“Education then is not Merely to Teach Reading or Writing—Not to fit us for the Successful Performance of our Worldly Calling, nor to Inculcate the Bare Principles of Belief and Practice; It is not to Impart Barren Lifeless Knowledge; but to Work Together With God in the Salvation Of Souls”

Abstract

EDITORIAL PREFACE 3 “EDUCATION THEN IS NOT MERELY TO TEACH READING OR WRITING—NOT TO FIT US FOR THE SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF OUR WORLDLY CALLING, NOR TO INCULCATE THE BARE PRINCIPLES OF BELIEF AND PRACTICE; IT IS NOT TO IMPART BARREN LIFELESS KNOWLEDGE; BUT TO WORK TOGETHER WITH GOD IN THE SALVATION OF SOULS.” JOHN HENRY NEWMAN In his Journal, Newman described education as “my line”1 —an appropriate description since his involvement in education spanned practically the entirety of his life—from his student days at Ealing, through his years as both student and teacher at Oxford and then as rector in Dublin, to the last decades of his life, which were devoted to the Birmingham Oratory School. Newman’s ideas about education are expressed most compellingly and comprehensively in The Idea of a University, which collected some of the discourses and essays that he wrote as rector of the Catholic University in Ireland. Yet many of these ideas so cogently expressed in The Idea were seminally present in a sermon—“On Some Popular Mistakes as to the Object of Education”—which he preached on Sunday afternoon, 8 January 1826, while serving as curate at St. Clement’s Church in Oxford:2 Education then is not merely to teach reading or writing—not to fit us for the successful performance of our worldly calling, nor to inculcate the bare principles of belief and practice;it is not to impart barren lifeless knowledge;but to work together with God in the salvation of souls.3 Newman’s continuing influence as an educator is reflected in the essays in this issue. The initial essay by James M. Pribek on “Newman in Twentieth-Century American Literature”describes his influence on F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis and Flannery O’Connor. Drew Morgan then considers “The Rise and Fall of Newman’s Anglican School: From the Caroline Divines to the Schola Theologorum.” Next Newman’s educational legacy is examined in Greg Peters’ appraisal of the“approach 1 John Henry Newman, Autobiographical Writings, edited by Henry Tristram (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1957), 259. 2 Newman,who was a month short of his twenty-fifth birthday when he preached this sermon,served as curate at St. Clement’s from 4 July 1824 until 21 February 1826 (The Letters and Diaries of John Henry Newman 1:xviii). 3 The scriptural text for his sermon—number 128—was First Corinthians 8:1:“Knowledge puffeth up,but charity edifieth”;the sermon,which has an evangelical flavor,is now available in:John Henry Newman,by James Arthur and Guy Nichols (London–New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2007), 205–213; citation at 211. NEWMAN STUDIES JOURNAL 4 to Christian learning”of Benedict of Nursia,Newman and theTorrey Honors Institute of Biola University. Newman’s ideas about education also loom large in John F. Crosby’s consideration of “How the Gospel encounters culture in the Catholic University.” The third pair of essays looks to topics that resonate with some of Newman’s concerns in The Idea of a University: Matthew Briel considers the similarities of Newman and Luigi Giussani in regard to their“conceptions of reason”; Kevin Mongrain examines Newman’s critique of arguments from design—which have again come to the fore in recent discussions of creation. Those who have visited Newman’s study at the Birmingham Oratory may recall that the altar of his private chapel is decorated by pictures and memorials of departed family and friends. In a similar way, this issue posts obituaries of two educators and Newman Scholars, who were contributors to this journal:Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. and Fr. Joseph C. Linck: Requiescant in pace! This issue of Newman Studies Journal also contains reviews of an example of Newman’s international influence and an excellent volume on Newman’s views about the theory and practice of education. The bibliographical section mentions various resources that are available to Newman-scholars and lists books that have been received for review. The chronology of Newman’s life is intended as a convenience for readers who wish to situate a particular writing within the broader context of Newman’s life. The“fillers”—which utilize otherwise unused space...