Books by Dave Armstrong: The Quotable Newman: Theology, Church History, and Conversion

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[completed on 8-19-11; accepted for publication by Sophia Institute Press on 9-28-11. As of 29 February 2012 I edited a 448-page version for the paperback. A longer, "unabridged" version: about 691 pages, may also be available in due course: electronically, and possibly (depending on sales) a "Volume 2" in paperback. Sophia plans to release the book by early June 2012]

EXCERPTS

The Anglican Newman (1833-1838) on the Falsity of Perspicuity (More or Less Self-Evident Clearness) of Holy Scripture

The Anglican Newman on the Falsity of Extreme Versions of the Protestant "Faith Alone" Viewpoint

Denominationalism and Sectarianism: Cardinal Newman Nails its Fundamental Error and Notes the Inevitable Bitter Fruits That  Unfold from It

Cardinal Newman on Rationalistic Theological Liberalism vs. a Reasonable Catholic Faith (Tracts of the Times No. 73 of 1836)

Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman on the Nature and Pursuit of Truth

The Catholic Cardinal Newman's Opinion of Anglicanism

Cardinal Newman on Galileo and the Alleged Dogmatic Status of Geocentrism

Cardinal Newman on Anti-Catholic Prejudice

ANNOUNCEMENT OF BOOK

Upcoming  Book (The Quotable Newman)

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this book is a simple, albeit very ambitious one: to compile notable quotations from Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) in the areas of theology and Church history, so that his thinking and wisdom might be more accessible to the reading public, and particularly to students (in school or out) of Christian theology and its history.

As with most works of this sort, the goal is to help make the quoted author more widely known: to spark interest and pique curiosity in more than a few readers. I envy those who will be embarking for the first time on a journey of serious reading of Cardinal Newman. It’s pure joy for any thinker (and any Christian) to do so.

I also seek to create a handy reference source that can be consulted when particular topics come up. Newman’s thought is so full of insight that it seems to have no end. With the help of the Holy Spirit and whatever gifts granted to me by God’s grace, I shall do my best to compile the most substantive, pithy, and memorable quotations of Cardinal Newman that I can find.

The task of selection is necessarily subjective, and daunting, but this is a task I had to do, due to the huge debt I owe to John Henry Newman, in relation to my own spiritual journey: one that brought me happily to the Catholic Church in 1990, exactly a hundred years after Newman’s death (largely as a result of reading his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine).

This work is, therefore, the fruit of a proverbial “labor of love.” Whether it was labor at all, however, is questionable, since the experience of perusing all of these wonderful books and letters (even the selection process itself), and the enjoyment obtained in so doing, made any “work” involved almost beside the point.

I do have some experience in putting together a book of quotations: I was the editor for The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton (Charlotte: Saint Benedict Press, 2009, 378 pages). A major difference between that volume and this one, however, is the length of citations. I restricted myself in that instance to single sentences. But this would be impossible to do in Cardinal Newman’s case, because of his flowing, elaborate, complex, Victorian prose. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to keep the excerpts as brief as I can, without giving up any essential meaning.

Similar to the Chesterton collection, I will note sources with abbreviations and generally use chapter numbers rather than page numbers (since the latter will vary with different editions). I will attempt to keep quotations chronological within categories.

As indicated in the subtitles, I have narrowed the subject matter somewhat: primarily to theology and Church history. Newman also wrote widely on philosophy, education, spirituality, sociology or current affairs (Catholics in England, etc.), and produced poetry and fiction, among other things. But in particularly notable instances or topics, I was quite willing to extend the parameters and make an exception to my own “rule” -- out of love of Cardinal Newman’s style, insight, and wisdom.

I chose to concentrate on theology and the history of theological doctrine and the Church, since those topics lend themselves to thematic unity and a coherent collection that can be referenced and used for the purpose of catechesis or apologetics (my own area).

Given the vast amount of Newman’s writing involved, I thought it best to not attempt to cover everything. But for the areas I have covered, I have sought to be quite comprehensive, in order to provide a reference work of lasting value and utility: something a little different from the hundreds of works on Newman, and various anthologies and collections of his writing thus far available.

I need to note two factors that were important in my selection process, as an editor, so readers can be duly informed. As most who are reading this already are aware, Cardinal Newman was an Anglican for roughly the first half of his life, and a Catholic thereafter. Not infrequently in his earlier life, he not only explained, but vigorously advocated positions that he later renounced.

