Newman and Modern Conservatism, by Frank DeVito

Pro-Lifers Pouting About Trump Are Losing The Fight Against Deceptive Ballot Measures, by Jordan Boyd
August 29, 2024
Cultural Influence, Political Decline, by Dan Hitchens
August 29, 2024

*Image: Cardinal John Henry Newman by John Everett Millais, 1881 [National Portrait Gallery, London]

By Frank DeVito, Crisis Magazine, Aug. 29, 2024

Frank DeVito is an attorney currently serving as counsel at the Napa Legal Institute. His work has previously been published in several publications, including The American Conservative, The Federalist, First Things, and Public Discourse. He lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife and children. The views expressed in his articles are those of the author and not necessarily his employer.

I can think of no greater modern warrior against liberalism, both in thought and practical action, than the great saint Cardinal John Henry Newman.

Frank DeVitoThe conservative movement is ever in search of intellectual heroes from the past, those to whom we can point as examples to follow. Political conservatives vary in their choice of champions; Plato and Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas, Burke and Hamilton appeal to different conservatives as thinkers that offer a blueprint for the politics of the day. While the woke insanity of the past decade seems to be a new and novel threat, the current situation is really no more than the consistent continuation of liberalism. Since I can think of no greater modern warrior against liberalism, both in thought and practical action, than the great saint Cardinal Newman, I offer him as an example to join the great ranks who make up the canon of conservative heroes for today. ….