An Essay On Development Of Christian Doctrine (Notre Dame Series in the Great Books, No 4)

By the great John Henry Newman (that's "Blessed John Henry Newman to you...!" since his recent beatification) this work is quite simply one of the seminal works of church history of the past 200 years. Making the argument that all the full-blown Catholic doctrine of the modern Roman Catholic Church can be found- in germinal form- in the ceremonial, the prayers and liturgy and the popular devotions of the primitive Church of the 1st and 2nd centuries, Newman's research and writing of this book can be said to have had a profound influence on leading him to his eventual conversion to the Catholic Church from the Church of England. It was life-changing for him and has been - I daresay- life-changing (or at the very least, thought-provoking) for many a reader ever since its original publication in the mid 19th century. For those who want to understand Newman's life and doctrine better, this is an indispensable book.

Since this work is on the public domain and therefore available in text format online, I don't think I need to say much of the content. (In fact, I cannot, since I haven't read the work fully yet.) This paperback copy of Newman's Essay, however, is very nicely formatted. The pages are about letter-sized, which does give the work a touch of authenticity, being an essay written in academic prose, perhaps originally in the author's own hand. (How am I to know these things for sure? I don't, but the sense of it seems fair.) As it stands, I can find nothing to improve now. If this work comes at a good price, it is an excellent choice.

I chose to read this book (and another by Newman) after reading in a biography of Pope Benedict XVI that the writings of John Cardinal Newman were a particular interest his, and a significant influence in his development as a theologian. Like many students of our Catholic faith and its teachings, I had little more than a passing familiarity with Newman's works until now. Now, I can see how truly profound was his thinking and how significant his writings. Reading Newman is a journey. It is a journey of understanding into the faith of the Catholic Church, into the mind of a brillian religious scholar and apologist, and it is a journey in time. With that, I offer the following cautions: Written English usage of the 19th Century may lean towards the poetic at times and flowery and archaic at others. Secondly, do not attempt to read Newman when you are sleepy or not completely focused upon what you are reading. If you do, you will suddenly find you are in the midst of something profound and have no idea what you've just read.

My son, who is in prison, asked me to look this up online. He thought it was an essay I could copy and send him. I saw that it was a book, and the kind he likes to read, so I bought it and had it sent to him. He loves it, and is really enjoying reading it. My son says, "It's VERY interesting. It's above my education level enough to make me work for it, which I love. Guarantees that I'll learn. And the subject is fascinating; I've only just begun it but the author is describing the incredibly complex and numerous processes involved in the development of any grand philosophical, political, or religious system. Very cool. I geek-out on stuff like this." My son needs these books to help him grow while he's "planted". An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

A challenging read due to the older style of writing. Not for casual reading. Comprehensive, excellent,deep. Well worthwhile for anyone wanting a better understanding of Christian dogma and how it developed.

I am using it for research…

This book is about the study of doctrine Cardinal Newman conducted while still an Anglican Minister. The study was originally supposed to convince himself, and the readers of the study when published, of the authenticity of the Anglican Church and its grand place in the Christian Community. The results are now well known; Newman became a Roman Catholic. But, BEWARE! The language Cardinal Newman uses is old school English in which the structure is quite complex (or so it seemed to me). Be prepared to read and re-read some of his sentences and paragraphs over and over again to get to the depths of his thought. An absolute 'must have' companion to his, "Apologia Pro Vita Sua". Enjoy!

It is an essay, not a novel. Cardinal Newman is one of the deepest thinkers in the 20th century. So this book is a very fruitful read.

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