The Liberal Spirit and Anti-Liberal Discourse of John Henry Newman

Not many cardinals get to be declared saints, and even rarer is one who is known for his controversial ideas and interpretation of doctrinal faith both within and outside the church. John Henry Newman (1801-1890), however, beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010, was no ordinary churchman. Raised an Anglican and a leading member of the Oxford Movement in his younger days, he converted to Catholicism and, through prolific writing and polemics, established an intellectual and spiritual influence far beyond the placid, pastoral domain of the papacy. This book seeks to settle the historical question of Newman as anti-liberal or liberal, and to shed theological light on his liberal spirit and anti-liberal discourse, in order to provide fresh insights into the issue of religious pluralism. In particular, the author examines Newman’s perception of the danger of the liberal spirit of his time and his possession of another kind of liberal spirit that made him so original, bold and prophetic.

Born in Singapore, Ambrose Mong Ih-Ren is a Dominican priest assigned in Hong Kong. He studied English literature at the University of Calgary and University of British Columbia, philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of St Thomas, Rome, and religious studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Besides doing research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he also serves as a prison chaplain for the Spanish speaking inmates.