Tractarian

British religious history

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July 14, 2026

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The Tractarian movement, also known as the Oxford movement, was a 19th-century religious movement within the Church of England. It originated at the University of Oxford and aimed to revive "catholic" or Roman Catholic practices and beliefs, opposing the Church of England's Protestant leanings. Tractarians argued that the Anglican church was inherently catholic and derived its authority from apostolic succession, not the state. Key figures included John Henry Newman, Richard Hurrell Froude, John Keble, and Edward Pusey. Their ideas were published in the Tracts for the Times, leading to the name "Tractarians." Some followers eventually converted to Roman Catholicism, including Newman in 1845. The movement influenced church worship, ritual, and pastoral care.123

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John Keble
…advocates to be known as Tractarians. The Tractarians encouraged study of the early Church Fathers, edited their works, and arranged for their translation. When John Henry Newman’s conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1845 threatened the continuation of the Oxford Movement, Keble and E.B. Pusey managed by their persistence to keep…
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…advocates to be known as Tractarians. The Tractarians encouraged study of the early Church Fathers, edited their works, and arranged for their translation. When John Henry Newman’s conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1845 threatened the continuation of the Oxford Movement, Keble and E.B. Pusey managed by their persistence to keep…
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Oxford movement
…the Tracts were known as Tractarians who asserted the doctrinal authority of the catholic church to be absolute, and by “catholic” they understood that which was faithful to the teaching of the early and undivided church. They believed the Church of England to be such a catholic church.
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…the Tracts were known as Tractarians who asserted the doctrinal authority of the catholic church to be absolute, and by “catholic” they understood that which was faithful to the teaching of the early and undivided church. They believed the Church of England to be such a catholic church.
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