This is such a timely article for me Mark, and I loved it. My late father was a big Newman fan, and as they say locally-"as the auld cock crows, the young one learns". Just today, at our local TLM the sermon was about continuity of tradition, and the priest was criticising, or maybe a better word would be questioning Pope Leo's proposal of Cardinal Newman as a Doctor of the Church, saying that he (Newman) was a proponent of theological development. While knowing that that was unlikely to be the case, I hadn't the facts and knowledge to coherently deal with what I knew could not be correct. Sorted. I'm so grateful.
Thank you for a well-done article, Mr Lambert. As much as I love Newman, I admit I was perplexed about why it never occured to him to reconsider the legitimacy of the CofE, given its sketchy foundation. He can argue that he sincerely believed that it was the prudent middle ground, the via media, and yet that had nothing to do with Henry VIII's machinations. In fact, the justification for scooting people from the Church of Rome to the Church of England was the firm promise that nothing would change. It wasn't a theological recalibration, it was a political move seen as necessary at the time. And yet, by the 19th century, those who reverted to the Anglican faith (or even aesthetic) of 1600 were derided as "Catholic."
While Newman wasn't brought up to consider why the CofE was created, certainly by the time he wrote his autobiography he would have realised that Henry VIII--Defensor Fidei--never intended theological changes. Is it possible that he simply thought the later accommodations were justified?
It did occur to him to reconsider the legitimacy of the CofE. He spent a full 12 years doing that before his conversion. What kept him from converting was the virtue of prudence: he believed that God had placed him in the Church of England and that he had to be absolutely certain Before he left it.
By the time Newman wrote his autobiography he had been a Catholic for 19 years.
As we approach the formal declaration of Saint John Henry Newman as a doctor of the Church, I recall from several years ago a podcast by a very interesting Anglo-Catholic duo called the Young Tractarians (YT), discussing Newman, who they liked except, of course, for what they thought was his abandonment of those, like them, who remained in the Church of England. Otherwise the podcasts were very interesting and edifying, discussing the 1662 BCP Sunday readings, mostly with a patristic view, and ecclesial developments. Then all of a sudden, the Young Tractarians shut down, apparently in the wake of controversy in the UK over some incautious statements by one of them in settings not related to the YT podcasts. Does anyone know what has happened to them since then?
This is such a timely article for me Mark, and I loved it. My late father was a big Newman fan, and as they say locally-"as the auld cock crows, the young one learns". Just today, at our local TLM the sermon was about continuity of tradition, and the priest was criticising, or maybe a better word would be questioning Pope Leo's proposal of Cardinal Newman as a Doctor of the Church, saying that he (Newman) was a proponent of theological development. While knowing that that was unlikely to be the case, I hadn't the facts and knowledge to coherently deal with what I knew could not be correct. Sorted. I'm so grateful.
Perfect! Thank you Anne, I'm so glad this was of some use!
Thank you for a well-done article, Mr Lambert. As much as I love Newman, I admit I was perplexed about why it never occured to him to reconsider the legitimacy of the CofE, given its sketchy foundation. He can argue that he sincerely believed that it was the prudent middle ground, the via media, and yet that had nothing to do with Henry VIII's machinations. In fact, the justification for scooting people from the Church of Rome to the Church of England was the firm promise that nothing would change. It wasn't a theological recalibration, it was a political move seen as necessary at the time. And yet, by the 19th century, those who reverted to the Anglican faith (or even aesthetic) of 1600 were derided as "Catholic."
While Newman wasn't brought up to consider why the CofE was created, certainly by the time he wrote his autobiography he would have realised that Henry VIII--Defensor Fidei--never intended theological changes. Is it possible that he simply thought the later accommodations were justified?
It did occur to him to reconsider the legitimacy of the CofE. He spent a full 12 years doing that before his conversion. What kept him from converting was the virtue of prudence: he believed that God had placed him in the Church of England and that he had to be absolutely certain Before he left it.
By the time Newman wrote his autobiography he had been a Catholic for 19 years.
As we approach the formal declaration of Saint John Henry Newman as a doctor of the Church, I recall from several years ago a podcast by a very interesting Anglo-Catholic duo called the Young Tractarians (YT), discussing Newman, who they liked except, of course, for what they thought was his abandonment of those, like them, who remained in the Church of England. Otherwise the podcasts were very interesting and edifying, discussing the 1662 BCP Sunday readings, mostly with a patristic view, and ecclesial developments. Then all of a sudden, the Young Tractarians shut down, apparently in the wake of controversy in the UK over some incautious statements by one of them in settings not related to the YT podcasts. Does anyone know what has happened to them since then?