Abstract

For Newman the Roman Catholic, the Oratorian way of life resonated with his experience as a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford: the Oratory was a place of stability that provided an opportunity for scholarship. This article examines three aspects of the Oratorian idea of scholarship: the spiritual formation of the intellect; the role of the laity in a Catholic university; and the importance of personal influence inevangelization—educational ideals that are as fundamentally important today as they were in Newman’s time.