John Henry Newman
August 25, 2010
Anyone interested in John Henry Newman should check out the following link to a BBC Radio 3 program on his life and influence (though you'll need to be quick -- it's being pulled off the web in 4 days). You'll find it here. It's well worth a listen.
Newman should be of interest to thoughtful Protestants for a number of reasons:
1. His life indicates that, far from the differences between Protestants and Catholics being merely so much white noise or distraction, they really do count. That's why he had to leave the Anglican Church and join Rome. Goodness me, he tried his best to spin the Thirty nine Articles in a way that would have allowed him to stay, but ultimately he was just too honourable. And I would rather do business with someone who knows who they are, what they believe, why they believe it, and acts consistently upon it, than with someone for whom all difference is really mere indifference.
2. Some understanding of his thought is vital for understanding contemporary Catholicism. Rather like Bavinck in Dutch Protestantism, both conservatives and liberals lay claim to his legacy.
3. His prose style is worthy to stand alongside Hazlitt, Swift and Orwell; though, as the BBC documentary makes clear, it is the lyrical, poetic quality of his writing which is perhaps his unique contribution. In a world of bullet points, tweets, Biden/Palin speeches (just to be studiedly neutral)and power-point presentations, I may not like his theology, but reading someone who can actually construct beautiful, meaningful prose is like finding an English country pub on the east coast of the USA. I may not find all of the beer on offer to my taste, but just sitting there in the snug by the fireside with a warm pint helps to dull the pain.
Newman should be of interest to thoughtful Protestants for a number of reasons:
1. His life indicates that, far from the differences between Protestants and Catholics being merely so much white noise or distraction, they really do count. That's why he had to leave the Anglican Church and join Rome. Goodness me, he tried his best to spin the Thirty nine Articles in a way that would have allowed him to stay, but ultimately he was just too honourable. And I would rather do business with someone who knows who they are, what they believe, why they believe it, and acts consistently upon it, than with someone for whom all difference is really mere indifference.
2. Some understanding of his thought is vital for understanding contemporary Catholicism. Rather like Bavinck in Dutch Protestantism, both conservatives and liberals lay claim to his legacy.
3. His prose style is worthy to stand alongside Hazlitt, Swift and Orwell; though, as the BBC documentary makes clear, it is the lyrical, poetic quality of his writing which is perhaps his unique contribution. In a world of bullet points, tweets, Biden/Palin speeches (just to be studiedly neutral)and power-point presentations, I may not like his theology, but reading someone who can actually construct beautiful, meaningful prose is like finding an English country pub on the east coast of the USA. I may not find all of the beer on offer to my taste, but just sitting there in the snug by the fireside with a warm pint helps to dull the pain.
