Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers

Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England

Benjamin J. King

Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology

Gives a fresh perspective on one of the most influential and controversial churchmen of the 19th century
Traces Newman's shifting interpretations of the Fathers throughout his life
Reassesses Newman's understanding of Christological and Trinitarian doctrine
Seeks to bridge the gap between the theologians, biographers, and church historians who write on Newman
Concludes with an account of the impact of Newman's influence on the patristic scholarship that followed him

Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers

Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England

Benjamin J. King

Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology

Description

John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is generally known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. In this volume, Benjamin King draws on archive as well as published material to explore how Newman interpreted specific Fathers at different periods of his life. King draws connections between the Alexandrian Fathers Newman was reading and the development of his thought. This analysis shows that it was events in Newman's life that changed his interpretation of the Fathers, not the interpretation of the Fathers that caused Newman to change his life. King argues that Newman tailored his reading, 'trying on' the ideas of different Fathers to fit his own needs. An innovative comparison of Newman's two translations of Athanasius of Alexandria, from 1842-44 and 1881, demonstrates that by 1881 the Cardinal was swayed by the theology favored by Pope Leo XIII. King reveals that although Newman was a controversial figure in his own day, eventually his view of the Fathers and their doctrines came to be accepted by many scholars. This new exploration of his work, however, shows that the Cardinal's interpretation of the Fathers should still be controversial today.

Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers

Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England

Benjamin J. King

Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology

Introduction
1. Three Views of Doctrine: Three Phases in Newman's Life
2. The sources of The Arians of the Fourth Century: Newman in 1831-33
3. The Alexandrian Shape of Newman's Christology: Preaching and Researching in 1834-40
4. The Trinity before and after Nicaea: Newman in 1840-58
5. The Athanasius "with whom I end": Newman in 1870-81
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers

Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England

Benjamin J. King

Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology

Reviews and Awards

Benjamin J. King was named a 2011 winner of the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise

"King has done this area of Newman scholarship a real service. His book will be indispensable for future students who want to investigate these matters. His attention to detail is formidable."--Roderick Strange, The Catholic Historical Review

"King accomplishes what historians of theology often only attempt: he makes discoveries by patient textual collation, locates them deftly in various biographical and institutional contexts, then draws from them new light on persistent theological questions."--Mark Jordan, Anglican Theological Review

"Read and be amazed."--New Blackfriars

"It [Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers] is to be welcomed, as it brings to the fore an important and under-appreciated area of Newman, an area that many who read Newman find least comfortable."--Irish Theological Quarterly

"Benjamin King has entered the company of a small number of recent scholars determined that the life and thought of John Henry Newman will be addressed through critical scholarship rather than hagiography."--Journal of Ecclesiastical History

"A substantive study of . . . how Newman reread the Fathers in his Catholic days."--Theological Studies

"King has done a careful and impressive job of documenting how Newman's revised translations of Athanasius in the 1870s reflect his desire to square the Alexandrian patriarch with later, Latin orthodoxy of a peculiarly neo-Thomist flavor."--Journal of Early Christian Studies