Articles
Newman and the Educator as Mentor
January 3, 2026
As we celebrate the proclamation of St. John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Church, it is appropriate to consider what he has to show us about the nature of education, and in particular what he has to tell us about the qualities of teaching and mentorship. For Newman, teaching was not simply offering assignments and grading work, but was rather a pastoral role. As a young man, Newman had seriously considered being a missionary, and only the realization that teaching was a care of the soul persuaded him to choose education as his initial vocation.
Newman was blessed early on with caring teachers. First, his father was a great encourager of learning, on one occasion offering him the reward of a Copy Book for learning a lesson. Newman went to a fine boarding school, Ealing, when he was less than ten years old. The headmaster, the Rev. Dr. George Nicholas was talented, and he quickly recognized Newman’s talent as well. In a time when education could be very strict, Nicholas seemed to use the carrot more than the stick. He liked and respected Newman and continued to correspond with him for several years.
Sadly, Newman did not encounter such inspiring teachers when he entered Trinity College. He often found the tutors arrogant and disinterested. On one occasion Newman performed terribly on an important yearly exam, and some scholars have found fault with his tutor for not offering proper guidance. Whether or not Newman’s tutor was guilty of academic neglect, there can be little doubt that the tutors he encountered at Trinity were not sufficiently dedicated and fell far short of the ideal that Newman would soon develop of the tutor as both an academic and a spiritual guide.
After Newman was chosen as tutor at Oriel College, he found a few kindred spirits there who saw their roles in terms of a vocation rather than simply an occupation. Newman, now ordained, felt that he could and should use his position to care for souls. He believed that to do this, he must be a genuine friend, rather than simply an intellectual guide. Reflecting on his days at Oriel, and writing in the third person, he describes his personal interaction with his students:
With such youths he cultivated relations, not only of intimacy, but of friendship, and almost of equality, putting off, as much as might be, the martinet manner then in fashion with College Tutors, and seeking their society in outdoor exercise, on evenings, and in Vacation. (Autobiographical Writings 90)
Newman adds that he “set before himself in his Tutorial work the aim of getting souls to God.” Newman was successful both spiritually and educationally. He had excellent students with whom he cultivated close relationships, including George Golighty, Henry Wilberforce, the son of William Wilberforce, and Frederick Rogers. Newman also had quite a student following when he would preach at St. Mary’s. Students were impressed with his discourse, but they were also won over by his life.
We will not examine Newman’s later educational work, when he founded the Catholic University of Ireland and later his Oratory School, but at both of these institutions he remained consistent in seeing education from a holistic approach in which the entire person of the student was valued. Above all he wanted to provide spiritual inspiration and instruction. He tried to teach students to think logically and to understand how the various subjects fit together, part of what he called the “philosophic habit of mind.” In addition to these lofty goals, he also wanted students to enjoy themselves with plays, music, sports, and games. Students knew Newman’s intellectual capacity, but it was his care for them that made them truly love him. As Newman grew rather old, he delighted in joking and playing with the students, who lovingly referred to him amongst themselves as “Jack” or “old Jack.” While they surely regarded him with awe, it was love that was dominant.
Accordingly, we can see Newman not simply as a Doctor of the Church who contributed to an intellectual understanding of the faith, although he certainly did that. We can also see him as a Doctor, that is a teacher, of those who instruct and inspire in any role from academics to clergy to parents to coaches. To all of us, he shows that we can care for souls by offering loving guidance and encouraging instruction to those whom we are entrusted to teach.
