Overview
John Henry Newman’s Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent is a masterpiece of religious epistemology, providing astute descriptive analysis of how the human mind actually works in addressing itself to reality, as well as a novel prescriptive vocabulary for fruitfully considering the assent involved in Christian belief. While it is rightly numbered among the most important of Newman’s writings, the Grammar is a difficult and complex work, combining rigorous theoretical argumentation with deeply personal reflection. In this Critical Guide to Newman’s Grammar, editors Frederick D. Aquino and Matthew Levering have assembled ten original essays on the work’s historical background and key themes and ideas. Topics discussed include Newman’s distinctions of real and notional apprehension and real and notional assent, his treatment of the role of conscience and dogmatic propositions in religious reasoning, his understanding of faith and rationality, his notions of the illative sense and the role of inference in intellectual inquiry, and his view of the relation between natural and revealed religion. The contributing authors are an international array of noteworthy Newman scholars, including Frederick D. Aquino, Christopher Cimorelli, John F. Crosby, Logan Paul Gage, Stephen Grimm, Thomas S. Hibbs, Lorraine Keller, Andrew Meszaros, Francesca Aran Murphy, Cyril O’Regan, and Geertjan Zuijdwegt. This collection of essays presents the riches of the Grammar in conversation with contemporary philosophical and theological concerns, guiding readers into its central topics while also advancing its scholarly reception.
Full Product Details
Author: Matthew Levering ,
Frederick D. Aquino ,
Franklin T. Harkins
Publisher: Emmaus Academic
Imprint: Emmaus Academic
Weight: 0.630kg
ISBN: 9781645854340
ISBN 10: 1645854345
Pages: 284
Publication Date: 04 November 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
“Newman’s Grammar of Assent is one of the great works of the Catholic intellectual tradition in modern times, a book that anticipates some of the most important developments in subsequent epistemology and applies them with care and precision to basic theological questions. Yet it often falls between the cracks. Theologians tend to shy away from it because it seems too philosophical, and philosophers because it seems too theological. This fine collection of essays by philosophical and theological readers of the Grammar should go a long way toward securing for Newman’s singular work the recognition it deserves in our own time.” - Bruce D. Marshall Southern Methodist University “This critical guide, with first-class essays expertly curated by Aquino and Levering, offers an illuminating exploration of St. John Henry Newman’s An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent, one of the most significant—if perhaps criminally underread—works in Catholic philosophy and theology. With a keen focus on Newman’s concept of assent within his broader epistemology, the contributors are also able to situate his thought not only in dialogue with other great thinkers like Aristotle, Pascal, Locke, Butler, and Bouyer, but also to suggest how the Grammar is related to many of his other major texts and more expansive theological and philosophical vision. While the collection of methodologically distinct contributions from history, philosophy, and theology is clearly an interdisciplinary tour de force appropriate to Newman’s own intellectual range and richness, it hangs together beautifully. Indeed, the volume bears within it the marks of genuine collaboration, even friendship, between its contributors: urgency, intimacy, sharpness, liveliness, and depth, as it seeks to make this neglected text more accessible to students and scholars alike.” - Jennifer Newsome Martin University of Notre Dame “Newman’s An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent is widely regarded as one of his most significant and original works, though it is also among his most challenging. This is in part because, while the Grammar of Assent is a theoretical work, it is also a deeply personal one. The ideas in the Grammar did not arise out of a well-defined school of thought but rather out of a lifetime of reflection on the relationship between reason, belief, and faith, both in Newman’s own person and in those close to him. As a result, the significance of the Grammar can be lost to the contemporary reader. This collection of essays, authored by leading Newman scholars in philosophy and theology, is a great resource for understanding this important text. By addressing the central ideas of the Grammar with clarity and depth, the essays offer both an accessible introduction for scholars new to Newman’s thought and a treasure trove of insights for seasoned readers.” - Joe Milburn University of Navarra
