Newman and the Alexandrian Platonists

Abstract

IT HAS been commonplace among critics and expositors of Newman to regard him, in his broad philosophy, as a Greek of Alexandria, spiritual contemporary of Clement, and Dionysius.' The Alexandrian and Cappadocian Fathers exerted on author of The Arians of fourth century, according to Fernande Tardivel, powerful attraction of intellectual affinity: des affinitds pr6-6tablies de pensee, de sensibilit6 religieuse, semblaient avoir pr6pare depuis longtemps la concordance parfaite que Newman constata entre la 'large philosophie' de Clement, d'Origene, et les besoins de son temperament intellectuel.2 The Alexandrian complexion of much in Newman's thought has been noted by nearly all of his distinguished critics: Guitton, Przywara, Hutton, Dawson, Sarolea, Juergens, Cronin, Bouyer.3 Yet, much as they agree, there is room for dissent, at least on genuineness of his Christian Platonism. Dr. Inge, for example, declares, on basis of Newman's alleged nominalism, that no more misleading statement could be made about Newman's philosophy than to associate him with Platonism of any kind, whether Pagan or Christian.4 It will therefore be instructive to go back to sources in Newman's early reading and to discern in the broad philosophy of Clement and Origen, which came like music to his