Receptions of Newman

Over the past two centuries, few Christians have been more influential than John Henry Newman. His leadership of the Oxford Movement shaped the worldwide Anglican Communion and many Roman Catholics hold him as the brains behind reforms of the Second Vatican Council. His life-story has been an inspiration for generations and many commemorated him as a saint even before he officially became the Blessed John Henry Newman in 2010. His writings on theology, philosophy, education, and history continue to be essential texts. Nonetheless, such a prominent thinker and powerful personality also had detractors. In this volume, scholars from across the disciplines of theology, philosophy, education, and history examine the different ways in which Newman has been interpreted. Some of the essays attempt to rescue Newman from his opponents then and now. Others seek to save him from his rescuers, clearing away misinterpretations so that Newman's works may be encountered afresh. The 11 essays in Receptions of Newmans show why Newman's ideas about religion were so important in the past and continue to inform the present.

About the Author :
Frederick D. Aquino is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the Graduate School of Theology, Abilene Christian University. He specializes in religious epistemology, the epistemology of theology, John Henry Newman, and Maximus the Confessor. Benjamin J. King is the Professor of Christian History at The School of Theology, University of the South, Tennessee. Educated in England and America, he specializes in nineteenth-century history and theology.

Review :
"This book is a helpful addition to the conversation about Newman and, tangentially, to the onging conversation about the Oxford Movement...The conversation found within this collection both deepens and complicates an understanding of Newman in a way that should prove fruitful for future scholarship."--Anglican Theological Review "Though formally delimited by the category of reception, the range of issues discussed in Receptions of Newman- as filtered through the themes of development, belief, education, revelation, and sanctity-is impressively wide. In their accounts of conflicting historical, philosophical, and theological assessments of John Henry Newman, the authors testify to his work's substantive originality, enduring influence, and contestability."--Journal of Theological Studies "This edited volume provides a well textured examination of the various receptions of John Henry Newman's work...This fresh encounter opens up new possibilities for reading Newman. Further, it contributes to deepening scholarship on Newman in particular and on the Oxford Movement more broadly...The conversation found within this collection both deepens and complicates an understanding of Newman in a way that should prove fruitful for future scholarship."--Anglican Theological Review "Newman is an amorphous figure open to widely divergent interpretation. This excellent and readable volume, which is the first to deal specifically with Newman's reception by his contemporaries and later generations, candidly presents these divergences." --Reviews in Religion and Theology "The editors do a superb job of selecting key Newman texts, areas, and topics that will inform Newman scholarship and advance understanding of his abiding influence. It is original, stimulating, and exhibits high quality writing and research. The volume's rich historical and theological research on the receptions of key texts and Newman's thought in periods and countries is fascinating . . . it is essential reading for Newman scholars and a robust contribution to Newman studies." --Church History and Religious Culture