That Blessed John Henry Newman was one of the great influences on Vatican II is â??a commonplace,â? as Newmanâ??s biographer, Father Ian Ker, puts it. But what does that mean? What influence did Newman have on a Council that opened 72 years after his death? And from this side of history, what might we learn from Newman about the proper way to â??readâ? Vatican II, as we anticipate the 50th anniversary of its conclusion on Dec. 8?
Those are questions Father Ker explores in â??Newman on Vatican IIâ? (Oxford University Press), a book whose brevity is inversely proportional to its depth. Ker is our best interpreter of Newmanâ??s thought; and when Ian Ker says something about how Newman influenced and would â??readâ? Vatican II, serious Catholics will pay attention.
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