Featured Articles
by Contributors
The Laity
Winning Back the World
Russell Shaw
Click here to view the article
On Being A Lay Person
Janine Langan
Click here to view the article
Notes on the Lay Vocation Claude Ryan
Click here to view the article
"'Rouse Yourselves': Towards a 'High' Doctrine of the Laity"
Daniel Cere
Click here to view the article
Vocation
"How to Discern Elements of Your Personal Vocation" Fr. Peter Ryan (2005)
The Newman Rambler
A McGill Newman Centre Publication
History of the
McGill Newman Centre
Life and Thoughts
of John Henry Newman
"The Newman Rambler publishes some of the freshest and most creative ideas about Catholic laity and lay apostolate currently to be found anywhere in North America."
-Russell Shaw
The Newman Rambler is a bi-annual journal of lay Catholic opinion that takes its inspiration from the life and work of John Henry Newman. The Newman Rambler was launched in 1996 as an initiative of the Newman Association of Montreal at McGill University.
The Mission of the Newman Rambler
The Newman Rambler takes its name from its nineteenth-century predecessor, The Rambler. John Henry Newman (1801-1890) is widely celebrated as one of the truly seminal religious thinkers in modern Catholicism. Newman's enduring relevance to Catholic intellectual life is due in part to his prophetic advocacy of the active role of the laity as well as his creative engagement with many of the critical debates in modern culture.
In his own times, Newman championed The Rambler as a voice for a new Catholic laity who could be fiercely faithful, yet wiling to fearlessly engage the critical questions raised by modern thought and culture. His journal attempted to steer a course between the Scylla of a lay Catholic fundamentalism that was devout, yet obstinate and unthinking, and the Charybdis of a dissenting liberalism that was "suggestive," but irreverent and "irritating."
The Newman Rambler attempts to continue the tradition of creative faith reflection inspired by Newman's life and writing. The mission of The Newman Rambler is:
- Ongoing exploration of the life and work of John Henry Newman. The Newman Rambler is the only journal in the world that gives sustained attention to the life and work of John Henry Newman.
- Critical commentary and analysis of current intellectual issues and debates of concern to the laity in their very spheres of activity - culture, politics, the economy, and professions. To be a voice for lay Catholic thought in academic and university contexts.
The Newman Rambler has operated since 1996 as a largely volunteer venture sponsored by the Newman Association. We distribute approximately 1000 copies of the Rambler to various individuals and institutions. We have a small group of paid subscribers from Canada, the United States, England, Germany, and Italy.
The Newman Centre supports this venture by providing facilities, office space, and equipment (we have recently upgraded our equipment to provide adequate computer and desktop publishing facilities). It also offers support staff. One of its Board Directors serves as editor and one of its staff members serves as an associate editor. The editor emeritus, Professor David Williams, is a distinguished scholar and Professor Emeritus of English at McGill University. The assistant editor and founder of The Newman Rambler is the former Director of the Newman Centre as well as the Newman Institute of Catholic Studies. Our staff also coordinates a talented group of faculty and student volunteers. The collaboration of students and faculty in this venture provides unique opportunities of student/faculty friendship and mentoring.
If you are interested in receiving a free sample copy of The Newman Rambler, simply send us an E-mail request. We will gladly provide you with you free sample copy along with applicable subscription information.
You may click here to request your free sample copy now.
Please remember to leave us your name, and postal or zip code information, If applicable you may also provide us with your e-mail address and/or fax contact information. This will ensure that we will send you your sample copy as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Thank you for considering a subscription to The Newman Rambler.
To read a sample article from our publication (PDF format), please click here.