Realizations: Newman's Own Selection of His Sermons

What is the secret of Newman's enduring appeal? It perhaps lies in the freshness, persuasiveness, and brilliance of his descriptions of Christianity. Newman, who is to be beautified by Pope Benedict XVI later this year, often uses the word "realization" rather than "faith" or "belief" to describe the process of becoming a Christian. To him, a realization is a moment when "one opens one's heart to a truth." He continues to enthrall us because through him we come to recognize Christianity not as a languid assent to a series of propositions, but as a vivid encounter with concrete realities. This collection of his sermons--the ones Newman himself felt were his best--is the ideal introduction to one of the greatest writers in the Christian tradition.