Tracts for the Times facts for kids

The Tracts for the Times were a collection of 90 religious writings, from short pamphlets to long books. They were created by members of the Oxford Movement in England, a group that wanted to bring back older Anglo-Catholic traditions. These writings were published between 1833 and 1841. About a dozen authors contributed, including important leaders like John Keble, John Henry Newman, and Edward Bouverie Pusey. Newman was the main person behind the series and wrote the most. Because these "tracts" were cheap and easy to share, they helped people learn about the Oxford Movement's ideas. People even started calling supporters of the movement "Tractarians."

How the Movement Started

On July 14, 1833, John Keble gave a famous sermon called "National Apostasy" at St Mary's Church. John Henry Newman later said this sermon was the real start of the Oxford Movement.

Historians say that Keble was the inspiration, Hurrell Froude gave it energy, and Newman took charge of the work. But the first organized steps came from Hugh James Rose, who edited the British Magazine. Rose is sometimes called the "Cambridge founder" of the Oxford Movement. He met with Oxford Movement members while looking for writers for his magazine.

A key meeting happened at Rose's home in Hadleigh, Suffolk, on July 25-26, 1833. Newman wasn't there, but Hurrell Froude, Arthur Philip Perceval, and William Palmer attended. At this meeting, they decided to fight for two main things: the idea of "apostolic succession" (that church leaders get their authority directly from the apostles) and to protect the "Book of Common Prayer" (the official prayer book of the Church of England).

How the Tracts Were Published

Many of the tracts had special labels to show who they were for:

• Ad Clerum: Meant for the clergy (church leaders).
• Ad Populum: Meant for the general public.
• Ad Scholas: Meant for scholars or students.

The first 20 tracts came out in 1833, and 30 more followed in 1834. After that, they were published less often, but the later ones went into more detail about religious ideas. At first, the authors didn't use their real names, or they used fake names. Some tracts were even old writings from theologians of earlier centuries. Later, experts figured out who wrote each tract. The tracts were published by the Rivington company in London and also by J H Parker in Oxford.

Facing Disagreement

The Tracts also caused many people to write against them. Important responses came from evangelical groups, including a book by William Goode in 1845. The name "Tractarian" for followers of Keble, Pusey, and Newman (the Oxford Movement) was already being used by 1839.

The series of tracts finally ended because Richard Bagot, the Bishop of Oxford, stepped in. He wasn't completely against the Tractarians, but he acted after Newman's Tract 90 was published. This tract suggested a different way to understand the Thirty-Nine Articles (the main beliefs of the Church of England). This caused a big argument at the University of Oxford and led to the end of the Tracts for the Times series.

List of the Tracts

Other Publications

The Oxford Movement also started two other big projects around the same time. One was the Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology, which reprinted many works by important old English church writers. The other was the Library of the Fathers. Isaac Williams and William John Copeland also edited Plain Sermons by Contributors to the Tracts for the Times, a collection of sermons published in ten volumes from 1839 to 1848.