John Henry Newman: el viaje al Mediterráneo de 1833 by Victor García Ruiz

Abstract

Reviewed by: John Henry Newman: el viaje al Mediterráneo de 1833 by Victor García Ruiz John T. Ford, CSC John Henry Newman: el viaje al Mediterráneo de 1833 BY VICTOR GARCÍA RUIZ Colección 100xUNO. Madrid: Ediciones Encuentro, 2018. 459 pages. Paperback: €26.92. ISBN: 9788490559444. The canonization of John Henry Newman on 13 October 2019 was surrounded by a wealth of publications that treated his multi-faceted activities during a long and exceptionally productive life: philosopher and theologian, educator and historian, preacher and spiritual director, even journalist commenting on current affairs. Only occasionally, however, do Newman-readers think of him as a tourist.1 Nonetheless, his Mediterranean voyage—which began on 8 December 1832 with his departure from Falmouth and concluded seven months later with his arrival at Brighton on 8 July 1833—was both chronologically and theologically a decisive midpoint in his Anglican life and ministry. Newman's Mediterranean trip came a decade after his election as a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford on 12 April 1822. That first decade witnessed his transition from a reticent but precocious young intellectual to a captivating preacher as Vicar of St. Mary's, the university church: from scarcely known to nationally recognized. The decade following his Mediterranean voyage began with numerous endeavors as the forefront leader of the Oxford Movement, only to terminate with his dramatic and nostalgic sermon on "The Parting of Friends" at Littlemore on 25 September 1843 and his subsequent reception into the Roman Catholic Church on 9 October 1845. Newman succinctly summarized the personal importance of his Mediterranean voyage in his Autobiographical Writings: When he left England in December 1832, he was in a state of perplexity about his future course; when he returned in July 1833, he appeared in Oxford as a man charged with a mission,—a mission to save the Church of England from the perils that encompassed her.2 Readers of Newman are sometimes surprised that he took such an extended vacation. First of all, time was available: he had been relieved of his position as tutor and his other teaching responsibilities at Oriel College.3 Nonetheless, he [End Page 121] was ambivalent about going on a protracted vacation. The expense, as he later acknowledged, made a big dent in his savings at a time when he was supporting his mother and two sisters. On the positive side, his Oriel colleague Hurrell Froude had decided to go with the hope that the voyage would improve Froude's health. The prospect of congenial companionship plus concern for his friend's health factored into Newman's decision. As an added incentive, the voyage would provide first-hand experience of places he had read about in his much-cherished Greek and Latin classics, as well as an opportunity to retrace part of St. Paul's voyages. Complementing these inducements was Newman's congenital curiosity about places and persons. Like most tourists, Newman tried to stay in touch with family, friends, and colleagues. His often-lengthy letters were filled with all sorts of tourist trivia. Most evident is the fact that international travel in the nineteenth century had many more downsides than travel today: waiting for wind in the age of sailing vessels—though he usually managed to find steam-powered ships—miserable lodgings and unpalatable foods, a two-week quarantine plus difficulty in communication. His Latin was excellent, his French serviceable, and his Italian was elementary and vanished when he needed it. In addition to visiting a plethora of tourist sites, especially churches and pagan temples, and meeting a variety of expatriates, he composed scores of poems, which he mailed home for publication.4 Last but not least, his letters included comments and concerns about university affairs, particularly the pending election of new fellows at Oriel. Also, from time to time, he commented on political matters, both British and foreign. As he once remarked, "a man's life lies in his letters."5 Cumulatively, his Mediterranean letters certainly provide many insights into his personality at the mid-point of his Anglican ministry as he transitioned from college tutor to Tractarian leader. ________ After a lengthy introduction (7–77), which offers an impressionistic...