In our fifth instalment of Newman's life, we examine Newman's crisis of faith..

Episode 5 - Crisis of faith: Newman questions his theology

When studying the history of the early Church Fathers, Newman was perturbed to discover that the doctrinal position of the Anglican Church in his own day bore a close resemblance to some of the heretical currents that had emerged in the theological controversies of the early centuries. The denunciation of his work by a number of Anglican bishops and scholars added to his unease, and he began to question his membership of the Church of England and his leadership of its Oxford Movement.

Increasingly struggling with the issue of the apostolic succession and his changing attitudes towards Catholicism, Newman moved with a few companions to modest lodgings in the village of Littlemore, a village three miles outside Oxford. For three years he lived a quasi-monastic life there, praying for guidance. Here, he continued to devote himself to ever deeper study, fasting and prayers. While at Littlemore, he grew convinced that the Church of Rome, the Catholic Church, was the church nearest in spirit to early Christianity

Next week: Crossroads: Newman's conversion