William George Ward (21 March 1812 – 6 July 1882) was an English theologian and mathematician. A

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

convert, his career illustrates the development of religious opinion at a time of crisis in the history of English religious thought.

Life

He was the son of William Ward and Emily Combe. He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

and went up to

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

, in 1830, but his father's financial difficulties forced him in 1833 to try for a scholarship at Lincoln College, which he succeeded in obtaining. Ward had a gift for

pure mathematics Pure mathematics is the study of mathematical concepts independently of any application outside mathematics. These concepts may originate in real-world concerns, and the results obtained may later turn out to be useful for practical applications, ...

but for history,

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathemati ...

or anything outside the exact sciences, he felt contempt. He was endowed with a strong sense of humour and a love of

paradox A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically u ...

carried to an extreme. His examination for mathematical honours exhibited some of the peculiarities of his character and mental powers. Four out of his five papers on applied mathematics were sent up absolutely blank. Honours, however, were not refused him, and in 1834 he obtained an open fellowship at

Balliol Balliol may refer to: * House of Balliol, Lords of Baliol and their fief * Balliol College, Oxford ** Balliol rhyme, a doggerel verse form with a distinctive meter, associated with Balliol College * John Balliol (King John of Scotland) (1249–1314 ...

. In the previous year the Tractarian movement had been launched: Ward was attracted to it by his hatred of moderation and what he called "respectability". He was repelled by the conception he had formed of

John Henry Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and ...

, whom he regarded as a mere antiquary. When, however, he was at length persuaded by a friend to go and hear Newman preach, he at once became a disciple. But he had, as Newman afterwards said of him, "struck into the movement at an angle." He had no taste for historical investigations. He treated the question at issue as one of pure

logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from prem ...

: disliking the Reformers, the right of private judgment which

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

s claimed, and the somewhat prosaic uniformity of the English Church, he flung himself into a general campaign against

Protestantism Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

in general and the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

form of it in particular. He nevertheless took deacon's orders in 1838 and priest's orders in 1840.Aveling, Francis. "William George Ward." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 6 June 2019 Bust of Ward by Raggi

In 1839 Ward became a writer for the '' British Critic'', the organ of the Tractarian party, and he excited suspicion among the adherents of the party by his violent denunciations of the Church to which he still belonged. In 1841 he urged the publication of the celebrated '' Tract 90'', and wrote in defence of it. From that period Ward and his associates worked undisguisedly for union with the Church of Rome, and in 1844 he published his ''Ideal of a Christian Church'', in which he openly contended that the only hope for the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...

lay in submission to the Church of Rome. This publication brought to a height the storm which had long been gathering. The

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

was invited, on 13 February 1845, to condemn '' Tract 90'', to censure the ''Ideal'', and to deprive Ward from his degrees. The two latter propositions were carried with Ward being deprived of his tutorship and '' Tract 90'' only escaped censure by the ''non-placet'' of the proctors, Guillemard and Church. Ward left the Church of England in September 1845, and was followed by many others, including

Newman Newman is a surname of English origin and may refer to many people: The surname Newman is widespread in the core Anglosphere. A * Abram Newman (1736–1799), British grocer * Adrian Newman (disambiguation), multiple people *Al Newman (born 196 ...

himself. After his reception into the Church of Rome, Ward devoted himself to ethics,

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

and

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ...

. After his admission into the Roman Catholic Church he had married, and for a time had to struggle with poverty. But his circumstances later improved. In 1851 he became professor of moral philosophy at St Edmund's College, Ware, and the following year he was appointed to the chair of dogmatic theology.

''Dublin Review''

Ward wrote articles on

free will Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to ac ...

, the philosophy of

theism Theism is broadly defined as the belief in the existence of a supreme being or deities. In common parlance, or when contrasted with '' deism'', the term often describes the classical conception of God that is found in monotheism (also referr ...

