The Cambridge Companion to John Henry Newman

Description

John Henry Newman (1801-90) was a major figure in nineteenth-century religious history. He was one of the major protagonists of the Oxford or Tractarian Movement within the Church of England whose influence continues to be felt within Anglicanism. A high-profile convert to Catholicism, he was an important commentator on Vatican I and is often called 'the Father' of the Second Vatican Council. Newman's thinking highlights and anticipates the central themes of modern theology including hermeneutics, the importance of historical-critical research, the relationship between theology and literature, and the reinterpretation of the nature of faith. His work is characterised by two elements that have come especially to the fore in post-modern theology, namely, the importance of the religious imagination and the fiduciary character of all knowledge. This Companion fills a need for an accessible, comprehensive and systematic presentation of the major themes in Newman's work.

Ian Ker is Senior Research Fellow in Theology at St Benet's Hall, Oxford. He has published over twenty books, mostly on Newman, including John Henry Newman: A Biography (1988, 1999). Terrence Merrigan is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. His many publications include Newman and Truth (2008).

'... we almost have an embarrassment of riches from an international team of Newman scholars. ... this [book] will prove of enormous help to those coming to the Cardinal's work for the first time.' Contemporary Review 'By raising the issues that mattered to him [Newman] in ways that stimulate and challenge readers, it encourages them to explore those issues further for themselves.' Theology 'The Cambridge Companion to [John Henry] Newman is a splendid volume. The bench of contributors is tremendous and the authors manage to strike a balance between providing nifty summaries of aspects of Newman's thought (useful for the general reader) and more focused speculations about the intricacies of Newman's theologising (which will thrill specialists).' Catholic Herald