Loss and Gain

At Oxford, Charles Reding finds that the beliefs he grew up with are harder to settle than the routines of college life. The son of a clergyman, educated at Eton and expected to enter the ministry, he arrives with a thoughtful, reserved temperament. His friendship with William Sheffield brings him into conversations about creeds, religious parties and the meaning of belief. As examinations approach, his uneasiness about the Church's Articles becomes difficult to put aside.

John Henry Newman uses a novel to describe the formation of religious conviction through ordinary encounters and persistent doubts. In their conversations, Sheffield resists party allegiance while Carlton urges Charles to accept the imperfections of religious systems. The opening advertisement explains that the characters are imaginary. Readers interested in faith and education will find a close account of how institutional expectations, friendship and private judgment press upon a young student's conscience.