Newman Studies Journal

In this article, I investigate Newman’s understanding of doctrinal development, specifically regarding the accumulation of doctrines over time. Through an analysis of Newman’s essay on development and a letter written by him in 1868, we can better understand the potential “advantage,” but not superiority, that comes from the everincreasing resources of tradition. Newman’s view of development is directed toward the present and abiding concern to maintain fidelity to the deposit of faith, or to what he understands to be a “sacred philosophy.”

By the late 1830s, John Henry Newman and Edward Bouverie Pusey were discussing the re-introduction of monastic/religious life into the Church of England. Though Newman did not remain in the Church of England long enough to see the full flowering of this effort, his writings as an Anglican theologian reveal that he viewed the monastic/religious life as a central way in which a person could grow in holiness and also a means of fostering the holiness of the Church as a whole.

This essay examines the strengths and weakness of Newman’s argument in “On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine” that the lay faithful throughout history are the guarantors of orthodox doctrine by examining Newman’s understanding of the lay faithful, the sensus and consensus fidelium, and his historiographical methodology.

After considering the life-long influence of poetry on Newman and his critical analysis of poetry, this study examines his poetic output during his Mediterranean voyage (1832–1833) and concludes by considering both the spiritual implications and the literary observations of his famous poem “The Pillar of the Cloud.”

In spite of various criticisms, both at the time of its publication and more recently, Newman’s The Arians of the Fourth Century can be recommended—indeed it offers a valuable critique of modern historical scholarship on Arianism.

Although Newman’s Essay on Development has been studied both in itself and as a milestone in his spiritual journey, scant attention has been given to a detailed analysis of his “notes” for doctrinal development. The following study examines the second note of development—“continuity of principles”—in order to ascertain both Newman’s understanding of “principles” and the way these principles can have continuity.

This study considers Newman’s sermon—“On the Nature of the Future Promise”—which he preached on 4 September 1825 at St. Clement’s Church, Oxford—likely with his mother and sisters present in the congregation; in addition to treating Newman’s style of preaching and Evangelical theology, this sermon’s theological and pastoral dimensions are also examined.

One of the major benefits of the Internet is that numerous books and essays that have long been out of print are now readily accessible—including the following booklet (44 pages).