30 John Henry Cardinal Newman

Dr. Neeru Tandon

29.0 Learning Outcome

29.1 Introduction

29.2 Literary works of Newman

29.3 Newman’s and the Oxford movement

29.4 Theme of his writings

29.5 Prose style

29.6 The Idea of a University

29.7 Newman’s views on role of University

29.8 Liberal education

29.9 Definition of a Gentleman

29.10 Self assessment, MCQ

29.11 Links /Suggested reading

29.00 Learning outcomes: By the end of the lesson, Students should be able to understand.

Who is John Henry Newman?
What are the themes of his writing?
What is the Oxford Movement?
Newman’s views on University and Education.
Newman’s definition of a Gentleman.

29.01: Introduction

Birth and Early Life: Cardinal Newman was the pioneer of the Oxford or Tractarian movement. He was born in 1801 in city of London. He was the eldest among three brothers and three sisters. His father John Newman was a banker and his mother Jenima was descended from a notable family of Huguenot refugees in England. At the age of seven he was sent to great Ealing school. During his last year at school Newman was converted. Almost at the same time his father’s Bank was crashed and he also had undergone a conversion in 1814. During this time Newman fell under the influence of a definite creed and received into his intellect impression of dogma. He was influenced by the writings of Thomas Newton and Joseph Milner. He also read some devotional literature by William Law and William Beveridge.

Education: Newman was educated at Trinity College, Oxford where he studied widely. There he was close friend of Pusey and Hurrell Fronde. During his education in Oxford, he took private pupils and was elected at Oriel in 1822.In 1825, he became cur ate of St. Clements Church, here he was engaged for two years and wrote many articles. In 1826 he returned as tutor of oriel where he met, Richard Froude and both of them formed a high deal of the tutorial office clerical and pastoral. He was also a preacher at while hall.

29.02 Literary Career:

During his visit of Rome, he met Nicholas Wiseman. He wrote most of the short poems during this tour. He described Rome as “the most wonderful place on Earth” but the Roman Catholic Church as polytheistic, degrading and idolatrous. Returning from Italy to England, he wrote lyrical prayer for guidance. This was the beginning of Oxford movement and with his sermons he entered deep into the conflict. His sermons at St. Mary’s (Parochial Sermons 1924 -42) and twenty four contributions to “Tracts for the times” (1934 -41), reveal clear drift away from the Church of England towards Roman Catholicism. He became editor of the British critic and also gave lectures in a side chapel of St. Mary’s. Newman continued as a High Anglican controversialist until 1841, when he published Tract 90 which suggested that they were not against Catholicism’s authorized creed, but only against popular errors. After ending of Tracts publication, Newman also resigned from the post of editor of British of critic. After suffering from his broken relationship with family and friends, he was converted into Roman catholic and left Oxford and went to Rome where he ordained priest by cardinal. After two years in Italy, Newman returned to England as an oratorian. In 1848 “Loss and Gain” and “Discourses Addressed to Mixed congregations” was published. In 1851 “Lectures on the present position of Catholics in England” was published which consist of nine lectures. He was appointed as rector of the new Roman Catholic University in Dublin, where he published the famous series of educational lectures that would become “The Idea of a University” (1852) which explained his philosophy on education. Newman’s second novel “Collista” was published in 1854 which is religious toil a criticism hero of the third century. Newman’s marvelous autobiography was written ten years after to vindicate this career. Charles Kingsley, a clergyman of the Church of England, made a sordid assault on Newman’s intellectual honesty. In answer to Kingsley, Newman published “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” (1864), a religious autobiography of abiding interest. It explained the convictions which had led him into the Catholic Church. It is one of the finest pieces of restrained classical prose in the nineteenth century. Newman explained that English Catholic priests are at least as truthful as English Catholic laymen. He published a revision of the series of pamphlets in book form in 1865. His apocalyptic poem “The Dream of Gerontins” was published in 1866 and was followed by his “Verses on Various Occasions” and by “An Essay in Aid Ova”.

In Last Decade: His “Grammar of Assent” was published in 1870 in which the case for religious belief is maintained by arguments somewhat different from those common ly used by Roman Catholic theologians of the time. During the last decade of his long life, Newman was the most benign authors in English. In 1877, he added two volumes in the republication of his Anglican works. He would probably have attained his position for he knew how to write. Newman was not agree with the formal definition of the doctrine but was an advocate of the principle of minimizing. He affirmed that he had always believed in the doctrine, and had only feared the deterrent affect of its definition on conversions on account of acknowledged historical difficulties. In 1878, he was elected as honorary fellow by his old college and he revisited oxford after 32 years. He became cardinal Deacon of San Giorgio al Velabro on 12 May.

