Reformed Government: Puritanism, Historical Contingency, and Ecclesiastical Politics in Late Elizabethan England

In the final decade of Elizabeth I's reign, a critical edition of the scribal publication "Reformed Government" c. 1594 provides a unique point of entry into the 1590s, recovering a pivotal moment in the history of puritan radicalism. It offers an epistemological and ecclesiastical defense of reformed presbyterian government, sheds light on new appropriations of Renaissance ideas about historical contingency, and introduces a dynamic reading of Christian antiquity. The edition also provides a wider context for later developments in the seventeenth century and offers an alternative model for reading church history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The final decade of Elizabeth I's reign saw a remarkable convergence of cultural and literary achievements, coinciding with some of Tudor England's most challenging economic years. These challenges were exacerbated by plague outbreaks, successive harvest failures, and territorial conflicts both domestically and abroad. This critical edition of the scribal publication "Reformed Government" c. 1594 offers a unique entry point into the 1590s, particularly in the context of puritan radicalism. It represents the most comprehensive response to the anti-puritan literature of the late 16th century, including Richard Hooker's influential "Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity." In addition to mounting an epistemological and ecclesiastical defense of reformed Presbyterian government, the edition sheds light on new appropriations of Renaissance ideas about historical contingency and introduces a dynamic reading of Christian antiquity. Furthermore, it provides a broader context for later developments in the 17th century, taking advantage of the period's instability. By expanding and reconfiguring the relationship between civil and ecclesiastical government, the "Reformed Government" imaginatively explored new possibilities for societal transformation. This recovery of an alternative vision of a reformed society in the late 16th century offers an alternative model for interpreting church history. Drawing on maximal visions and reform proposals, the "Reformed Government" is essential reading for scholars studying ecclesiastical tradition alongside confessional documents and summative statements.

Weight: 522g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198798101