Reformed Orthodoxy in Britain Carl R
Reformed Orthodoxy in Britain Carl R. Trueman IntroductIon Dutch church history of the time. Thus, while uritanism,” like so many “isms” British theologians did produce a vast amount of “Pthroughout history, has proved very dif- literature on classical theological themes, such as ficult to define, and I am aware that no definitive the doctrine of scripture, God, Christology, and solution will be found in this essay. Thus, what I predestination, much of the focus of public debate offer here is a brief theological and ecclesiastical was on differences in polity and liturgy between history of the twin poles that are, Erastians, Presbyterians and Independents. His- Carl R. Trueman is Vice with different degrees of emphasis, torians have tended to focus on these matters of President for Academic Affairs and 1 Professor of Historical Theology often seen as constitutive of the being of primary interest. Thus, Puritan studies, a and Church History at Westminster Puritan identity in the sixteenth field where perhaps one might have expected more Theological Seminary in Glenside, and seventeenth centuries: reli- of a theological concern, has been dominated on Pennsylvania. gious experience, which separates the whole by those whose interests are more with He previously served on faculty at the true believer from one with the sociology and psychology of the movement(s) the Universities of Nottingham and only an intellectual faith; and the than with its doctrinal contribution.2 Aberdeen in the UK. Dr. Trueman’s development of Reformed Ortho- The last twenty years have, however, witnessed recent books include John Owen: doxy, particularly as it played out the growth in interest among academics in the Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (Ashgate, 2007), Republocrat: in the ecclesiological struggles in theological writings of Britain during this time.
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