Newman returned to England after his illness and lived at the oratory until his death. As a cardinal he published a preface to a work by Arthur Wollaston Hutton on the Anglican ministry and an article “on the inspiration of scripture in the Nineteenth century (Feb 1884).

Later his health began to fail and he died on “August 1890. He was buried in the grave of his friend Ambrose St. John.

29.3 Newman and the Oxford movement:

The Oxford movement stimulated religious feelings. It was strong protest against the materialism and utilitarianism of the Victorian age. Oxford movement was basically a movement for religious reform, also known as Tractarian movement or Anglo Catholic Revival. It is called Oxford because some Oxford professors and scholars were the force at the back of it. The Oxford movement sprang mainly from the conditions that arose in England as a result of the demand of equal treatment by the non-conformists on the one hand and by the Roman Catholics on the other. This movement had nothing to do with politics. The aim of the Oxford movement was to restore the dignity, purity and zeal of church. It also aimed to protect the church from the encroachment of the state as threatened by the Whig reform Bill of 1832. Gates writes that Oxford movement was in its essence an attempt to reconstruct the English Church in harmony with the romantic (mediaeval) ideal. The Oxford movement stressed the absurdity of examining the Church and its teachings in the light of reasons. It put special emphasis on faith as something super rat ional.

John Keble was the real founder of the Oxford movement but Newman was the chief protagonist of the movement. John Keble gave the emotional atmosphere of the movement and Newman provided its dialectics.

Newman broke away from the old evangelical traditions and threw himself whole heartedly into the Tractarian Movement and set to work upon the tracts of the Time – his own tract XC appeared in 1841. He dreamed of a free and powerful Church and wanted to return to the spirit of the middle ages. He believed that this reform could be accomplished by Anglicanism i.e. the Church of England based on a compromise but after the publication of Newman’s final tract in 1841, a storm of criticism aroused as a result of which Newman lost his position at Oxford. Af ter a period of hesitation, he joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1845 and became a cardinal in 1879. After Newman, the movement was led by Rusey but it became less controversial and theoretical and more practical.

29.04 Themes of his writings:

There are different phases in his personality, Newman the psychologist, the moralist and the preacher. All the three are so beautifully blended in him. He was an Anglican priest and leading figure in the Church. In Newman there is a thinker who has the sensibilit ies of actual experiences and psychological processes but who at the same time rejects them feeling their force and does not simply ignore them. Newman had a philosophical mind. He has studied Aristotle’s logic which had a major influence on his thinking about knowledge as a personal possession and existent realities. He greatly admired Bacon and his distinction between physics and natural theology. In Rome he found that Aquinas and Aristotle both were both in disregard therefore he developed his personal relying on both Ancient and on modern empirical thought particularly on association’s theories in psychology. For him knowledge is therefore more than reasoning, rather it is a real possession of the things we know. This was a key point for Newman’s argumen t for the existence of God.

Newman seemed to be influenced by the warmth of Oratorical style and it appeared in his writings. He developed a distinction between natural religion and revealed religion. Natural religion refereed refers to the knowledge as God and divine things. According to Newman this knowledge is the result of reason aided by grace. This was a key point for his argument for the existence of God. Today his philosophical approach would be described as more specifically Christian personalism with elements of Aristotelian philosophy of the human mind and ethics.

Newman was deeply committed to education to the spiritual as well as academic excellence. Prof. Nicholas Lash in 1990 picked out as the hallmark of Newman’s genius “the very closeness of speech to speaker, of text to thinker”. He was pointing out that he made a simple matter distinctive by the way of his saying. There are some themes of his writings.

1. Revelation:

In his writings he revealed religion which gave his life its unity. In one of his work, Newman himself described revelation as “the initial and essential idea of Christianity” (via media).

2. Church:

Church is the second main theme of his writings. Revelation is received by the community of faith that is the church. Newman’s whole life moved around the Church – from his conversion, through his involvement in Oxford movement, attempt to restore to the Church until he comes to be received into the Catholic Church a perpetual search for the Church was found in his works. He wrote about dignity, faith, growing strength of liberalism in religion.

