The development of doctrine, what it is and why it matters,

the ongoing relevance of John Henry Newman's thought.

Blessed John Henry Newman famously stated in the opening pages of his seminal essay

on the development of Christian doctrine.

To be deep in history is to cease to be a Protestant.

But the history Newman refers to in his famous statement

is not the history presented by the history channel on TV, nor is

it the total sum of historical facts, some learn by heart, in order to shine a trivial pursuit,

nor is it the suggested history craftily insinuated to the reader's unguarded imagination

in the wave of recent anti-Catholic novels from Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code to Tom Doibins, the Testament of Mary.

Nor is it even the substantive history taught before its reason replacement

by social studies at American colleges in the days when they still maintained an

authentic liberal arts curriculum. Rather, the history Newman refers to with his

evocative expression to be deep in history,

is the spirit-guided and spirit-filled history of salvation that the living church holds in her memory.

It is the church's memory of the living Christ, the bridegroom, who guides his bride, the church, by way of the comforter he promised to send.

The church's memories deeply informed by Christ's words as communicated by St. John.

I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

John 16. 13. It is for this reason that a Catholic is deep in history.

It is the history of the unfolding truth into which the spirit guides.

It is for the self-same reason that a Catholic is deep in the Christ-centered and spirit-filled

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