Apologia Pro Vita Sua

Apologia pro Vita Sua: Being a History of His Religious Opinions by Bl John Henry Newman, edited by Martin Svaglic, 253 pages

For decades after his conversion to Catholicism, Bl John Henry Newman's reputation was shadowed by the suspicion that he had, in fact, converted secretly long before he converted openly, but remained an Anglican as a sort of secret agent so as to lead pious Anglicans to Rome.  These nebulous suspicions were impossible to dispel, until a passing comment in a book review brought them into the open.  Newman's ultimate response was the Apologia pro Vita Sua ("Argument for My Life"), which stands alongside St Augustine's Confessions and St Teresa of Avila's Life as one of the great spiritual autobiographies.

The edition of Newman's "History of His Religious Opinions" edited by Martin Svaglic includes an extensive index, notes, and the original documents from the war of pamphlets waged between Newman and his critic.  The supplemental materials are so voluminous - half again as long as the text itself - that they may seem intimidating.  Indeed, Newman's memoir presumes some acquaintance with personalities and movements within nineteenth century Anglicanism, making notes essential for most readers.  Yet the development of the central theme of the work, an honest man seeking truth even if it means abandoning all he has, has a convincing vitality that shines through obscurities of time and space.