Newman's Challenge

Notes: "'Newman's Challenge' is a collection of fourteen essays joined together by the common theme that, contrary to current belief, Newman placed great importance on the supernatural. Jaki argues that all of Newman's writings reveal his unlimited trust in the supernatural as deposited in and revealed by the Church, and that modern scholars must always be aware that his ultimate focus is a supernatural heaven" (p. 107). "In the thirteen chapters, originally separate publications written over the course of ten years and held together with a covering introductory essay, Jaki offers a thoroughly Roman Catholic assessment of the man and his thought. Jaki examines Newman's take on original sin, miracles, angels, conversion, anglo-catholics, the papacy, Church history, the concept of assent, science and evolution, and mysticism and celibacy. Each essay is pseudo-biographical, providing insights into the man and his world" (p. 107). Jaki "looks to Newman's letters to understand his conversion. This allows a well-constructed response to those who would posthumously convert Newman back to Anglicanism and those who maintain that even after his conversion, Newman remained essentially an Anglican. Newman himself repeatedly asserts the genuineness of his conversion and Jaki adroitly marshals his sources to hammer the point home that Newman was a conservative, an intellectual and a Catholic par excellence. If he was a liberal he would have stayed an Anglican" (p. 108).

Subjects: Newman, John Henry, 1801-1890 - Book reviews; Supernatural - History of doctrines - 19th century - Book reviews; Catholic converts - Book reviews