AboutContact

Theology
34

“Like a Slowly Moving Censer”: Learning to Read with Newman
Philosophy
“Like a Slowly Moving Censer”: Learning to Read with Newman

Compared to my usual diet of scholarly articles and books, Newman’s writings stood out for what appeared to me as their meandering character. Unlike most contemporary works, Newman does not state upfront what he is going to say and then take the reader through the motions of a demonstration delivered blow by blow. He begins, instead, with a puzzle, or a question, that he brings before his audience; he unfolds his thinking slowly, almost searchingly, from his initial questions; he also frequently refrains from tying up his argument, leaving whatever he said simply to “air” with the reader.

Luigi Russi
Luigi Russi
January 31, 2024
11 min
Newman, the Guide of Conscience for Ratzinger
Newman, the Guide of Conscience for Ratzinger

When the Pope beatified Newman in 2010, he traveled to the United Kingdom to honor the “saintly Englishman” from whom he had learned numerous invaluable lessons. In his sermon for the occasion, the Pope exclaimed, “in Blessed John Henry, that tradition of gentle scholarship, deep human wisdom and profound love for the Lord has borne rich fruit.” It is in this scholarly yet prayerful pursuit of the truth that Ratzinger found a fellow friend in Newman. 

A Conversation with Grant Kaplan on “Faith and Reason through Christian History: A Theological Essay"
A Conversation with Anne Carpenter on "Nothing Gained is Eternal"
“Trans-Disciplinary Dialogue”: Pope Francis and St. John Henry on the Mystery of the Human Person
“Trans-Disciplinary Dialogue”: Pope Francis and St. John Henry on the Mystery of the Human Person

Pope Francis speaks about our “increasing difficult[y]” in “discern[ing] what is proper to humans and what is proper to technology.” In this moment, the Holy Father stresses our need for “serious reflection on the very value of the human person” especially, “the concept of personal consciousness as relational experience,” and he exhorts us to draw upon our “shared human experiences” by studying them “from various perspectives, employing trans-disciplinary dialogue and cooperation.” Inspired by the Holy Father, I take a step in that direction by reflecting upon St. John Henry Newman’s view of the manifold aspects of the mystery of the human person.

Page 1 of 6
Next
© 2024, All Rights Reserved.
National Institute for Newman Studies

QUICK LINKS

AboutSubmissionsContact

SOCIAL MEDIA