The John Henry Newman Research Fellowship

St John Henry Newman was perhaps the most important and influential theologian of the nineteenth century, whose subtle and magisterial intellect encompassed the full range of disciplines touched on by theology; from the doctrines of the Early Church to the lives of the saints through to contemporary issues of doctrinal development, the role of reason and conscience in relation to authority, and the relationship between the branches of human knowledge. The history of his religious opinions and his reception, on October 9, 1845, into the Roman Catholic Church, is well documented, and served as an inspiration to many.

In 1991, over a century after his death, Pope John Paul II declared Newman to be ‘Venerable’ and in September 2010, he was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI. On 13 October 2019, he was canonised by Pope Francis during an open-air Mass in St Peter’s Square, Rome. In doing so, the then pontiff made Newman the first English saint since the Reformation.

Just six years later, Pope Leo XIV officially declared Newman a Doctor of the Church. The Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said, ‘This recognition that the writings of St John Henry Newman are a true expression of the faith of the Church is of huge encouragement to all who appreciate not only his great learning but also his heroic sanctity in following the call of God in his journey of faith, which he described as ‘heart speaking unto heart’.

Submit your application through our online portal. You’ll need:

• a curriculum vitae
• a research statement outlining current and proposed work (up to 1,000 words)
• a sample of academic writing
• the names and contact details of two academic referees (references will be requested automatically through the portal).

Those longlisted will later be invited to submit one full sample of written work, for assessment.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in April 2026.

The position will start at the beginning of Michaelmas Term 2026.