3. Education:

Education is another important point in this writing. He described education as his time and he referred to education in a large sense of the world. He believed in liberal education which developed a whole human personality with intellectual excellence. Such human beings shine in every walk of life under all possible circumstance.

29.05 His Prose Style:

In the course of his career, Newman revealed himself to be a great writer. Newman possessed passionate temperament, critical attitude and contemplative bent of mind. His prose style is essentially classical characterized by lucidity, transparency, restraint and balance. It faithfully represents his inner urges. He was also a great stylist. Rickett wrote about his style, “beautiful with a limpid lucidity, a chastened eloquence, a gentle persuasiveness”. His style expressed most admirably the temper and tone of the writer. Hulton has rightly remarked regarding his style, “Newman never said anything more characteristic than when he expressed his conviction that through there are a hundred difficulties in faith, into all of which he could enter, the hundred difficulties’ are not equal to a single doubt. That saying is most characteristics of his style, which seems to be sensitive in the highest degree to a multitude of hostile influence which is not at one appreciated and resisted while one predominant and over r uling power moves steadily on”.

His style is called transparent because he described his thought with naturalness. He was wonderful in his sermons and essays. Gentle irony and satire was pervaded by a delicate human in his writings. His prose was characterized by lucidity, restrain, balance and wonderful transparency. It shows his own personal colloquial tone.

Newman’s style was the perfection of classical simplicity and discipline. He possessed the imagination of the poet. He was the master of simple pr ose. Newman was gifted with a powerful imagination. He was a natural critic. He was extremely sensitive to intellectual difficulties and always tried to meet him.

Newman always tried to justify his writings on logical grounds. Wherever he wrote something, he pleads it with a force. He did not transport into the mystic realms where the readers may be bewildered but due to his subtle and restless intellectual he always tried to justify himself logically. His words convey his meaning clearly.

About his prose style, Martin J. Svaglic wrote, “One can suggest however, a few qualities which contributed in Newman’s writing to that sense of individuality, that earnestness, most personal yet most unconsciousness of self, which he tells us in the idea is “the grea test charm of an author”. Newman’s prose is so admirable because it is the mirror of his own character, uniting intellectual power with a keen sensibility and a warm heart and one respond to its beauty, therefore, as so many students did to himself : with respect tempered by affection”.

His Diction:

Newman’s diction is remarkable for strength, elegance, flexibility and aptness. The use of gentle irony was known to him well. He was a lover of clear definite and tangible statements. His diction is condensed and has the quality of covering a wide range. His thoughts naturally move and explain with clarity the conflict of his heart. Sometimes he wrote long sentence but his manner of expression is marvelous.

29.06 The Idea of a University:

Newman’s “The Idea of a university” is like most of his books, an occasional work. Actually it consists of two books, the discourses on the “Scope and Nature of University Education” (1852), and “Lecture and Essay on University subjects” (1859), a collection of lecture and articles written by Newman as the founding president of the university. “The Idea of a University” deals with the aim of university education. It also deals with the qualification of the university teachers and the ideals of liberal education. It is famous for its advocacy of liberal education which means “perfections of the intellectual”. It is different from scientific and vocational trainings. According to Newman the primary aim of the university is not to prepare students for professional courses but to prepare them for success in every walk of life. He means that it is not necessary for student to learn all subjects, but just being around other students who are learning different subjects to enhance their own learning. They tend to be more open minded. He states, “He (the student) apprehends great outline of knowledge, the principles on which it rests, the scale of its parts, its light and its shade, its great points its title, as he otherwise cannot apprehend them.

The Idea of a University shows the lucid and fine prose style of Newman. He clearly handles the subject with his meaning. It depicts his liberal ideal for the university where he argues that religion and science cannot come into conflict it they are not misunderstood.

Summary and Nine Discourses:

In “The Idea of a University” Newman’s views on university education is described. He suggests it is very important to focus on the students attending the university. From Oxford he has gained experience about the educational system. He thinks that a university exists to develop the mind rather than to collect information. It’s a plea for liberal education. H e seems to equivocate somewhat over both science and theology. The primary purpose of a university is intellectual not moral or religious. In preface he says, “The view taken of a university in these discourses is the following – That is a place of teaching of universal knowledge. This implies that its object is, on the one hand intellectual, not moral and on the other that it is the diffusion and extension of knwoldge rather than the advancement, if its object were scientific and philosophical discovery. I do not see why a university should have students, if religious training, I do not see how it can be the set of literature and science”.

