Discourse and context: an interdisciplinary study of John Henry Newman

Abstract

John Henry (18011890) had a remarkable influence upon his age. variety of discourse in his works reflects the many contexts in which he engaged in dialogue, ranging from secular and religious controversies to the speculative realm of philosophical thought. Despite an insular temperament and retiring personality, in fact inspired radical nineteenth-century intellectual inquiry. This collection arises from papers presented during the three-day Centenary Conference at Saint Louis University. In it, the contributors enter a critical dialogue with s writings from the perspectives of literature and history, rhetoric and education, and philosophy and theology to offer a scholarly appraisal of s creativity and genius. fundamental interaction between discourse and context that pervades s many works provides the thread that weaves this collection together. There are five major divisions in the book. In part 1, the essays on s individuality portray the highly personal and controversial dimensions of his thought. essays in part 2, on s approach to understanding, reveal a keen sense of the historical nature of practical reason. In part 3, essays on s view of education evaluate his celebration of free inquiry and sensitivity to culture. s insistence upon personal commitment to apprehend historical reality, both secular and religious, spurs the essays in part 4 to assess his religious epistemology and theological method. essays in part 5 investigate the ways in which the subsequent interpretation of s thought warrants a legitimate diversity that mirrors a variety of historical contexts. essays contained in this volume reflect the increasing richness of literature on studies while constructively expanding the boundaries of interdisciplinary scholarship. As a result, they provide diverse horizons for engaging s insights through the use of contemporary scholarship. cluster of issues they discuss portrays the enduring prominence of today. contributors and their articles to this volume include Gerard Magill, The Intellectual Ethos of John Henry Newman; Edward E. Kelly, Identity and Discourse: A Study in s Individualism; Kenneth L. Parker, Newman s Individualistic Use of the Caroline Divines in the Via Media; Mary Katherine Tillman, Economies of Reason: and the Phronesis Tradition; Walter Jost, Philosophic Rhetoric: and Heidegger; Alan J. Crowley, Theory of Discourse: and Ricoeur; James C. Livingston, Christianity and Culture in s Idea of a University; Edward Jeremy Miller, Newman s Idea of a University: Is It Viable Today?; M. Jamie Ferreira, The Grammar of the Heart: on Faith and Imagination; Gerard Magill, The Living Mind: on Assent and Dissent; C. J. T. Talar, Receiving s Development of Christian Doctrine; Lawrence Barmann, Theological Inquiry in an Authoritarian Church: and Modernism.