John Henry Newman

Published to coincide with Newman’s Canonization by Pope Francis in October 2019, this concise introduction to the life and legacy of one of the most influential Christian thinkers of modern times is written by one of the world’s most influential and widely respected historians.

‘In another world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.’ From An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (1903) Canonized by Pope Francis in October 2019, Saint John Henry Newman (1801–90) was one of the most controversial and influential thinkers of his day. He is now recognized as one of the finest prose stylists of modern times, as well as a popular poet and hymn-writer. His spiritual autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, is a modern classic, and his many theological writings continue to be widely read and highly regarded by Christians of all traditions. As Eamon Duffy brilliantly demonstrates in this fresh assessment of Newman’s life and achievement, other theologians of his time are now largely of historical interest whereas Newman is still very much our contemporary. ‘This splendid book. . . expertly illuminates every aspect of Newman's life [and] work.’ Wall Street Journal