Cardinal John Henry Newman - Book Report/Review Example

However, the pertinent role of The Analogy of Butler in the religious opinions of Newman is often stressed. "In respect to his intellectual training, Newman was indebted to Dr. Hawkins for more exactness in statement and greater precision in argument. The Analogy of Butler formed, as in the case of so many others, a turning point in the history of our author's religious opinions." (Kickham, 116) Therefore, Cardinal Newman presents the major influences on his religious opinions in his Apologia pro Vita Sua and the Preface added to this book illustrates the major influences and turning points in his religious opinions.

"The following History of my Religious Opinions, now that it is detached from the context in which it originally stood, requires some preliminary explanation. An impression of this kind was almost unavoidable under the circumstances of the case, when a man, who had written strongly against a cause, and had collected a party round him by virtue of such writings, gradually faltered in his opposition to it, unsaid his words, threw his own friends into perplexity and their proceedings into confusion, and ended by passing over to the side of those whom he had so vigorously denounced.

" (Newman, 3) 2) Discuss Newman's view of value-focused education.One of the prevailing themes of Newman's teachings was to emphasize value-focused education and he regarded education as not useful to humanity without 'the influence of Go's grace'. The outward training should be duly supported by an inward help and grace which is provided by Christ and his Holy Spirit. "Now doubtless Christ might give His inward grace and injoin upon us outward training independent of any observable system of arrangement - He might impart the influences of His Spirit without regard to any system of operation which human understanding can follow." (Newman) Therefore, Cardinal Newman greatly emphasized the need for inward grace from Christ which results in value-focused education.

According to him, the greatest goal of education is to prepare human beings for acting and feeling religiously in all types of situations faced by them. Significantly, a value-focused education is one of three essential elements of student-oriented education that he proposed and the higher education of these days requires excellence with a personal touch. By education he meant teaching to read, occupational training, responsibility of school, and more significantly the need of value training.

Only value-oriented education, according to Newman, can provide the humanity the right path to proceed in the quest for knowledge as desired by the God. Therefore, Newman's views regarding value-focused education have great validity even in the contemporary education. 3) Discuss Newman's understanding of Liberalism.In an understanding of the teachings and thoughts of Newman, it is essential to have an unambiguous awareness of his ideas concerning liberalism. It is important that one proceeds very cautiously in attempting to establish Newman's relationship to liberalism, mainly because Newman was not