John Henry Newman
A Biography

This full-length life of John Henry Newman is the first comprehensive biography of both the man and the thinker and writer. It draws extensively on material from Newman's letters and papers. Newman's character is revealed in its complexity and contrasts: the legendary sadness and sensitivity are placed in their proper perspective by being set against his no less striking qualities of exuberance, humour, and toughness. This book attempts to do justice to the fullness of Newman's achievement and genius: the Victorian 'prophet' or 'sage', who ranks among the major English prose writers; the dominating religious figure of the nineteenth century, who can now be recognised as the forerunner of the Second Vatican Council and the modern ecumenical movement; and finally, the universal Christian thinker, whose significance transcends his culture and time.

1. Oxford. 2. The Movement. 3. The Via Media. 4. Doubts. 5. Crisis. 6. Development. 7. From Oxford to Rome. 8. Controversy and Satire. 9. The Idea of a University. 10. The Catholic University of Ireland. 11. Oratory and University. 12. The Idea and the Laity. 13. The Years of Silence. 14. Apologia. 15. Return to Oxford?. 16. The Justification of Religious Belief. 17. Papal Infallibility. 18. Oxford and Rome Again.

Ian Ker is a Senior Research Fellow at Blackfriars, Oxford, where he is a member of the theology faculty. He has taught both English literature and theology at universities in both the United Kingdom and the United States. His books include John Henry Newman: A Biography (1988; subsequently re-issued in both hardback and paperback prior to the beatification of Newman in 2010),The Catholic Revival in English Literature, 1845-1961 (2003), and G. K. Chesterton: A biography (2011). He is generally regarded as the leading authority on Newman, on whom he has written and edited more than 20 books.

Ian Ker's gripping account of the life and work of the Blessed John Henry Newman...aims to break new ground