The Idea of a University

A tenet of liberal education is that all knowledge forms a whole, and John Henry Newman explores this idea in full.  Newman (1801-1890) was an influential English writer, educator, priest and cardinal. During the two centuries prior to Newman, British Catholics had been prohibited from attending Oxford and Cambridge, so the Catholic community felt an intellectual lack. In 1851, he had an opportunity to be directly involved in promoting Catholic education. He became the organizer and first president of the only Catholic university in Ireland at that time. In 1852, Newman delivered ten lectures in Dublin, which are now printed as chapters in
The Idea of a University. In these discourses, he argues against “mixed” Protestant-Catholic universities, i.e. secular universities, because such institutions omitted theological studies altogether.



In the introduction to my edition, Martin Svaglic identifies the main point (the "idea") that threads together Newman’s arguments: “All knowledge forms a whole,” of which the branches of learning are segments. By illuminating the connections among these branches, liberal learning allows perception of the whole.

In Discourses I-IV, Newman argues that Theology deserves its own department (“chair”) at the university. His reasoning runs thus:



1. Since the University’s purpose is to teach all sciences, and Theology is a science, the exclusion of Theology is inconsistent.

2. All sciences are connected together and bear upon one another. If any science is to be taught thoroughly, all the sciences must be taken into account, including Theology.

3. As the science of the eternal, self-dependent, all-perfect Creator, Theology exercises a tremendous influence over other sciences and is needed to correct and complete them.

4. If Theology is neglected, other sciences will usurp its subject matter, leading to imbalance and error.

My ponderings are soon to come. Right now, my mind is running on questions like “What does he mean by Theology?” and “Now that theology is effectively excluded from the university, what does it mean to be a Christian scholar?”