The Sermons of John Henry Newman

This series of Sunday classes is on selected parochial and plain sermons of John Henry Newman. There are eight published volumes of these sermons, given by Newman when he was an Anglican priest (and republished some years ago in a fine one-volume edition by Ignatius Press). We will not do them all! Fr Austin’s plan is this: each week to consider one sermon that is connected to our place in the liturgical year. 

This week our text is a sermon that Newman delivered on Easter Tuesday, “Self-Contemplation.” It’s sermon 15 in volume 2 of “Parochial and Plain Sermons,” and you can find it here. Like last week’s sermon, this one is concerned with the question of how we can know that we know the resurrection faith. His answer (last week, but it’s simply what 1 John says) is that we know that we know Christ by obeying his commandments. Faith and Obedience: these are the sum total of the Christian’s duty. But … some would turn to an examination of one’s “heart,” as being the most needful thing. Thus the question of this sermon, self-contemplation. Newman makes good company, even when he is controversial. You are welcome to join us on the 5th floor at 10 o’clock.

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