Newman Studies Journal

The canonization of John Henry Newman in October 2019 has undoubtedly created an interest among the public for the new saint. France is no exception to the rule, which may explain the publication of what was originally the author's dissertation for his doctorate of Sacred Theology, whose subject is Newman's eschatological theology as set forth in his Parochial and Plain Sermons.

At 600 pages and 850 grammes (roughly 1.9 pounds)—the publisher informs us—the book may seem a daunting one to read. It is indeed a very learned work, teeming with information and references the author gleaned during eight years of working on it. It is all the heavier for including in the footnotes the original of every quote from English-speaking authors: as the reader may imagine, there are a myriad of them. The 191 sermons were first written and published when Newman was a member of the Church of England and were re-issued in 1868.¹ On this occasion, Newman corrected and amended his text in the light of his own religious evolution. Thus, Dr. Guérin-Boutaud also takes care to point out possible changes to the original text in the subsequent edition and comments on them.

However, the work does not provide for arid reading thanks to Dr. Guérin-Boutaud's efforts. He provides a thirty-two-page introduction explaining the major themes John Henry Newman dealt with in his Parochial and Plain Sermons, and he also provides a roadmap of Newman's conception of the four last things, as well as the changes this experienced over time. Finally, the author takes us quickly through the three parts and eleven chapters through which his reasoning will unfold itself. This last section of his introduction is invaluable as we get to have from the start an overview of the entire book.

More importantly, the excellent idea of the author is to have gone back to the fact that Newman did not write a learned treatise on the four last things but gave and/or wrote these sermons for the edification of people of flesh and blood. The book's outline is therefore rather uncommon as it is divided into the following three parts: 1) the reader as envisioned by the Sermons, 2) the ways in which Newman chose to engage the audience, and 3) the final message of the Sermons: an eschatological theology of light. [End Page 101]

True, the intellectual content of the sermons (and thus of Dr. Guérin-Boutaud's book on them) is impressive, but by keeping before the reader's eye the pastoral and spiritual aims of Newman, Dr Guérin-Boutaud goes back to the heart of theology.

A very positive point is also Dr. Guérin-Boutaud's excellent mastery of English. His translations are of a very good quality and can be checked against the original text in the footnotes. The introduction draws attention to some difficulties he encountered as a translator (for example the distinction between "unseen" and "invisible" while the French would tend to translate both as "invisible"), but there is no doubt that Dr. Guérin-Boutaud's translation keeps as close as possible to Newman's style.

To conclude, the present book is aimed at an educated audience, who is already versed in theology and is already at least broadly familiar with Newman's life and thinking. It is also a very enriching book, both intellectually and spiritually. It should in no way be confined to the French-speaking readership, and this reviewer hopes that it will one day be made accessible to the English-speaking public.