, on science, prayer and miracles for the ''Dublin Review''. In 1863 he became editor of the Dublin Review (1863–1878). He took over as editor in July 1863, deferring editorial decisions on politics, history, or literature to sub-editors. He was an opponent of Liberal Catholicism and defender of papal authority, and attacked the views of

Charles Forbes René de Montalembert Charles Forbes René de Montalembert (; 15 April 1810, in London – 13 March 1870, in Paris) was a French publicist, historian and Count of Montalembert, Deux-Sèvres, and a prominent representative of liberal Catholicism. Family Charles For ...

and

Ignaz von Döllinger Johann Joseph Ignaz von Döllinger (; 28 February 179914 January 1890), also Doellinger in English, was a German theologian, Catholic priest and church historian who rejected the dogma of papal infallibility. Among his writings which proved con ...

.Houghton, Walter E., "The Dublin Review", ''The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals 1824-1900'', Routledge, 2013, p. 15
He supported the promulgation of the

dogma Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...

Papal Infallibility Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter, the Pope when he speaks '' ex cathedra'' is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "initially given to the apos ...

in 1870. He also dealt with the condemnation of

Pope Honorius I Pope Honorius I (died 12 October 638) was the bishop of Rome from 27 October 625 to his death. He was active in spreading Christianity among Anglo-Saxons and attempted to convince the Celts to calculate Easter in the Roman fashion. He is chie ...

, carried on a controversial correspondence with

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, Member of Parliament (MP) and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of classical liberalism, he contributed widely to ...

, and took a leading part in the discussions of the

Metaphysical Society The Metaphysical Society was a famous British debating society, founded in 1869 by James Knowles, who acted as Secretary. Membership was by invitation only, and was exclusively male. Many of its members were prominent clergymen, philosophers, and ...

Family

Ward was the grandnephew of

Robert Plumer Ward Robert Ward, or from 1828 Robert Plumer Ward (19 March 1765 – 13 August 1846), was an English barrister, politician, and novelist. George Canning said that his law books were as pleasant as novels, and his novels as dull as law books. Life He ...

, the nephew of Sir

Henry George Ward Sir Henry George Ward GCMG (27 February 17972 August 1860) was an English diplomat, politician, and colonial administrator. Early life He was the son of Robert Ward (who in 1828 changed his surname by sign manual to Plumer Ward) and his first ...

, and the son of William Ward. He was the father of Newman's biographer,

Wilfrid Philip Ward Wilfrid Philip Ward (2 January 1856 – 1916) was an English essayist and biographer. Ward and his friend Baron Friedrich von Hügel have been described as "the two leading lay English Catholic thinkers of their generation". Life Wilfrid Ward wa ...

; a grandfather of Father Leo Ward, a missionary in Japan and co-founder of Sheed & Ward, and of Leo's sister, the writer and publisher Maisie Ward; and a great-grandfather of the translator Rosemary Sheed, and of Rosemary's brother, the novelist

Wilfrid Sheed Wilfrid John Joseph Sheed (27 December 1930 – 19 January 2011Christopher Lehmann-Haup ''The New York Times'', 19 January 2011) was an English-born American novelist and essayist. Biography Sheed was born in London, to Frank Sheed and Maisi ...

. His daughter was professed as a Benedictine nun and became Lady Abbess of Oulton Abbey, Staffordshire.

