The Crisis of Calvinism in Revolutionary England, 1640-1660: Arminian Theologies of Predestination and Grace(Studies in Modern British Religious History)

This book investigates a puzzling and neglected phenomenon - the rise of English Arminianism during the decade of puritan rule. Throughout the 1650s, numerous publications, from scholarly folios to popular pamphlets, attacked the doctrinal commitments of Reformed Orthodoxy. This anti-Calvinist onslaught came from different directions: episcopalian royalists (Henry Hammond, Herbert Thorndike, Peter Heylyn), radical puritan defenders of the regicide (John Goodwin and John Milton), and sectarian Quakers and General Baptists. Unprecedented rejection of Calvinist soteriology was often coupled with increased engagement with Catholic, Lutheran and Remonstrant alternatives. As a result, sophisticated Arminian publications emerged on a scale that far exceeded the Laudian era. Cromwellian England therefore witnessed an episode of religious debate that significantly altered the doctrinal consensus of the Church of England for the remainder of the seventeenth century. The book will appeal to historians interested in the contested nature of 'Anglicanism' and theologians interested in Protestant debates regarding sovereignty and free will. Part One is a work of religious history, which charts the rise of English Arminianism across different ecclesial camps - episcopal, puritan and sectarian. These chapters not only introduce the main protagonists but also highlight a surprising range of distinctly English Arminian formulations. Part Two is a work of historical theology, which traces the detailed doctrinal formulations of two prominent divines - the puritan John Goodwin and the episcopalian Henry Hammond. Their Arminian theologies are set in the context of the Western theological tradition and the soteriological debates, that followed the Synod of Dort. The book therefore integrates historical and theological enquiry to offer a new perspective on the crisis of 'Calvinism' in post-Reformation England.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Religious Identity and Doctrinal Debate Part I. 'This Quinquarticular war': Charting the rise of English Arminianism 1 . The Crisis of Calvinism in the 1650s: Background and Explanation 2. Puritan Arminianism 3. Episcopal Arminianism 4. Sectarian Arminianism Part I Conclusion Part II. 'Quinqu-Articularis' : Tracing the contours of English Arminian Theologies 5. Ordo Decretorum: Confessional Traditions and Doctrinal Disputes 6. John Goodwin's Arminian Theology 7. Henry Hammond's Arminian Theology Part II Conclusion Conclusion: Reimagining English Theology Bibliography Index

Review :
Who would benefit from reading the book? Theologians naturally, and especially those concerned with the religious differences of seventeenth-century England. A welcome and stimulating contribution to the study of seventeenth-century theology. Ollerton makes his case clearly and persuasively. His theological analysis is acute, and he is sensitive to the theological variety and eclecticism of his subjects. His study will be of value to anyone interested in the intellectual currents of seventeenth-century England. With this study, Ollerton has convincingly demonstrated that not only the 1730s or the 1760s play a role in the development from Calvinism to Arminianism, but no less so the 1750s. Ollerton heeft met deze studie overtuigend laten zien dat niet alleen de jaren dertig of de jaren zestig een plaats hebben in de ontwikkeling van calvinisme naar arminianisme, maar niet minder de jaren vijftig.