by John Henry Newman
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Product Description
This book provides the first critical edition of John Henry Newman's classic work, A Grammar of Assent. The editor's introduction contains a synopsis of Newman's argument as well as an account of the development of his thought and a history of the composition of the final text. Ker discusses critical reaction to the Grammar and attempts to clarify and interpret Newman's thoughts in areas where his meaning has been misunderstood. A Textual Appendix lists every variant published in Newman's lifetime and the editor's Notes include detailed references to Newman's other writings. full use has been made of the manuscript drafts and all available philosophical notebooks and papers.
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Average Customer Review:
13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Modern Christian Philosophy at Its Best, 2005-03-18
"A Grammar of Assent" by J. H. Newman is without doubt the most elegant, eloquent, and persuasive argument yet for the belief in God by any Christian philosopher. Despite its 19th-century origins, it remains one of the most modern of Christian philosophies yet. Gone are all references to Aristotle and Aquinas and their antediluvian methodologies of a priori logic to "prove" the existence of God and why it is supposedly "rational" to believe in such a God.
In its stead, Newman uses the Humean methodology of a posteriori inferences that lead one to believe that the "uneasiness" one feels (another Humean concept) about certain disturbances of the mind/soul that are attributable to the indwelling, or natural inclination, of the "conscience." From this natural inclination (again Hume) and by rational inference (Hume again), Newman posits step by step, and from different angles, that it is only a natural logical inference to assent to the belief in God. But it is the a posteriori experience of "conscience," not some a priori "proof," that leads the way.
Don't be put off by the rigorous prelude of the first-two chapters; they give considerable detail to the methodology Newman intends to use, which again is empirically oriented, not a priori logically deduced. The reading after that is a breeze, containing absolute wonderment at the level of perspicuity, rhetorical advantage, and logical nuances that infer God's existence from natural inclinations. It was, and remains, a revolutionary approach, and is a worthy work to include in any Christian's library.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Among Newman's Best, 1999-01-05
This "essay" is a tour d'force of the force of the power of inferential versus deductive reasoning. This is an unique aposteriori argument for the existence of God, but unfolds an argument in a manner wholly different from the past, such as Aquinas, for example. Newman is a very persuasive author, who uses his evidence judiciously and validly. People of faith will find this exposition worth the perspective. But, this book can stand on its own as a superlative example of brilliant exposition, using Newman's usually elegant style, and enjoying a journey that seems unlikely from its impetus. The first chapter is particularly difficult, but after that, the reading is engaging and remarkable.
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