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The Night Is Far Spent: A Treasury of Thomas Howard
In his books and articles, Thomas Howard has never been one to shy away from controversy. While attending the Evangelical Church of his parents and teaching English at an Evangelical college, Howard wrote his provocative best seller Evangelical is Not Enough. Soon after entering the Anglican Communion, Howard began asking the kinds of questions that would eventually lead him into the Roman Catholic Church.
Throughout his pilgrimage of faith, Howard wrote numerous thought-provoking yet respectful articles on a wide range of topics for both Protestant and Catholic publications, gaining him a wide and loyal following. Known for his wit and charm, Howard also was a sought after speaker for conferences and college graduations. Due to a request made by one of his faithful, this collection of Howard's best material has now been published.
Liturgical reform and sacred architecture, women's ordination and hierarchical authority, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien these and many other topics of interest to Protestants and Catholics alike are tackled by Howard with his characteristic thoughtfulness in these articles and speeches that span more than twenty years of his prolific career.
Throughout his pilgrimage of faith, Howard wrote numerous thought-provoking yet respectful articles on a wide range of topics for both Protestant and Catholic publications, gaining him a wide and loyal following. Known for his wit and charm, Howard also was a sought after speaker for conferences and college graduations. Due to a request made by one of his faithful, this collection of Howard's best material has now been published.
Liturgical reform and sacred architecture, women's ordination and hierarchical authority, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien these and many other topics of interest to Protestants and Catholics alike are tackled by Howard with his characteristic thoughtfulness in these articles and speeches that span more than twenty years of his prolific career.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2007
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About the author
Thomas Howard
57 books76 followersThomas Howard (b. 1935) is a highly acclaimed writer and scholar.
He was raised in a prominent Evangelical home (his sister is well-known author and former missionary Elisabeth Elliot), became Episcopalian in his mid-twenties, then entered the Catholic Church in 1985, at the age of fifty. At the time, his conversion shocked many in evangelical circles, and was the subject of a feature article in the leading evangelical periodical Christianity Today.
Dave Armstrong writes of Howard: "He cites the influence of great Catholic writers such as Newman, Knox, Chesterton, Guardini, Ratzinger, Karl Adam, Louis Bouyer, and St. Augustine on his final decision. Howard's always stylistically-excellent prose is especially noteworthy for its emphasis on the sacramental, incarnational and ‘transcendent’ aspects of Christianity."
Like C.S. Lewis, who he greatly admires and has written about often, Howard is an English professor (recently retired, after nearly forty years of teaching), who taught at Gordon College and then at St. John's Seminary. He is a highly acclaimed writer and scholar, noted for his studies of Inklings C.S. Lewis Narnia Beyond: A Guide to the Fiction of C.S. Lewis (2006, 1987) and Charles Williams The Novels of Charles Williams (1991), as well as books including Christ the Tiger (1967), Chance or the Dance (1969), Hallowed be This House (1976), Evangelical is Not Enough (1984), If Your Mind Wanders at Mass (1995), On Being Catholic (1997), and The Secret of New York Revealed.
He was raised in a prominent Evangelical home (his sister is well-known author and former missionary Elisabeth Elliot), became Episcopalian in his mid-twenties, then entered the Catholic Church in 1985, at the age of fifty. At the time, his conversion shocked many in evangelical circles, and was the subject of a feature article in the leading evangelical periodical Christianity Today.
Dave Armstrong writes of Howard: "He cites the influence of great Catholic writers such as Newman, Knox, Chesterton, Guardini, Ratzinger, Karl Adam, Louis Bouyer, and St. Augustine on his final decision. Howard's always stylistically-excellent prose is especially noteworthy for its emphasis on the sacramental, incarnational and ‘transcendent’ aspects of Christianity."
Like C.S. Lewis, who he greatly admires and has written about often, Howard is an English professor (recently retired, after nearly forty years of teaching), who taught at Gordon College and then at St. John's Seminary. He is a highly acclaimed writer and scholar, noted for his studies of Inklings C.S. Lewis Narnia Beyond: A Guide to the Fiction of C.S. Lewis (2006, 1987) and Charles Williams The Novels of Charles Williams (1991), as well as books including Christ the Tiger (1967), Chance or the Dance (1969), Hallowed be This House (1976), Evangelical is Not Enough (1984), If Your Mind Wanders at Mass (1995), On Being Catholic (1997), and The Secret of New York Revealed.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 16, 2020
Thomas Howard is a treasure. A wordsmith like few others. His books were some of my early favorites, when I started reading again in my college days. He expanded my vocabulary like no other author and gave me wonderful insights into the likes of classic writers like C.S. Lewis & Charles Williams. His classic books--that all should read: Christ the Tiger; Chance or the Dance; Hallowed be This House; The Achievement of C.S. Lewis; The Novels of Charles Williams. Soak those up one of these days; you won't regret it. Howard used to teach at Gordon College--where a number of my family attended. I remember with righteous jealousy hearing from my mother that she was in a course taught by the illimitable & illuminable Tom Howard--and was getting his insights & lessons into C.S. Lewis' works on a weekly basis. If only I could have joined her, but alas, I was in college at the same time and only home on school breaks--when she was also out of class. After becoming a Roman Catholic--which I still don't completely understand and don't agree with--Howard left Gordon College and taught for many years at St. John's Seminary.
My parents did know his sister--the wonderful Elisabeth Elliot--and got to housesit for her one time, up along the beautiful North Shore of Boston. Alas, I wasn't around in those days to also enjoy that adventure. I would love to drop in on Thomas Howard one day; does he live on the North Shore as well? I recently have enjoyed some interviews that Eric Metaxas--also a huge Howard fan--did with Tom Howard (in his home!--which looked, from the short glimpses of it, like a classic New England structure) on his Socrates in the City program. Well worth watching.
My parents did know his sister--the wonderful Elisabeth Elliot--and got to housesit for her one time, up along the beautiful North Shore of Boston. Alas, I wasn't around in those days to also enjoy that adventure. I would love to drop in on Thomas Howard one day; does he live on the North Shore as well? I recently have enjoyed some interviews that Eric Metaxas--also a huge Howard fan--did with Tom Howard (in his home!--which looked, from the short glimpses of it, like a classic New England structure) on his Socrates in the City program. Well worth watching.
December 30, 2021
An excellent collection of essays from Howard on literature, liturgy, culture and creed. I very much enjoyed these and highly recommend this volume.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews