Newman and the Alexandrian Fathers: Shaping Doctrine in Nineteenth-Century England (Changing Paradigms in Historical and Systematic Theology)

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. Contents......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 14 Introduction......Page 20 1. Three Views of Doctrine: Three Phases of Newman’s Life......Page 43 The High Church Context: (1) The Church Faces Persecution......Page 45 A Twofold System of Doctrine (1830s)......Page 52 DOCTRINE DEVELOPS (1840–59)......Page 65 DOCTRINE AS SCIENCE (1860–81)......Page 75 Conclusion: Three Views of ‘Consubstantial’......Page 85 2. The Sources of The Arians of the Fourth Century (1831–3)......Page 89 The High Church Context: (2) The Role of Bishops......Page 90 Mirror Opposites: (I) Antiochene Heresy......Page 98 Mirror Opposites: (II) Alexandrian Orthodoxy......Page 117 Conclusion: What Has Oxford to Do with Alexandria?......Page 138 3. Preaching and Researching an Alexandrian Christology (1834–40)......Page 146 The High Church Context: (3) Interpreting the Alexandrians......Page 147 The Quest of Three Summers: Dionysius and the Confession against Paul......Page 154 DIONYSIUS OF ALEXANDRIA OR PAUL OF SAMOSATA? (SUMMER 1834–EASTER 1835)......Page 163 CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA OR APOLLINARIUS? (SUMMER 1835–EASTER 1836)......Page 168 LEO OR EUTYCHES—OR LEONTIUS OF BYZANTIUM? (SUMMER 1839–EASTER 1840)......Page 181 Conclusion: What Newman’s Sermons Show about his Christology......Page 195 4. Newman on the Trinity before and after Nicaea (1840–58)......Page 200 The Littlemore Context: In Exile with Athanasius......Page 201 The Eclipse of Origen......Page 205 The Rise of Athanasius......Page 216 Conclusion: Development without Dynamism......Page 233 The Roman Context: Engagement with the Schools......Page 237 Arianism Revisited and Origen Rehabilitated......Page 243 General Changes to the Athanasius Translation......Page 250 Theological Changes to the Athanasius Translation......Page 256 Conclusion: A Latin Athanasius for a Catholic Cardinal......Page 265 6. Conclusion......Page 267 The Legacy of The Arians of the Fourth Century......Page 269 Origen the Redeemable Pre-Nicene......Page 276 Athanasius the Composite Post-Nicene......Page 279 Bibliography......Page 284 Glossary......Page 294 A......Page 300 C......Page 301 E......Page 302 I......Page 303 N......Page 304 R......Page 306 T......Page 307 Z......Page 308 John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman most and when, using both published and archive material, this book demonstrates the influence of the various Alexandrian theologians in different periods of Newman's life. In each of these periods, the book draws a causal connection between the patristic theology Newman was reading and his own developing theology, revealing how key events in these periods changed the theologian's interpretation of the Fathers. The book argues that ultimately Newman tailored his reading of the Church Fathers to fit his own needs. Seemingly trying on the ideas of different Fathers in turn, Newman began with those who predated the Council of Nicaea in the late 1820s, moving on to the post-Nicenes during his research into Christological controversies in the mid-1830s, and finding Athanasius the best fit in the 1840s. By the 1870s, his reading of Athanasius was tailored to Catholic tastes and, measuring Origen up with the interpretations made by Aquinas, Newman found him a better fit than he had in the 1840s. A careful comparison of Newman's translations of Athanasius from 184244 and 1881, not previously undertaken, demonstrates that in 1881 it is not so much Aquinas as the neo-Thomism of the teachers of Leo XIII whom he read back into Athanasius Three Views Of Doctrine : The Phases Of Newman's Life -- The Sources Of The Arians Of The Fourth Century (1831-3) -- Preaching And Researching An Alexandrian Christology (1834-40) -- Newman On The Trinity Before And After Nicaea (1840-58) -- The Athanasius 'with Whom I End' (1864-81) -- Conclusion. Benjamin John King. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-274) And Index. John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman most and when, using both published and archive material, Benjamin J. King demonstrates the influence of the various Alexandrian theologians in different periods of Newman's life. "John Henry (later Cardinal) Newman is widely known to have been devoted to reading the Church Fathers. By exploring which Fathers interested Newman, Benjamin J. King demonstrates the influence of the various Alexandrian theologians in different periods of Newman's life."--Résumé de l'éditeur