`Newman made important contributions to defending and expounding the techings of Catholic Christianity in the 19th century, but his work has little relevance today.` Discuss

p 2 JOHN HENRY NEWMAN John Henry Newman is a well-recognized preacher to Anglican congregations . He is acclaimed for his pastoral sermons on spirituality , including the presentation of God and existence of the Holy Spirit . The phrase Catholic spirituality pertains to the Christian life that is based on the developed personal life that is based on an individual 's relationship with God . The Word of God , also known as the teachings of the Bible , teaches its followers to love God as the Holy Trinity , as well as to love one 's fellow

men . John Henry Newman 's concept of spirituality also follows the concept of the Holy Trinity yet is also teaches now to deal with the three Persons in distinct ways It has been described that the desire or hunger is the ultimate foundation of spirituality , wherein an individual acts in response to this desire or hunger . The church has taught that the heart remains restless unless it rests in God . Hence the concept of spirituality is founded on the concept of unrest , wherein it is the effort exerted by an individual to seek the presence of God . The specific methods and actions that result from this unrest serve as the main force behind spirituality (Newman , 1848

It has been described that prayer , abstinence , fasting and charity work are different ways of expressing spirituality (Newman , 1855 . In addition , there is also private prayer , worship and morality , as further forms of leading a spiritual life . Newman preached to his congregations that private prayer , worship and morality are the main ways of developing a good heart and achieving spiritual peace . Newman does not discuss or mention much about social justice because society is inherently naive regarding the mechanisms that push social systems to function . Hence Newman recognizes that it is better and simpler that each individual just lives a good and simple private life

Another way to view Christian life and spirituality is by the manner in which individuals follows certain beliefs about God , as well as being human , the concept of creation and the connection between worship , basic values and one 's attitudes and lifestyles . Hence spirituality can be described as the entire conscious relationship with God , in relation to the rest of the followers . Today , spirituality is regarded as the doctrinal study of grace and of being human . Moral theology , which was earlier perceived as the state of sinfulness of a human being , is now modified based on Newman 's teaching that moral theology is the guide to goodness . It does not have specific rules of behavior , but only promotes the acceptance of God ' presence within each individual . The Holy Spirit within each individual provides the foundation for a good relationship between ethics and spirituality . Thus spirituality often overlaps with ethics because can not be resized to a smaller concept under the of ethics

Newman 's first sermon that was published was entitled Holiness necessary for future blessedness ' This sermon was mainly based on the fourteenth chapter of the...