializes in 15th to 17th century religious history of Britain. His work has done much to overturn the popular image of late-medieval Catholicism in England as moribund, and instead presents it as a vibrant cultural force. On weekdays from 22nd October to 2nd November 2007, he presented the BBC Radio 4 series "10 Popes Who Shook the World" - those popes featured were Peter, Leo I, Gregory I, Gregory VII, Innocent III, Paul III, Pius IX, Pius XII, John XXIII, and John Paul II.

Reviews

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew almost nothing about Newman before reading this, but was intrigued when he came to my attention in the last couple years. I was further intrigued when he was one of the primary figures Pelikan used to frame his History of Christian Doctrine volume on the modern period. This brief history was the perfect length, engagingly and sympatheticly written, to introduce me to this great thinker and writer.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was keen to read this short book on Newman, as he was someone whom I knew a little about and wanted to know a bit more. I have read from both those who demonise him, and those who canonise him, and was hoping that this book may fill in some of those gaps - which it did.

Admittedly any “brief history” is going to come across as having “bits left out” or as having “not enough depth/meat” - so it is not fair to criticise in that regard. Whilst I understand that Newman relates strongly with the Anglican and Catholic worlds of the 19th Century - the rest of us seem to be just lumped together as “Protestants”. I would’ve liked a little more on how Newman has been seen (and is seen) by Orthodox, Lutheran, etc.

I also think you need to have a bit of an understanding of both 19th Century Anglicanism and 19th Century Catholicism. Whilst the author does fill in some bits, I found that I was reliant on what I had previously read on both movements.

I was really impressed with the detailed “Further Reading”. This is often a criticism I have of “smaller books” but not for this one. It makes this a good book to spring off of if you wish to do a more thorough investigation of Newman - both the man and his thought. Plus it has nice index as well :)

I do think the Author has endeavoured to provide a fair examination of Newman and his ideas - and thus it is a worthwhile read :)

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent little read on Cardinal Newman. Alas, the book is rather shoddily type-set, with quite a few spelling mistakes, but this is my only complaint.

Duffy is very concise, but still really teases out the fundamentals of Newman’s theology and philosophy. He handles all the scholarly literature with a great deal of aplomb, in spite of the fact that it’s not his area of expertise. Whilst he is a little hagiographical of Newman from time to time, he still does balance his approach to Newman, especially when looking at his own personality.

Neither does this book fall into the silly trap falls of the Freudian analysis of Newman, which have become so dreadfully common these days. The aspect of Newman as thinker is really the aim of this book and Duffy truly appreciates the continuity of that tortured and great mind which Newman had.

A lovely little read!

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last chapters, dealing with Newman as a person, were by far the most interesting and enjoyable for me. The earlier chapters, tracking his theological progression from nothing (ish), to evangelicalism, to Anglicanism, and ultimately to Catholicism, could have been interesting but I found them pretty dense and dry. They assumed a lot of prior knowledge about the Early Church Fathers, schools of theological thought and of heresies, other prominent theologians, etc. I suppose it's what you would call 'scholarly' - it's very heavily referenced - but that wasn't really what I was after in a so-called 'Very Brief Introduction'.

All that said, it painted a good picture of Newman, his thought, his person, and his significant contribution to theology. It was a good illustration of the fact that sainthood is not the same as 'being a good/nice person'. Newman was, Duffy says, rather self-absorbed, over-sensitive, inclined to hold grudges, and at times quite unkind. However, he was radically committed to seeking truth, willing to express unpopular and unorthodox opinions, and therefore poised to contribute some of the most original and revolutionary thought/theology in Church history.

Having read this, I feel better able to turn to Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Essay on the Development of Doctrine, and the Grammar of Assent, with some context in which to understand them.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an interested outsider to Roman Catholic history and theology, I found this little book published on the occasion of Newman’s beatification to be very helpful for understanding Newman himself, as well as his influence most principally in the Second Vatican Council.

[benjamin uhlenkott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intellectually stimulating yet short introduction to the life and theology of Cardinal Newman. Having some theological background will be important prior to reading this excellent work.

This would be an excellent resource for seminarians and those in other graduate theology schools.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Catholic living in England, especially around and since his canonisation, Newman crops up a lot. But I realised I didn’t really know much about him other than that he led the “high church” Oxford movement in the 19th century Anglican Church and converted to Catholicism, becoming a leading Catholic thinker. This book is a good overview. I thought it had enough depth on the theological controversies of his day (you couldn’t sensibly discuss Newman without getting into this) without losing the layman. And it reveals Newman’s nuanced thought as hard to pigeonhole. As very much a liberal Catholic, knowing a little of his opposition to “liberalism” and his attraction to the traditions of the church, I wondered how I would find him. But Duffy shows how his thinking is rooted in the belief he came to that dogma - the church’s understanding of the faith - should develop and change over time through the processes by which the church lives in and experiences the world. This in some ways progressive view set him against both “ultramontaine” conservative Catholics and the fundamentalist literal interpretations of the bible in Protestantism and, Duffy suggests, made him a precursor of the reforms of Vatican II. I’m sure I haven’t quite got that right, but it was interesting to scratch the surface and appreciate Newman’s journey a little more, and to find someone seeking truths, not a patron saint for a particular “side” in church debates. I think Duffy does pretty well as a guide to this in what is, after all, billed as a brief guide.

[Susan Paxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, readable introduction to Newman, but good Lord, the typos,

[Jonah Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, fascinating life. Eager to read some JHN books now, after a good introduction to his life and writings.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice brief introduction to Cardinal Newman, it gives the reader the opportunity to think about which of Newman’s works should be read next.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect introduction to the great man, well written (though riddled with typos) and as accessible as can be expected for such a profound thinker.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Effective in getting me interested in the life and work of Newman, but it assumed a bit more background knowledge than I had. It would have helped if the author had provided more than a sentence of background on some of the ideas that he repeatedly mentions (e.g., Tractarianism, Evangelicals). Best to treat this as an introduction to Newman and use it as a resource to explore the ideas, writings, or development of Newman that you find interesting.

[Catrinamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real insight to the life and decisions of Cardinal Newman. It might be brief but feels thorough and scholarly.

[Gordon Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Introduction for a novice

After reading an essay on Newman in the Saturday Review section of the Wall Street Journal, I was curious to learn more. The book is a very short intellectual history of Newman told from an admiring yet objective fashion. I could not on the surface detect the authors denomination or for that matter whether the author was religious at all.

The book is broken down into the various stages of Newman’s intellectual life; Evangelical, High Church Anglo Catholic and Catholic convert. It helps to have a basic understanding of Christian doctrine and 19th English history to follow the Newman’s biography. There is a helpful chronology in the beginning that serves as a good reference if the reader gets lost or confused.