In the first discourse, Newman refers to two questions (i) If it is consistent with the idea of university teaching to exclude theology from a place among the sciences which it embraces (ii) whether it is consistent with that idea to make the useful arts sciences it’s direct and principal concern. Newman believes in liberal education that should be not related to religion.

In the second discourse, Newman writes about theology. He thinks that university education should be given with theology because it is a kind of science. People, who want to exclude theology from university teaching, forgot that a university means to give universal knowledge. It is a place where all types of subject are taught. It provides different types of knowledge. It may be divine, human sensible, intellectual and the like. A university is inconsis tent with restrictions of any kind.

“A university, I should lay down, by its very name professes to teach universal knowledge: Theology is surely a branch of knowledge: how then is it possible for it to profess all branches of knowledge, and yet to exclude from the subjects of its teaching one which, to say the least, is as important and as large as any of them? I do not see that either premise of this argument is open to exception”.

In third discourse he describes that theology and all sciences are connected together. They have bearings on one another. If we exclude theology from the science it is indefensible. Theology refers to the knowledge of God and divine things. As knowledge, theology exerts a powerful influence on philosophy, literature and every intellectual discovery.

In fourth discourse, he reveals how theology is connected with all science. If any one of them is neglected, it would become prey of another. With the help of both in universities teaching, a person can develop his whole personality which is very necessary to compete in this world.

In fifth discourse, Newman focuses on liberal education. He thinks that, “Liberal Education

…. is simply the cultivation of the intellect …. and its object is nothing more or less than intellectual excellence”. Knowledge is capable of being its own end and it is a condition of mind.

Knowledge and virtue, both are different things philosophy may be enlightened one person but it has no power over passion. Liberal education is simply the cultivation of the i ntellect, and its object is nothing more than intellectual excellence.

In the sixth discourse, Newman says that knowledge and learning are related to each other. He tried to explain intellectual culture which is related to professional and religious know ledge. A university is a place, where a person gains knowledge on different field. There is two kind of university – One insists on examinations and the other insists on guidance. Newman likes second kind of university where students learn from one another .

In seventh discourse, Newman suggests that intellect to be trained about truth. He wants that kind of education which is able to understand truth. This can be given by liberal education and discipline. Professional and liberal education is totally different. With the help of liberal education one can improve his professional skill.

In eighth discourse, he asserts that reason leads the mind to the Catholic faith. He says about religion of reason. Intellectual employment is not more than this that it accepts naturally noble and innocent minds. Newman criticizes doctrine of reward and punishment. He does not favour compulsion. This shows fear of God in one’s mind not love for him. According to him politeness is a virtue which should be acquire by everyone.

In the ninth discourse, he says that development of mind should be the aim of a university. Church can be also helpful in it as it is the representative of the religious principle.

29.07 Newman’s Views on role of a University:

Newman believes that a university is a place where students and teachers assemble for the purpose of cultivating the intellect to gain knowledge. He does not in favour of imposing restriction to gain knowledge but emphasized upon to give universal knowledg e to all students.

The aim of teaching in a university is to give that kind of knowledge which can develop the whole personality of an individual. Its object is intellectual not moral. A university has to play scientific as well a religious and cultural r ole. A person should gain knowledge by means of literature and science. The range of teaching within the university is universal; it encompasses all branches of knowledge. Education should be balanced, well rounded, and moderate. It should not only promote wisdom and knowledge but also the freedom of thought. Universities that give universal knowledge are leaving their students with the enlargement of new ideas and concepts. The exposure to different sciences creates students that are wise, balanced and tra nquil.

Newman believes that the main aim of a university is to provide liberal education. It manifests itself in courtesy, polish of words, manners and action. It consists in perfection of the intellectual. The main aim is to make a gentleman not a Christ ian.

He also refers to the qualification of the teachers because a trained person can display his qualities with greater effect.

29.08 Newman’s views on Liberal Education

“The Idea of a University” insists on liberal education which means perfection of the student. He believes in development of whole personality having a cultivated mind, fine taste, noble bearing and polished manner. For it liberal education and liberal knowledge both are essential .It is like something that illuminate a mental level.

