John Henry Newman : a biography

This full-length life of John Henry Newman is the first comprehensive biography of both the man and the thinker and writer. It draws extensively on material from Newman's letters and papers. Newman's character is revealed in its complexity and contrasts: the legendary sadness and sensitivity are placed in their proper perspective by being set against his no less striking qualities of exuberance, humour, and toughness. This book attempts to do justice to the fullness of Newman's achievement and genius: the Victorian 'prophet' or 'sage', who ranks among the major English prose writers; the dominating religious figure of the nineteenth century, who can now be recognised as the forerunner of the Second Vatican Council and the modern ecumenical movement; and finally, the universal Christian thinker, whose significance transcends his culture and time. Contents 12 Abbreviations 13 I. Oxford 16 2. The Movement 69 3. The Via Media 116 4. Doubts 173 5. Crisis 228 6. Development 272 7. From Oxford to Rome 331 8. Controversy and Satire 352 9. The Idea of a University 391 10. The Catholic University of Ireland 412 11. Oratory and University 432 12. The Idea of the Laity 478 13. The Years of Silence 505 14. Apologia 548 15. Return to Oxford? 575 16. The Justification of Religious Belief 633 17. Papal Infallibility 666 18. Oxford and Rome Again 709 Afterword 761 Index 766 A 766 B 766 C 767 D 767 E 767 F 768 G 768 H 768 I 769 J 769 K 769 L 769 M 770 N 771 O 783 P 784 Q 785 R 785 S 785 T 785 U 786 V 786 W 786