The intersection of Catholicism and education raised important, yet controversial, questions and prompted many discussions in the nineteenth century. Increased freedoms for Catholics in England opened many educational, financial, and societal opportunities. They could attend prestigious universities and finish degrees without professing Protestant oaths or having religious examinations.
On 26 March 1825, John Henry Newman was appointed vice-principal of St. Alban Hall, Oxford. The position, which he held for a year, meant acting as tutor, chaplain, bursar, and dean of its dozen undergraduates, giving most of the lectures, setting weekly assignments, and dining with the students three times a week.
There are currently 252 digital items in the NINS Digital Collections that are labelled as the Ullathorne to Newman letters. These letters offer insight into the relationship between Newman and Ullathorne, church politics, and their personal affairs. They also serve as an accessible introduction to paleography and writings of the 1800s. If you are interested in paleography, I recommend you study these letters or consult similar works in the NINS Digital Collections.
Over the years, John Henry Newman’s famous book on the nature of a university, referred to simply as Idea, has invited observations from many writers, as indeed it did even during his lifetime. This essay identifies and locates in it those well-phrased remarks he makes, some of which having acquired wide familiarity.
In what follows, I trace Newman's distinctive approach across four essential aspects of his contribution, specifically, conscience, faith, doctrine, and education. Furthermore, I gesture toward the pathways that Newman's method and insights offer to address some of today's urgent questions within and without the church.
Part I presents “the public face of Newman’s educational endeavour,” while Part II provides “the behind-the-scenes picture by telling the reality of Newman’s experience in Ireland” (xv).