Newman believes in true education. He differentiates good and useful education .He thinks that knowledge of literature is an essential part of education but if education is given with theology, it will be the best instruments of mental cultivation and intellectual progress. Theology is the most important branch of study from the point of view of knowledge. He is concerned with mental cultivation in the sense of the education or training of the mind .It enables a person “to have connected view” which manifests itself in “good sense, sobriety of thought, self command and steadiness of liberal education gives its recipient the “faculty entering with comparative ease into any subject of thought and of taking up with aptitude any science or profession”

Newman gives the example of physical and mental health, both are necessary for a healthy person same as mental culture through liberal education is useful. Knowledge is not merely a means to something beyond it and an end sufficient to rest in and to pursue for its own sake .The object of liberal education is to gain intellectual excellence.

If a person concentrates on only one subject, he may lead to expertise in that particular subject alone but if he has given knowledge of some other subject at the same time, he will become all rounder.

According to Newman, it is more important for a student to become a noble man that to become a professional man because such human beings shine in every walk of life under all possible circumstances, by the training of different subjects.

Newman thinks to develop the ability think clearly and logically .The power of making correct judgments is also a part of educational process. He thinks clarity and judgment are the fruits of a liberal education, which gives a man a clear conscious view of his own opinions and judgments, a truth in developing them, eloquence in expressing them and a force in urging them.”

Newman thinks that teachers are not alone responsible for the education; students are also essential part of it. The one is the giver other is receiver. Newman wants to give liberal education because it helps teachers to save from academic imperialism. For this, in a university learned men who are rivals of each other are brought together for the sake of intellectual peace. They interact with each other; to gain knowledge, consult and respect one other .This creates a pure atmosphere of thought which is beneficial for students. In this harmonious interaction, the students select the subject and adopt an intellectual tradition. This guides the student in his choice of subjects and duly interprets for him those which he chooses. This is the liberal education for Newman. The student, who gains this kind of knowledge, has all attributes of life like freedom equitableness, calmness, moderation and wisdom.

29.09 Definition of a Gentleman

Introduction: The concept of Gentleman in 19th century is not certain; who are a Gentleman and what his characteristics are and how it looks, are some questions whose answers were to find .The concept of the Gentleman was not merely a social or class designation, there was also a moral component.”

The essence of a gentleman”, John Ruskin said, “What the word says, that he comes from a pure gens or is perfectly bred. After that comes gentleness and sympathy or kind disposition fine imagination”. He also said, “Gentleman has to learn that it is no part of their duty of privilege to live on other people’s toil”. Charles Dickens insisted upon the essential dignity of his occupation .His great expectation is a portrait of Dickens’s concept of the Gentleman and a justification of his own claim to that title. Newman’s “The Idea of a University” is originally delivered as a series of lectures in 1852. In this Newman gives definition of liberal education and says that the main purpose of a university is to develop the mind. The present essay, “A Definition of a Gentleman” is an excerpt from Discourse viii. It is a superb example of character writing .In this essays, a Gentleman is an unsurprising presentation of a sociopolitical ideal clearly related to specific class.

Newman’s Gentleman has a cultured mind and well behaved. He himself stood as an excellent example of a gentleman .He was considered to be a man of great personality. Some of his qualities are:

Newman defines gentleman as a person who never shows his problems to others. This is the most accurate definition of a gentleman. He doesn’t impose his demands but he always tries to fulfill others’ wishes that are around him. He makes them feel comfortable and also helps them to solve their problems.
Like an easy chair, a true gentleman gives place to reduce pressure of work. He is always welcoming and waiting with an open arm. He always supports you in your problems. The gentleman always there in time of distress or disappointment. His company gives warmth the things which may cause grieve in the mind of those people who are near him. He avoids all clashing of opinion, suspicion, gloom or resentment, and makes everyone at their ease.
A true gentleman has all virtue like prudence ,justice ,self control and courage .He never speaks on topics which may irritate .His conversation is not monotonous .He always makes light of the good deeds but never speaks of himself .He never believes in gossips and interprets everything is a positive manner. He never wishes to hurt anyone’s sentiment or feelings.
A true gentleman is philosophical .He accepts all troubles of life as these are part of our life. He accepts death because it is his destiny. He has very good senses. He is not impatient. Neither he be confronted by insults, nor does he lose his temper.
Being a university student, a true gentleman is a disciplined person who is always ready to handle any problem. As a person he knows his strengths and weaknesses. He does not waste his strength on trifles.
Decision –making is the best quality of a true gentleman. He never leaves any question unanswered .He is blessed with impartial eye that is full of firm conviction. Due to firm decision, the decisive man is respected by the world with firm mind.
He is an open minded towards religion. He does not act against it. He is secularly adjustive. He respects the devotion of the common people to the religion. He looks on every religion with an impartial eye.