Book Review: John Henry Newman: His Inner Life by Father Zeno

John Henry Newman: His Inner Life by Father Zeno

As a life-long Newman scholar, Father Zeno had access to all of John Henry Newman's writings, both published and unpublished. This biography presents Newman's whole history and includes many insights into his attitudes and decisions as well as the attitudes of others towards him. 

John Henry Newman was born in 1801 to Anglican parents. He grew up struggling with his faith until he was fifteen years old. He had a conversion experience that deepened his faith. He went to Oxford and was ordained. At the time, the Anglican Church was in decline. Newman spearheaded a renewal of faith in England called the Oxford Movement. The group studied the faith seriously, including the Church Fathers (the great teachers and writers of the first few hundred years of Christianity). As he studied more, Newman came to see the Anglican Church as a splinter group off of the Church founded by Christ, which more and more looked like the Roman Catholic Church. After much internal struggle and debate with friends, Newman converted to Catholicism in 1845. He spent the rest of his life as a Catholic priest and an intellectual force for the faith. He was encouraged to look for an order that would suit him and he adopted St. Philip Neri's Oratorians. They lived in small communities and lived both an intellectual and educational vocation (much like the Oxford Movement). He established the first Oratories in England even though he felt he had few administrative skills. He was also asked to start a Catholic university in Dublin and to work on many other projects that took him away from his writing and preaching. He had many doubts about what to do and had to deal with several controversies.

As Zeno traces Newman's history, he uses Newman's writings and the writings of others to give deeper insight into Newman's actions and character. Newman was smart, sensitive, and scrupulous. He was aware of different perspectives on issues which made his decision-making process uncertain. He saw good and bad possible results from his decisions so me made them very carefully. He tried not to offend others and believed in the importance of obedience, not just to one's own conscience but more importantly to those with authority over oneself. His submission to legitimate authority and his long-suffering patience are inspiring. 

The Oxford Movement was, in large part, an attempt to bring back the good parts of pre-Reformation Christianity, leading the movement initially into "High Church" Anglicanism. Many in the movement, like Newman, kept moving all the way into the Catholic Church. Newman struggled greatly in his thoughts and with his friends about converting. He came to the point where he could not honestly deny that the church of Rome is the true church of Christ. Many of his decisions and actions followed this same pattern where he would get to the point of certitude by a meticulous process of discernment. Newman's intellectual honesty and intense piety are also an inspiring example.

This book does a flawless job in blending Newman's history with his personal character. The discussions of controversies and theological conundrums does not get too technical or hard to follow. This is a great biography of a fascinating saint.

Highly recommended.