#10 The Oxford Movement, Tract XC

The years surrounding 1841 saw many changes and controversies for the Church in England. The Christian faith in England was in decline. This is when the Oxford Movement took form between 1833 and 1845. The movement sought to start a revival of the Church of England by renewing its Catholic doctrine and practice. The principle characters of the Oxford Movement were John Henry Newman (Newman), (1801–90); Richard Hurrell Froude (Froude), (1803–36); John Keble (Keble), (1792–1866); and Edward Pusey (Pusey), (1800–82). Together they published 90 tracts. 24 of the tracts were written by Newman and they were all edited by him. Tract XC: On Certain Passages in the XXXIX Articles, by Newman has had many effects on the Church in England and surrounding world. In this paper is information about the Oxford Movement, Tract XC, the Catholic converts, the Oxford Movement around the world, Newman’s conversion, Oxford Catholics, and the results of the Oxford Movement.

The Oxford Movement began at Oxford due to the changing place of the Church within society. Before the movement begun the Church of England was beginning to lose its importance. Less and less people were attending Church. There were fears that the Church would be disestablished as well as losing its endowments from the state. Academics and Clergy alike wished to show that their authority was not derived from the state but rather by teaching Christianity and being in the apostolic succession. Newman and others started to convey this by writing their tracts which addressed a variety of issues.

Of the 90 tracts that the Oxford movement published the final tract had the greatest effect for being controversial. In this tract, Tract XC: On Certain Passages in the XXXIX Articles, Newman outlines the issues he took with the XXXIX Articles. The XXXIX Articles are the articles of faith that the Church of England used to define their doctrines and practices. In Tract XC Newman writes about his understanding of the Anglican Church in relation to the Catholic Church. Newman specifically discusses the authority of the Church, Justification by faith, works, the visible Church, general councils, purgatory, sacraments, transubstantiation, marriage of clergy, homilies, and the bishop in Rome. A lot of what Newman wrote in this article was controversial.

Newman wrote that, “there were no converts to Rome, till after the condemnation of Tract XC.” Newman also said that he, “would not hold office in a Church which would not allow (his) sense of the Articles.” By publishing Tract XC and the Church of England condemning it, many people ended up converting to Catholicism including Newman who later became a Cardinal. Other notable converts included; Henry Edward Manning, later Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster; St. George Jackson Mivart, biologist; John Brande Morris, Roman Catholic priest, Orientalist, and eccentric; Augustus Pugin, architect; Thomas William Allies, ecclesiastical historian and Anglican priest; Edward Badeley, ecclesiastical lawyer; Robert Hugh Benson, son of the Archbishop of Canterbury, novelist and monsignor; John Chapman, patristic scholar and Roman Catholic priest.

Through other Tractarians the Oxford Movement spread throughout the world. The movement was present in most current and former British colonies including America, Australia, New Zealand, India, Jerusalem, and Scotland. Another place the Oxford Movement was present was in Wales. Students of Oxford university came from places around the world and the English empire spreading its ideas to the farthest places in the English empire. An example of this is Wales. Oxford students from Wales were influenced by the movement such as Isaac Williams who while at Oxford became close friends with Newman and other members of the movement. When he got back to Wales he wrote extensively about the Oxford movement influencing many parishioners and preachers alike. studies by, “Eifion Evans, A. Tudno Williams, D. P. Freeman and B. M. Lodwick have demonstrated that the Oxford Movement did have a notable effect on a number of Welsh parishes, clergy and lay people.”

Newman converted to Catholicism in 1845. Newman was living at Littlemore at the time. Littlemore was a house that was devoted to prayer and filled with many of Newman’s friends. At the time many of them had already converted to Catholicism. Newman had many reasons to convert. He was compelled by his beliefs regarding the thirty-nine articles which he stated in Tract XC. Furthermore, by the Churches’ rejection of his writings. When Newman decided to convert at Littlemore he invited “Fr Dominic Barberi, an Italian, Passionist priest who was in England on missionary work” to come over. The Friar heard Newman’s confession for several hours before demanding that they stop for the day. The next day Newman finished his confession. Newman’s conversion caused much concern in the Church of England that many more people would follow Newman to Catholicism. Although some people did join the Catholic Church Newman’s conversion proved to be a boon to the Church of England as more people critically examined their faith. By the end of Newman’s life, he had become a Cardinal. Furthermore, he was named a saint in the Catholic Church on October 13, 2019.

After Newman’s conversion the relationship between the Church of England and the Catholic Church were strengthened by Newman. The Church of England through the work of others eventually incorporated many of the suggestions of Newman that were originally written in the Tracts that the Oxford Movement wrote. When Newman converted, he lost his right to work at Oxford since it was considered a religious institution for Anglicans only. But since then after Newman’s Death in 1890 Oxford began to allow Catholics to return to the school in 1896.

The Oxford movement failed in its principle efforts. The movement wanted to revive many Catholic doctrines. As well as stave off liberalism within the Church. But the movement also saw much success. The movement resulted in the establishment of many Anglican religious orders. It also caused the reincorporation of liturgy into church practices. The Eucharist became more central. The movement also brought back vestments. The result of all this is that in some ways the Anglican Church has become better prepared to influence the postmodern world, such as with being more emotionally appealing.

In conclusion, the Oxford Movement caused many changes throughout the world. The Oxford Movement changed the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church. Tract XC caused an uproar in the Church of England that led to the conversion of many academics and priests including Newman to Catholicism. The effects of the movement were felt around the world by Anglican parishes. The movement resulted in many Catholic practices being reincorporated into the Church of England including Vestments and the liturgy.