Progressive illumination: a journey with John Henry Cardinal Newman, 1980-2005

Remarkable reflection on Cardinal Newman.

Throughout his book, Ondrako makes the consistent point that offers practical suggestions for a broad and rigorous higher education, not so much from a controlling point of view but like his mentor, Newman, with gentleness. Newman, the tutor at Oxford, knew that one must satisfy and convince, not lord it over with pronouncements.

If Newman is read well along with the documents of Vatican II and the post-Vatican II era, enlargement of mind and sound moral formation will follow. Since Catholic traditions define themselves in a way that respects Church leaders and the contributions of recognized leaders in the past, Ondrako makes an argument for analysis of the contestation that has gone on among the leaders in the Church and their writings from antiquity.

Moreover, the author addresses the deeply felt and growing divide between East and West. Studiously avoiding the term clash of civilizations, using insights from Newman, the Vatican Council, and Church documents since, he makes a hopeful case for successful dialogue in the twenty-first century.

Without knowledge and sensitivity to the traditions and literature of the many cultures and religions, dialogue partners will not understand people's feelings. In dealing with the crisis of cultures, one needs to recognize complex internal elements in order to dialogue meaningfully.

"The impact of past meaning on present understanding has long been a guiding principle for many scholars working in the humanities when they interpret texts and seek to understand human endeavors. Edward J. Ondrako's Progressive Illumination is a fine example of how a careful examination of meaningful dialogue in the past can serve us in our contemporary search for mediation across differences and can enrich human experience on both personal and interpersonal levels." - Daniel Chamberlain, Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator of the Department of Spanish and Italian at Queen's University"Edward Ondrako's Progressive Illumination is a remarkable reflection on the convergence of thought between Cardinal Newman's Idea of a University and the Japanese translation of Mill's On Liberty by Nakamura Masanao. Ondrako views each, drawing independently on his mature cultural traditions to suggest a common basis for a liberal education responsive to the challenge of what some call the inevitable clash of civilizations." - Wm. Theodore de Bary, Columbia University John Mitchell Mason Professor and Provost Emeritus

"Written in a pastoral voice as university chaplain and focusing on the primacy of conscience, Fr. Ondrako blends his Franciscan intellectual tradition, Vatican II, the thought of Cardinal Newman with the writings of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. The essays are chock full of insights that will appeal to university students and to any student of Cardinal Newman." - Mary K. Tillman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame

"Fr. Ondrako's reflection on Newman's lifelong struggle to square authority with truth are both learned and winsome. The essays demonstrate the spirit of Vatican II as alive and well in Roman Catholic circles. For non-Catholic observers, they offer insight into the positive interplay of obedience and intellectual honesty." - Rev. Dr. Thomas Breidenthal, Anglican University Chaplain at Princeton

"Informed and reflective Catholics know that the thought of John Henry Cardinal Newman is of the more than merely antiquarian interest. The great nineteenth-century scholar and churchman has much to teach us today about the nature of Christian faith and what it means to lead a Christian life ... theological insight, moral wisdom, and spiritual enlightenment." - Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence; Director of James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University

"John Henry Newman's vision of academic excellence and moral information serves as Enlargement of mind. Convinced this is needed in the twenty-first century, Fr. Ondrako makes them accessible and appeals to today's students, young and old." - Rev. Dr. John Ford, the Catholic University of America