The Crisis of Calvinism in Revolutionary England, 1640-1660: Arminian Theologies of Predestination and Grace

During the 1650s, a surge of English Arminianism emerged in response to the anti-Calvinist attacks of various groups, including episcopalian royalists, radical puritan defenders of the regicide, and sectarian Quakers and General Baptists. This religious debate significantly altered the doctrinal consensus of the Church of England for the remainder of the seventeenth century. The book explores the rise of English Arminianism across different ecclesial camps and offers a new perspective on the crisis of Calvinism in post-Reformation England by tracing the doctrinal formulations of two prominent divines.

Format: Hardback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 16 May 2023
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

This captivating book delves into a perplexing and overlooked phenomenon—the emergence of English Arminianism during the decade of puritan rule. Throughout the 1650s, a multitude of publications, ranging from scholarly folios to popular pamphlets, launched a relentless attack on the doctrinal commitments of Reformed Orthodoxy. This anti-Calvinist onslaught emerged from diverse directions: episcopalian royalists (such as Henry Hammond, Herbert Thorndike, and Peter Heylyn), radical puritan defenders of the regicide (including John Goodwin and John Milton), and sectarian Quakers and General Baptists. Unprecedented rejection of Calvinist soteriology was often accompanied by a heightened engagement with Catholic, Lutheran, and Remonstrant alternatives. Consequently, a surge of sophisticated Arminian publications emerged on a scale that far surpassed the Laudian era. Cromwellian England thus witnessed an episode of religious debate that profoundly shaped the doctrinal consensus of the Church of England for the remainder of the seventeenth century.

The book will captivate historians intrigued by the intricate dynamics of Anglicanism and theologians eager to explore Protestant debates surrounding sovereignty and free will. Part One serves as a rich tapestry of religious history, tracing the rise of English Arminianism across various ecclesial camps—episcopal, puritan, and sectarian. These chapters not only introduce the primary figures but also unveil a surprising array of distinctively English Arminian formulations. Part Two delves into the intricate doctrinal formulations of two prominent divines—the puritan John Goodwin and the episcopalian Henry Hammond. Their Arminian theologies are situated within the broader context of the Western theological tradition and the soteriological debates that ensued after the Synod of Dort. By integrating these two parts, the book offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the rise and development of English Arminianism during a pivotal period in English religious history.

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Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783277735