John Henry Newman's gift to the Church

Source: Margaret Beaufort Institute

This is a very special time for all those interested in Saint John Henry Newman. On the 1st of November 2025, Newman was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. This means that his writings have a special role in building up the whole people of God. I personally have been shaped profoundly by Newman's thought. Initially I was sceptical about the Christian faith. When first presented with the gospel, I militantly employed every logical argument I could think of to disprove its claims.

However, when I came into contact with Newman's ideas, I realized that faith is not irrational. In his most famous work Newman sought to uncover the implicit reasons in support of Christianity. He argued that people are justified in believing, even when they cannot understand. This does not mean that reasons cannot be advanced in support of Faith, rather it signifies the fact that a great many of the things believed by people all over the world today are often held without our knowing the reasons in their support. Newman outlines the way in which ordinary people come to know all sorts of facts without having any formal proof at their disposal. Rather than preceding by scientific reasoning, the majority of our beliefs occur spontaneously without our even being aware. Nevertheless, he argued that we should always reflect on the grounds of our different beliefs in order to attain a deeper faith.

Over the coming months, the Margaret Beaufort Institute in Cambridge will be hosting a timely series of lectures on Saint John Henry Newman, beginning on Tuesday 20 January at 5.30pm. Livestreamed and accessible online, the course offers an immediate opportunity for participants to enter into Newman's mind and gain a bird's-eye view of the many treasures contained in his writings, at a moment when the Church is reflecting anew on his legacy as Doctor of the Church. Please do log in to the series. If you do so you will be abundantly blessed by what can only be described as a precious gift to the Church.

Click here to learn more and secure your place on the course:
www.mbit.cam.ac.uk/events/event/item/the-theology-of-john-henry-newman-its-relevance-for-todays-church/