Saint John Henry Newman (1801–1890), a pre-eminent English intellectual and convert to Catholicism, was brought up in a low Church Anglican home where his grandmother and an aunt first nurtured his love for the Bible. At the age of 15, after a short period of entertaining religious doubts, he had a first conversion to Evangelical Christianity. For a few years he was influenced in his piety and biblical reading by evangelical authors, and later in the sacramental and ecclesial life by Anglican theologians. Then in 1845, through the study of the Church Fathers, he came to a profound understanding of authentic development of doctrine, in particular the exercise of the Pope’s office; it was then that he became Roman Catholic.
He lived during a period similar to ours: one of economic and technological progress that was accompanied by an embrace of materialism and a subsequent loss of faith and moral breakdown. Newman’s writings challenge us, contemporary men and women, living in a world beset by these similar ills.
His writings on the subject of holiness, the practice of the Christian virtues, the objective nature of truth and its relationship to the moral conscience, university education, and the role of the laity in society and the Church are very much needed today. Individuals, parish groups, and students at Newman Centers will benefit and learn from St. John Henry Newman’s life example, insights, and teachings found in this book.”
Newman was canonized by Pope Francis in 2019 and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV in July 2025.
Fr. Juan R. Velez grew up in Medellin, London and Philadelphia. As a physician specialized in internal medicine, he obtained a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and a doctorate in theology at the University of Navarre. In 1998 he was ordained a priest for the Prelature of Opus Dei. A resident of Chicago, he has published academic articles on medical ethics and on Cardinal John Henry Newman.
| SKU/ISBN | 9781594172816 |
| Product Number | 72816 |
| Size | 5.5 x 8.5 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Pages | 207 |
Father Velez illumined Newman’s life in the biography Passion for Truth, and now he does the same for Newman’s thought. Newman can be a challenging read, and this book provides the introduction that many people need an open window on Newman’s theology and spirituality.
Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman has been a powerful influence in my life as a bishop, and as a Catholic in pursuit of holiness. Holiness in a Secular Age: The Witness of Cardinal Newman demonstrates that Newman’s wisdom can help all Catholics to know, love, and serve the Lord amid the challenges of the modern world. The book offers some of Newman’s best insights, and helps to apply them to the Church, and the world, today.
Fr. Juan Vélez has provided a valuable guide for the life, thought and work of a man who was a point of reference in his time, and continues to be so today, two centuries later. His book shows that Newman is a credible witness of holiness in a secular age, because Newman knew how to respond to the ills of his time - rationalism, materialism, growing estrangement from God - that we also find in a large part of our cultural and social environment today.
The work will be useful both for personal reading, as well as for study and dialogue in work groups or seminars for university students.
