An accomplished overview of Christianity?s original idea of the laity and their theological formation, in the truest spirit of John Henry Newman. Gerald Jumbam Nyuykongmo?s pioneering contributions to the role of the laity in the Church is hugely impressive and his emphasis on theological education of the laity makes the book soar. The work is a revelatory entry into the Post-Vatican spirit of understanding between clergy and laity and therefore on how the laity can take their place, not at the peripheries, but rather at the very core of Church life.

A conversational discussion of the impact of John Henry Newman on Catholic thought, especially where it concerns the importance and involvement of the laity in all facets of the Church, including the formulation of what we believe.

"I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, and who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it." John Henry Newman To raise up Catholics who "know their creed so well that they can give an account of it," John Henry Newman-the 19th century British Cardinal recently pronounced "Blessed" by Pope Benedict XVI-preached thousands of sermons, wrote scores of books, and published countless articles explaining our Catholic faith, with particular attention to the relationship between faith and reason. So prodigious was Cardinal Newman's output that only a few souls have read all he wrote. Yet so keen was his intellect-and so profound his love for our Lord - that even those who've read just a few pages have profited greatly, growing quickly in knowledge, understanding, and renewed faith in God. Now comes Dave Armstrong, himself drawn forth from Protestantism by the power of Cardinal Newman's words. Eager to share Newman's wisdom with others, Armstrong has mined from over forty of Cardinal Newman's works to produce substantive passages on more than 100 topics ranging from Angel(more...)

The Second Vatican Council produced a charter for the church of the twentieth century and beyond. Part of the council's fascination is that it involves many "stories." The Road to Vatican II is an attempt to tell the story behind the stories of this landmark in church history. Somehow, more than 2,500 bishops, who often disagreed on the most critical issues, managed to produce sixteen documents that touched the very essence of the Catholic faith. How is it possible that so much could have been accomplished in four brief council sessions, from 1962-1965? How did the church move from Pius IX at Vatican I (1869-70), who espoused a rigid, hierarchical model of church, to John XXIII at Vatican II (1962-65), who ushered in a collegial, communio model of church? In answering these questions, Sullivan's book highlights those theologians whose efforts over the years before the council were actually the seeds of what flourished at the council. These theologians were indeed prophets among us, often suffering because of their convictions. Ultimately they were instruments of the Holy Spirit in our midst. They offered the church a renewed vision of the faith and a methodology to facilitate theological endeavor. They also rediscovered in the New Testament a language of life that could speak to contemporary men and women. Hence, this book presents the incredible theological changes that took place on the road to Vatican II; it examines the contributions of some of the key theologians on this road; and it finds evidence of their influence in key documents of the Second Vatican Council. Book jacket.

Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–1890), a pre-eminent English intellectual and convert to Catholicism, was brought up in a low Church Anglican home where his grandmother and an aunt first nurtured his love for the Bible. At the age of 15, after a short period of entertaining religious doubts, he had a first conversion to Evangelical Christianity. For a few years he was influenced in his piety and biblical reading by evangelical authors, and later in the sacramental and ecclesial life by Anglican theologians. Then in 1845, through the study of the Church Fathers, he came to a profound understanding of authentic development of doctrine, in particular the exercise of the Pope’s office; it was then that he became Roman Catholic. He lived during a period similar to ours: one of economic and technological progress that was accompanied by an embrace of materialism and a subsequent loss of faith and moral breakdown. Newman’s writings challenge us, contemporary men and women, living in a world beset by these similar ills. His writings on the subject of holiness, the practice of the Christian virtues, the objective nature of truth and its relationship to the moral conscience, university education, and the role of the laity in society and the Church are very much needed today. Individuals, parish groups, and students at Newman Centers will benefit and learn from Blessed Newman’s life example, insights, and teachings found in this book.” Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, his canonization is imminent.

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.

On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine was first published in July, 1859, as an article in the Rambler. It was the immediate cause of great controversy both in Rome and in England. Newman did not withdraw his views, but the article was not reprinted or published in England since that time, and appeared only once in an American journal, Cross Currents. Scholars without access to Rambler archives have had to resort to a German translation, and the ordinary reader has had to rely on brief quotation and heresy. This edition of Newman's essay is the first in any language to contain a collated version of the text published in the Rambler for July, 1859, and the abbreviated and amended version of 1871. The book also contains an extract from The Arians of the Fourth Century, which bears on the same subject and amplifies Newman's views.

John Henry Newman s writings and his lifelong search for religious truth continue to influence thought within a range of disciplines, most notably theology, philosophy and education. One of his most significant contributions was to the understanding of higher education contained within his nineteenth century writings, in particular his volume of lecturers entitled The Idea of a University, which has helped shape religious and educational thought over two centuries. Newman s claim that university education, the pursuit of universal knowledge and truth, is as much an education in pure and practical knowledge as in moral life, provides a continuing source of challenge and inspiration to education leaders today much as it did in the nineteenth century. James Arthur examines Newman s key strengths and weaknesses and locates these firmly within the intellectual context of his time, providing an overview of his work that allows students to appreciate the importance of his thought both within and outside the Catholic tradition.