Newman’s Vision of Faith is a great 1986 book by Father Louis Bouyer. John Henry Newman wrote a tremendous amount, so this is a useful summary. This book will be of most interest to Catholics, but John Henry Newman had such an outsized effect on higher education in the United States that Newman’s Vision of Faith may be of interest to everyone who went to college. Newman’s Vision of Faith summarizes thousands of pages of writing from this saint in just 210 pages. Newman’s Vision of Faith shows how clear vision of the problems confronting Christianity in the Nineteenth Century. Do you find this type of summary useful?
Summary of Newman’s Vision of Faith
Newman’s Vision of Faith is a study of Cardinal Newman’s ideas on Christianity by a leading Catholic theologian. Newman was himself a convert to Catholicism. Newman’s Vision of Faith is divided into five chapters. “Man Before God” is first. “The Mystery of Faith” is second. “Deus Revetus ut Abscongtius (God Revealed as the Hidden God)” is the third. Our Life as Hidden with Christ in God” is the fourth chapter. Finally, The Sacramental World: The Church.”
There is a conclusion and an appendix. The conclusion is “Ex Umbris et Imaginubus in Veritatem (from Shadows and Images to the Truth).” The appendix is A Key to Reading the Parochial and Plain Sermons.” Neither the conclusion nor the appendix is very long; both are only a few pages. The appendix is very useful.
The Challenges of 19th Century Christianity
There were several challenges facing Christianity in the nineteenth century that Newman’s writing addresses. The first of which was the lingering effects of the Protestant Reformation. By the nineteenth century, various Protestant religions were ingrained in Europe and England. Second, the secularization of society was a real problem. As the industrial revolution became more ingrained, societies became wealthier and more secular. This became such a problem that John Paul II wrote about it when he was Pope.
Christianity faced challenges from up-and-coming religions and so-called moral relativism. One of the most pressing challenges is the spread of Islam, which is growing in both number and influence. This has been a problem for centuries and was the subject of the Crusades. Christians also face challenges from secularism and relativism, which challenge the idea that there is one right way to believe.
Another challenge facing Christianity at the time of Newman’s writing was moral relativism, which holds that there is no right or wrong, only different opinions. Christianity was also hampered by the decline in church attendance, which has accelerated. There was also a growing disconnect with the main societal issues of the time.
There was also a host of challenges facing the Christian community at at time of Newman’s writing. There was, and is, division in the church. Another challenge to the community is that there is a lack of unity among the various Christian denominations. Finally, a challenge at the time of Newman’s writing was the same challenges that face the world today, that is, increasingly polarized political views.
A Little About John Henry Newman
John Henry Newman was once a professor at what is now the University of Dublin. Newman’s legacy there is outstanding. First, established in 1994, in co-operation between The Newman Trust and the university, The Newman Research Library is the most comprehensive collection in Ireland. Second,iIn 2005, the International Centre for Newman Studies was established to promote graduate and research studies. Third, in 2019, the university’s Newman Centre for the Study of Religions opened with an expanded license to include Neoplatonism and Abrahamic Traditions, as well as the study of Religion and Society.
Conclusion
John Henry Newman was a prolific scholar who wrote several complicated texts. Newman’s Vision of Faith is useful because it is a summary of sorts, so it should be read before all other texts. Father Bouyer did us a service by writing the useful book. Newman had such a large effect on American life, this book ought to appeal to everyone.
