John Henry Newman: Apostle to the Doubtful

by Meriol Trevor, Léonie Caldecott

Eminent Victorian academic and thinker, Anglican clergyman and celebrated convert, caring pastor and writer, Catholic priest, and Cardinal - these are some of the signposts along John Henry Newmans celebrated journey. This biography reveals a compassionate man who was much more than a writer and polemicist. As a pastor, priest, and friend, he offered lasting counsel to many and lived out the demands of the gospel. Leonie Caldecott 80 pages, paperback booklet Catholic Truth Society 9781860821219

80 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2001

About the author

The prolific Meriol Trevor, BA, FRSL was a writer of novels, biographies, and children's books. A convert to Roman Catholicism, Trevor wrote a two-volume biography of John Henry Newman (The Pillar of the Cloud and Light in Winter) which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1962.

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the canonization of John Henry Newman taking place in 2019 there is a renewed interest in the man, his life, his works, and the canonization itself. Newman will be the first British person to be made a saint who has lived since the 17th Century. I already had picked up this book and a different CTS Biography, John Henry Newman His Life and Legacy by Fr. Ian Ker, to read even before news of the canonization was announced. They are both from series I am greatly enjoying and benefiting from reading published by the Catholic Truth Society. I have now read and reviewed nearly 100 books from the Catholic Truth Society, and this one in the Biographies Series is an excellent read. This was the first I have read. I had read a couple of works by Newman about 12 years ago but had not got around to reviewing them.

This book was originally published in 2001, and originally written by Meriol Trevor. Then it was revised and expanded in 2017 by Léonie Caldecott. And the eBook edition made available at that time. Doing a quick search of CTS books by and about Newman I have found five titles that are current, and either available now as physical or eBooks or about to come out later this year. And there are many others that are currently out of print.

The sections in this volume are:

The Early Years
A Man of the Nineteenth Century
Search for the Truth
Italy and the Oxford Movement
The Development of Christian Doctrine
The Later Years
Ordination and the Oratory
The Achilli Affair
Dublin and the Idea of a University
London and the Idea of an Oratory
Blessings in Rome, Chills in England
The Rambler and the Role of the Laity
The Dark Night
Kingsley and the Apologia
The Glorious Last Years
The Legacy of Cardinal Newman
Exorcising some Phantoms
Newman the Pastor
The Romantic Realist and the Christian Revelation
Newman’s Mission
Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI
Some Prayers and Meditations

The original paperback of this book came in at 80 pages, and the revised eBook edition comes in at 88. It is by no means an exhaustive look, at the man, his work, and his life. But it does serve as an excellent brief biography, and as an introduction. It is easily read in a few short sitting or even over a long afternoon and big mug of tea. I read it in such a single sitting, and have debated going on and reading other CTS books by and about Newman or going back and rereading this one first. It is interesting that this booklet or track about Newman’s life should be so similar to the tracks he wrote as part of the Catholic Revival, or Tractarian Movement, or as it was later know the Oxford revival.

This brief volume will give the broad strokes of Newman’s life, his smaller conversions which lead to his reunification with Rome. It also highlights his pastoral side. It is a powerful story. Of seeking truth. Of humility. Of obedience. This is a book that will inspire and likely challenge the reader. It is a great beginning, and there are several other books by and about Newman from CTS that I plan on pursuing in the weeks and months to come.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by from the Catholic Truth Society.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!