The question then arises, as to the criteria for selection of quotations in the earlier period. Or, more specifically: are they to be conceptualized as presenting (all things considered), at least in part, the “polemical Anglican (at times, outright anti-Catholic), Via Media proponent Newman” or rather, “the proto-Catholic Newman who anticipates and looks forward to his later Catholic beliefs, and holds them in kernel form”?

I have decided (probably predictably) to follow the latter course. Generally, I have not included opinions that the later Newman would have disavowed, or literally did renounce (as we see in his later corrective notes of his earlier writing). I am a Catholic, and I’m afraid that my natural bias in that direction considerably affected how the Anglican period quotations were selected and edited.

Yet I don‘t think this is a complete “loss” for Anglican or otherwise non-Catholic readers, since the (ecumenical) result is an “Anglican Newman” who is expressing ideas concerning which Catholics and more traditional or “high” Anglicans can readily agree. It is not unimportant to highlight agreement where it is present. Non-Catholic readers can also see how very much a Catholic can agree with the Anglican Newman's thinking, since I have deliberately set out to highlight the larger areas of agreement (in light of his later change of mind).

The Anglican devotee of Cardinal Newman could, in this sense, particularly benefit from the earlier quotations insofar as they present a “Catholic Newman” (i.e., Catholic in the more all-encompassing definition Anglicans use) who is not, in these compiled instances, expressing pointed disagreement with another “branch” (so to speak) of the universal Catholic Christian Church.

The second factor that ought to be highlighted (something Introductions are good for!) is my determination to include, by and large (though not always) passages in Newman’s writing that give actual arguments for positions, rather than being only beautifully expressed descriptions or sentiments and not necessarily defenses. Newman is such a good writer that virtually everything he writes is eloquent, in any event; but my goal is to emphasize the apologist Newman: the one who can provide a rationale for why we should agree with his positions.

Thus, it is apparent, that my status as a Catholic, and as a Catholic apologist, by occupation, has influenced how I edit. But I suppose this is to be expected, and I don‘t believe it detracts from the utility of the overall effort in the slightest, especially since I have stated my goals and “biases” upfront, so as to avoid any misconception.

May the reader enjoy and be edified and educated by what I have compiled from Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman’s delightful writing.

Index of Topics
[topics colored blue are available only in the unabridged electronic version of the book]

Absolution

Adam 
Allegorical Method

Altar Calls

Altars

Anathemas

Angels

Anglicanism 
Anti-Catholicism (Prejudice)

Anti-Catholicism (Theological)

Antichrist

Antiquity (the Early Church)

Apologetics and Evangelism

Apologia pro Vita sua

Apostates; Apostasy

Apostles

Apostolic Deposit of Faith

Apostolic Succession

Arianism

Aristotle
Art
Atheism and Agnosticism

Atonement

Atonement: Universal

Babylon, Whore of

Baptism

Baptism and Regeneration

Baptism, Infant

Baptism of Desire

Beatific Vision 

Beauty

Bishops

Cardinalate (His Own)

Cardinals

Catechumens

Celibacy 

Charity; Almsgiving

Church, The (Ecclesiology)

Church and Salvation 

Church and Social Change
Church and State; Caesaropapism; Erastianism
Church Buildings

Church Government

Church, Indefectibility of

Church, Infallibility of

Church (“Roman Catholic”: Anglican View of)

Church, Sinners in

Church, Visible (vs. Invisible)

Circumincession / Coinherence / Perichoresis 

Communism
Confession

Conscience

Conversion and Converts

Conversion (His Own)

Cosmological Argument for God’s Existence

Councils, Ecumenical

Creation; Nature

Creeds

Crucifixes

“Dark Ages” (Anti-Catholic Myth of)

Demons (Fallen Angels)

Denominationalism; Sectarianism

Deuterocanon (“Apocrypha”)

Development (of Doctrine)

Devotions

Discipleship

Discussion; Argument

Divorce

Doctrine; Dogma

Doctrines and History

Doctrines: “Primary vs. Secondary”

Ecumenism; Non-Catholics

Eden, Garden of

Election 
Englishmen
Enthusiasm, Religious (Derogatory Sense)

Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent

Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

Eucharist

Eucharist: Communion in One Species

Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction

Evil

Evil, Problem of

Exegesis (of Scripture)

Exorcism

Faith

Faith Alone (Protestant Notion of Sola Fide)

Faith and Reason

Faith and Works

Faith, “Blind” (Charge Against Catholics)

Fasting and Abstinence

Fathers of the Church

Galileo

Geocentrist Cosmology

God

God, Omnipotence of

God’s Love

Gospel; Good News

Grace 
Happiness

Healings

Heaven

Hell

Heresy; Heresies

Hermeneutics (Interpretation of Scripture)

History

History and Christianity

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit: Indwelling of

Honorius (Pope)

Idolatry

Ignatius of Antioch, St.

Ignorance, Invincible

Images, Use and Veneration of

Indulgences 
Infidels

Inquisition / Temporal Punishments 
Ireland and Irishmen

Jesus: Divinity of

Jesus: Incarnation and Two Natures of

Jesus: Judaism and

Jesus: Passion and Suffering of

Jesus: Redeemer

Jesus: Sacred Heart Devotion

Joy

Judas

Judgment

Justification

Justification and Human Free Will and Cooperation (Synergy)

Justification and Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Justification and Sanctification

Justification by Faith Alone (Falsity of)

Justification, Infused

Justification (Luther vs. St. Augustine)

Laity; the Faithful

Latitudinarianism

Law and Gospel; Antinomianism

Liberalism and Nominalism, Theological 
Liberalism and “Progress” (Political)

Liturgy

Lutheranism 

Martyrs

Mary: Assumption of

Mary, Blessed Virgin (General)

Mary: Devotion to; Veneration of

Mary: Holiness and Immaculate Conception

Mary: Intercessor, Mediatrix, and Spiritual Mother

Mary: Mother of God (Theotokos)

Mary, Perpetual Virginity of

Mary, Queen of Heaven

Mary: Seat of Wisdom 

Mary, Sufferings of

Mass, Sacrifice of 
Materialism (Wealth for its Own Sake)

Merit

Methodism

Miracles

Monks and Nuns

Mortification and Self-Denial 
Music

Mystery (Biblical, Theological) 
Old Age

Old Catholics (Those Who Reject Papal Infallibility)

Ordination; Holy Orders

Original Sin; The Fall of Man

Orthodoxy

Oxford University Sermons

Paganism and Christianity; Classics

Papal Infallibility

Papal Sins, Limitations, and Lack of Impeccability

Papal Supremacy and Petrine Primacy

Paradox: Christian or Biblical

Parochial and Plain Sermons

Penance

Perspicuity (Total Clearness) of Scripture (Falsity of)

Prayer

Prayer for the Dead

Prayer (of the Righteous)

Preaching

Predestination

Presbyterianism

Priesthood; Priests

Private Judgment

Prophecy

Protestantism; Evangelicalism

Providence

Purgatory 
Rationalism (vs. Faith)

Reform, Catholic

“Reformation” (Protestant) 

Revivalism and Pietism (Excesses of)

Relics

Repentance

Revelation

Rosary, The

Rule of Faith / “Three-Legged Stool” (Bible-Church-Tradition)

Sabbath and Sunday Worship

Sacramentals and Sacramentalism

Sacraments

Sacraments and Salvation

Saints and Holiness

Saints, Communion of; Veneration of

Saints, Intercession of

Saints, Invocation of

Salvation

Salvation: Absolute Assurance of, Unattainable

Salvation, Moral Assurance of

Sanctification

Satan

Schism

Scholasticism; Schoolmen

Science and Christianity

Scientism

Scripture

Scripture, Canon of

Scripture, Material Sufficiency of

Second Coming of Christ

Secularism

Sheol / Hades / Limbo of the Fathers

Sin

Sin, Mortal 
Skepticism
Sloganism (in Religion)

Sola Scriptura / Bible Alone (Falsity of)

Superstition

Teleological Argument for God (Argument from Design)

Testimony, Eyewitness

Theology and Theologians

Theosis; Deification

Total Depravity

Tractarianism; Oxford Movement; Via Media

Tracts for the Times

Tradition, Apostolic

Transubstantiation

Trent, Council of

Trinitarianism; Holy Trinity
Truth

Visions

Vocation (Calling)

Witchcraft

World, The (World System; Cosmos)

Worship

Writing (Books, Correspondence, Articles)

Writings (His Own)

[The Unabridged version will also contain an Index of Correspondents, that runs 25 pages. The paperback version contains 123 subjects, while the unabridged adds another 120 for a total of 243]

Last updated (publication info.) on 8 March 2012.

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