An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine is one of the most important theological works of the nineteenth century written by one of its greatest minds. In this pivotal text, St. John Henry Newman challenges the Protestant claim that many Catholic doctrines are deviations from Scripture, expounding a theory of development of revelation guided by the Holy Spirit. Allowing for organic growth while condemning any progressivist corruption of doctrine, Newman tackles head-on a heated theological debate with eloquence and wisdom, concluding ultimately that such authentic development can take place only within the infallible Church established by Jesus Christ himself.

St. John Henry Newman (1801–1890) was an English theologian, leader of the Oxford Movement, and convert to Catholicism. One of the most influential religious leaders of the nineteenth century, he authored several major theological texts and was created a cardinal of the Catholic Church in 1879.

Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic faith. On July 21, 2015, Pope Francis announced his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and on June 2, 2022, he appointed Bishop Barron the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota). Ordained in 1986 in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Bishop Barron received a master’s degree in philosophy from The Catholic University of America in 1982 and a doctorate in sacred theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris in 1992.