Mary: The Second Eve

Most Catholics who know about Saint John Henry Newman are familiar with his journey from the Church of England to Roman Catholicism. What may be surprising is the key role that the Blessed Virgin Mary played in his conversion. Apart from the Papacy, devotion to Mary is perhaps the greatest stumbling block for the majority of Protestants. Yet Newman had already developed a devotion to Mary and a defense of some Catholic doctrines on the subject even while still a Protestant.

Mary: The Second Eve is a short booklet composed of excerpts from St. John Henry Newman's masterful writings on one of his favorite subjects: Our Lady. His erudition as a scholar, citing Church Fathers and Doctors, and his devotion to the Blessed Mother are unparalleled. The truth of devotion to Our Lady in the Catholic Faith is here most exquisitely upheld, in particular over and against Protestant accusations. No English Catholic pen is better than St. John Henry Newman's, and here he is at his finest.

St. John Henry Newman—the profound thinker, prolific writer, holy priest, and true Catholic gentleman—was one of the most influential teachers and writers of the 19th century. Starting life as a promising Anglican scholar, he finished the race a faithful and unwavering Catholic priest and Cardinal, to the disappointment of some of his closest friends and the great joy of many others. His prominent position as an Anglican clergyman and Oxford don made his long-anticipated conversion the subject of great interest to many of his contemporaries, and once he crossed over to Rome, many Anglicans followed his lead. His clarity of thought as a scholar was such as is hardly seen in contemporary society and was even growing rare in his own day. A relentless pursuit of wisdom did not allow him to simply store away his knowledge but urged him to conform his life to what was true wherever and whenever he discovered it. This passion for Truth did not always gain him friends, but it ultimately gained him what he valued above all else: a home in the True Church of Christ.