Lead, Kindly Light

Ben wrote the lead article for this week's issue of Regent College's newspaper, The Et Cetera:

Lead Kindly, Light: The Life and Afterlife of John Henry Newman

Ben Amundgaard

This past Sunday, the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman was beatified by Pope Benedict. Beatification is the third step in canonization (the process of declaring one a saint). The first step is declaring the candidate to be a ‘Servant of God’ and the second step is declaring the candidate to be ‘Venerable’ (i.e. heroic in virtue). When the Church beatifies someone, she declares it to be ‘worthy of belief’ that the candidate is in heaven, enjoying the beatific vision. Prior to the beatific vision, all Christians perceive God mediately: through Sacraments, prayer, worship and nature. The beatific vision is the eternal and direct ocular perception of God. It is the great hope of all who believe. For John Henry Newman, the longing for the beatific vision made him feel unsettled throughout his life. If the Church’s recognition of Newman’s status is accurate, then this restless pilgrim has finally found his rest.

Born in 1801 to an independently wealthy London family, Newman was profoundly influenced by the Evangelical faith of his Grandmother. At the age of 15, Newman had his own personal conversion experience. Throughout his life, he regarded this experience as an essential part of his Christian journey. "I received it at once, and believed that the inward conversion of which I was conscious, (and of which I still am more certain than that I have hands and feet,) would last into the next life, and that I was elected to eternal glory."

Read the rest here...