John Henry Newman's idea of a Catholic academy : contributions from his life and work towards a theology of education, with reference to recent documents of the Catholic Church

This thesis critically examines and synthesizes Newman's theological views on the nature and aims of a Catholic academy, by comparing his life and work with recent documents of the Catholic Church, including Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) and The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium (1997). Its primary original contribution is the systemisation of Newman's educational ideal based on this theological focus and intertextual method. Part one, 'Retrieving the Sources', employs an historico-theological ressourcement. It seeks to rediscover sources for Catholic educational renewal from Newman and the magisterium, even as these are based on a similar return to the sources of Scripture and the classic texts of Christianity. Chapter one introduces the aims, methods, sources, and working definitions. The second and third chapters analyse Newman's specifically educational formation, writings, and praxis, in light of theological concerns. Part two, 'Restoring the Foundations' begins with an examination in chapter four of the Christian humanism Newman developed through a retrieval of the Alexandrian Fathers. His contributions to the tradition included an imaginative rearticulation of the preeminence of Christ and theology in education, and of a Christian hierarchy of educational aims. Chapters five and six consider Newman's relevance to the contemporary concerns of school identity and climate, illustrating the type of `theological prescriptions' advocated by John Paul II. Three appendices provide original syntheses of background information and unpublished material. The concluding chapter brings the most important findings into sharp relief, while suggesting areas for further study. Newman propounded his theological convictions regarding Catholic education with passionate intensity through his literary art and his positive personal influence. They have continuing relevance, despite the differences that separate his world from ours. He offers enduring principles for study, and inspiring stories for re-imagining the Church's mission of restoring all things in Christ, through a courageous and continual renewal of Catholic schools and universities.