Works

*
The Ideal of a Christian Church
' (1844) * ''The Anglican Establishment Contrasted'' (1850) * ''Heresy and Immortality'' (1851) *
On Nature and Grace: A Theological Treatise
' (1860) *
The Relation of Intellectual Power to Man's True Perfection
' (1862) *
The Authority of Doctrinal Decisions Which are not Definitions of Faith, Considered in a Short Series of Essays Reprinted from "The Dublin Review"
' (1866) * ''De Infallibilitatis Extensione'' (1869) *
Essays on Devotional and Scriptural Subjects
' (1879) *
The Condemnation of Pope Honorius
' (1879) *
Essays on the Church's Doctrinal Authority
' (1880) * ''Essays on the Philosophy of Theis
Vol. 1Vol. 2
' (1884) Selected articles
"Intrinsic End of Civil Government,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIII (1863).
"The Dogmatic Principle,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIII (1863).
"The 'Union' Movement,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIV (1864).
"Rome and the Munich Congress,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LV (1864).
"The University Question,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVI (1865).
"The Encyclical and Syllabus,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVI (1865).
"Public School Education,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVII (1865).
"Rome, Unionism, and Indifferentism,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVII (1865).
"Mr. Oxenham and the 'Dublin Review',"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVII (1865).
"Doctrinal Decrees of a Pontifical Congregation: The Case of Galileo,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVII (1865).
"Dr. Pusey's Apology for Anglicanism,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVIII (1866).
"Dr. Pusey's Project of Union,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVIII (1866).
"The Council of Florence,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LVIII (1866).
"Irish Writers on University Education,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIX (1866).
"Dr. Pusey on Marian Devotion,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIX (1866).
"Pius IX. and the 'Civiltà Cattolica',"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LIX (1866).
"Two Criticisms on the Dublin Review,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LX (1867).
"Science, Prayer, Free Will and Miracles,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LX (1867).
"Doctrinal Apostolic Letters,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXII (1868).
"The Witness of Heretical Bodies to Mariology,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXII (1868).
"The Irish Disestablishment,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXIII (1868).
"Principles of Catholic Higher Education,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXIV (1869).
"Catholic Controversy,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXV (1869).
"Grignon de Monfort and his Devotion,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXVIII (1871).
"The Definition of Papal Infallibility,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXVIII (1871).
"Certitude in Religious Assent,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXVIII (1871).
"Copernicanism and Pope Paul V,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXVIII (1871).
"The Rule and Motive of Certitude,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXIX (1871).
"Galileo and the Pontifical Congregations,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXIX (1871).
"Mr. Mill's Denial of Necessary Truth,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXIX (1871).
"Liberalism Religious and Ecclesiastical,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXX (1872).
"Mr. Mill on the Foundation of Morality,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXX (1872).
"Father Liberatore, Father Harper, and Lord Robert Montagu,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXX (1872).
"Parliament and Catholic Education,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXX (1872).
"The Priesthood in Irish Politics,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXI (1872).
"A Word on Classical Studies,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXI (1872).
"The Present Anglican Position,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXI (1872).
"The Labourers and Political Economy,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXII (1873).
"Irish Priests and Landlords,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXII (1873). * "A Few Words on Dr. Brownson's Philosophy," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXVIII (1876). * "Father O'Reilly on Society and the Church," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXVIII (1876). * "Tradition and Papal Infallibility," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXVIII (1876). * "Church and State," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXVIII (1876).
"Professor Mivart on the Rights of Conscience,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXIX (1876).Mivart, St. George Jackson (1876)
"Liberty of Conscience,"
''The Dublin Review'', Vol. LXXIX, pp. 555–567.
"Cremation,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXIX (1876).
"Mr. Mill on Causation,"
''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXIX (1876). * "Civil Intolerance of Religious Error: Professor Mivart on Liberty of Conscience," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXX (1877). * "Hergenröther on Church and State," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXXI (1877). * "Mr. Shadworth Hodgson on Free Will," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXXVII (1880). * "Philosophy of the Theistic Controversy," ''The Dublin Review,'' Vol. LXXXIX (1882).

References

* *

External links

*
Works by William George Ward
at

Hathi Trust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries including content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digitized locally ...

Works by William George Ward
at

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, William George 1812 births 1882 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Anglican priest converts to Roman Catholicism Anglo-Catholic clergy English Anglo-Catholics English Roman Catholic writers People educated at Winchester College 19th-century British Roman Catholic theologians Presidents of the Oxford Union