Sermons by John Henry Newman

Guide to inquirers and converts: selected sermons; books of sermons; sermon collections


Newman published twelve volumes of sermons, ten as an Anglican and two as a Catholic. After his death, the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory published two more volumes. All of these are available on the Internet: links are provided below.

Since Newman's death, five volumes of sermons and sermon notes from his Anglican years have been published, but are not available at this time on the Internet:

John Henry Newman Sermons 1824-1843, Volume 1:
Sermons on the Liturgy and Sacraments and on Christ the Mediator,
Edited by Placid Murray OSB, Clarendon Press, 1991

John Henry Newman Sermons 1824-1843, Volume 2:
Sermons on Biblical History, Sin and Justification, the Christian Way of Life, and Biblical Theology, Edited by Vincent Ferrer Blehl SJ, Clarendon Press, 1993

John Henry Newman Sermons 1824-1843, Volume 3:
Sermons and Lectures for Saint's Days and Holy Days and General Theology, Edited by Francis J. McGrath and Dom Placid Murray, OSB,
Clarendon Press, 2010

John Henry Newman Sermons 1824-1843, Volume 4:
The Church and Miscellaneous Sermons at St Mary's and Littlemore,
Edited by Francis J. McGrath, Clarendon Press, 2011

John Henry Newman Sermons 1824-1843, Volume 5:
Sermons preached at St Clement's, Oxford, 1824-1826, and Two Charity Sermons, 1827, Edited by Francis J. McGrath, FMS,
Clarendon Press, 2012

Here, for further information, are links to the publisher's website:

Selected Sermons—Best known, Noteworthy

Holiness Necessary for Future Blessedness (preached 1826)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 1)
    The first sermon in Newman's first published volume of sermons

The Ventures of Faith (preached 1836)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 20 )
    Disciples James and John say, "We are able."

The Gainsaying of Korah (preached 1838)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 18)
    Lesson on obedience to religious authority from the Old Testament

The Theory of Developments in Religious Doctrine (preached 1843)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 15)
    Newman's first published presentation on the idea of development of doctrine in religion

The Parting of Friends (preached 1843)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 26)
    Newman's last Anglican Sermon

Faith and Private Judgment (preached 1849)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Discourse 10)
    Apostolic faith contrasted with private judgment

The Second Spring (preached 1852)
Newman Reader | Internet Archive | NINS (see Sermon 10)
    On restoration of the Catholic territorial hierarchy to England centuries after its abolition in 1559

Published Sermon Books

Anglican

Here are the ten volumes of Anglican sermons, with date of first publication in parentheses:

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 1 (1834)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 2 (1835)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 3 (1836)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 4 (1839)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 5 (1840)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 6 (1842)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 7 (1842-43)

Parochial and Plain Sermons, Volume 8 (1842-43)

    For those who like to hold a traditional, non-electronic, book, Ignatius Press has published all eight volumes of the Parochial and Plain Sermons in one volume.

Fifteen Sermons Preached before the University of Oxford (1843)

Sermons Bearing on Subjects of the Day (1843)

Catholic

Newman in his Church of England days always read his sermons. He discontinued this practice, except on very special occasions, after his conversion. At both periods he was following what happened to be the more general custom in the Communion to which he belonged ... Apparently he soon discovered that the thoughts that he had in his mind when he entered the pulpit developed themselves and took new shapes while he was speaking; for the Notes which are now being published were for the most part written out not before, but after, the sermon.—Sermon Notes, Introduction

Here are the four volumes of Catholic sermons and sermon notes, with date of first publication in parentheses:

Discourses Addressed to Mixed Congregations (1849)

Sermons Preached on Various Occasions (1874)

Sermon notes of John Henry Cardinal Newman (1849-1878),
Edited by Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory, 1913

Faith and Prejudice and Other Unpublished Sermons (1956)
Edited by the Birmingham Oratory

Sermon Collections

Cardinal Newman's Best Plain Sermons,
edited by Vincent Ferrer Blehl, SJ (1964)
    In 1846 Newman described these as "some of the best" of his Anglican sermons. [Letters and Diaries, Volume 11, p 99]

Selection Adapted to the Seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year, from the Parochial & Plain Sermons of John Henry Newman (1878)
    In reference to this selection of his Anglican sermons, Newman wrote in 1879: 'I have just published a Selection from my Oxford Sermons in one Volume, and have chosen such as can without inconsistency, being a Catholic, give away, … ' [Letters and Diaries, Volume 29, p 3]

Favorite Newman Sermons,
selected by Daniel M O'Connell, SJ (1932) (login)

Guide to Saint John Henry Newman 2025

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