Passion for Truth

The Life of John Henry Newman

In Passion for Truth, author and scholar Fr. Juan R. Vélez painstakingly uncovers the life and work of Blessed John Henry Newman. In the story of his early years, his family upbringing and university education, and through his vast correspondence with family, friends, and colleagues, Vélez acquaints us with Newman, the loyal friend, profound thinker, prolific writer, and holy priest. A true Catholic gentleman, who can be admired and loved by all who love the Truth. Newman was a talented but timid young man, who often doubted his own competence, but was to become one of the most influential teachers and writers of the 19th Century. Starting life as a devout and promising Anglican scholar, he finished the race a faithful and unwavering Catholic priest and Cardinal, to the disappointment of some of his closest friends and the great joy of many others. His prominent position as an Anglican clergyman and Oxford don made his long anticipated conversion the subject of great interest to many of his contemporaries and once he crossed over to Rome, many Anglicans followed his lead. His clarity of thought as a scholar was such as is hardly seen in contemporary society and was even growing rare in his own day. A relentless pursuit of wisdom did not allow him to simply store away his knowledge but urged him to conform his life to what was true wherever and whenever he discovered it. This passion for Truth did not always gain him friends, but it ultimately gained him what he valued above all else: a home in the True Church of Christ.