Mystery Unveiled: The Crisis of the Trinity in Early Modern England (Oxford Studies in Historical Theology)

Paul C. H. Lim Offers An Insightful Examination Of The Polemical Debates About The Doctrine Of The Trinity In Seventeenth-century England, Showing That This Philosophical And Theological Re-configuration Significantly Impacted The Politics Of Religion In The Early Modern Period. Through Analysis Of These Heated Polemics, Lim Shows How Trinitarian God-talk Became Untenable In Many Ecclesiastical And Philosophical Circles, Which Led To The Emergence Of Unitarianism. He Also Demonstrates That Those Who Continued To Embrace Trinitarian Doctrine Articulated Their Piety And Theological Perspectives In An Increasingly Secularized Culture Of Discourse. Drawing On Both Unexplored Manuscripts And Well-known Treatises Of Continental And English Provenance, He Unearths The Complex Layers Of The Polemic: From Biblical Exegesis To Reception History Of Patristic Authorities, From Popular Religious Radicalism During The Civil War To Puritan Spirituality, From Continental Socinians To English Anti-trinitarians Who Avowed Their Relative Independent Theological Identity, From The Notion Of The Platonic Captivity Of Primitive Christianity To That Of Plato As Moses Atticus. Among This Book's Surprising Conclusions Are The Findings That Anti-trinitarian Sentiment Arose From A Puritan Ambience, In Which Biblical Literalism Overcame Rationalistic Presuppositions, And That Theology And Philosophy Were Not As Unconnected During This Period As Previously Thought. Mystery Unveiled Will Fill A Significant Lacuna In Early Modern English Intellectual History. Winner of the Sixteenth Century Society's Roland H. Bainton Prize for History or Theology Paul C. H. Lim offers an insightful examination of the polemical debates about the doctrine of the Trinity in seventeenth-century England, showing that the philosophical and theological re-configuration of this doctrine had a significant impact on the politics of religion in the early modern period. Lim's analysis of these heated polemics shows how Trinitarian God-talk became untenable in many ecclesiastical and philosophical circles, leading to the emergence of Unitarianism. He demonstrates that those who continued to uphold Trinitarian doctrine articulated their piety and theological perspectives in an increasingly secularized culture of discourse. Drawing on both unexplored manuscripts and well-known treatises of Continental and English provenance, he uncovers the complex layers of the polemic: from biblical exegesis to reception history of patristic authorities, from popular religious radicalism during the Civil War to Puritan spirituality, from Continental Socinians to English anti-Trinitarians who claimed an independent theological identity, from the notion of the Platonic captivity of primitive Christianity to that of Plato as'Moses Atticus.'Among this book's surprising findings are that Anti-Trinitarian sentiment arose in a Puritan ambience in which biblical literalism overrode rationalistic presuppositions, and that theology and philosophy were more closely connected during this period than previously thought. Mystery Unveiled fills a significant lacuna in early modern English intellectual history. Winner of the Sixteenth Century Society's Roland H. Bainton Prize for History or Theology Paul C. H. Lim offers an insightful examination of the polemical debates about the doctrine of the Trinity in seventeenth-century England, showing that the philosophical and theological re-configuration of this doctrine had a significant impact on the politics of religion in the early modern period. Lim's analysis of these heated polemics shows how Trinitarian God-talk became untenable in many ecclesiastical and philosophical circles, leading to the emergence of Unitarianism. He demonstrates that those who continued to uphold Trinitarian doctrine articulated their piety and theological perspectives in an increasingly secularized culture of discourse. Drawing on both unexplored manuscripts and well-known treatises of Continental and English provenance, he uncovers the complex layers of the from biblical exegesis to reception history of patristic authorities, from popular religious radicalism during the Civil War to Puritan spirituality, from Continental Socinians to English anti-Trinitarians who claimed an independent theological identity, from the notion of the Platonic captivity of primitive Christianity to that of Plato as "Moses Atticus." Among this book's surprising findings are that Anti-Trinitarian sentiment arose in a Puritan ambience in which biblical literalism overrode rationalistic presuppositions, and that theology and philosophy were more closely connected during this period than previously thought. Mystery Unveiled fills a significant lacuna in early modern English intellectual history. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page viii) Foreword (page ix) Acknowledgments (page xi) Abbreviations (page xv) Introduction (page 1) 1. Rescuing Scripture from Popery, Reclaiming Mystery from Presbytery: Antitrinitarian Theology and Trajectory of Paul Best and John Biddle (page 16) 2. Antinomian and Antitrinitarian? The Fate of the Trinity between 1640 and 1660 (page 69) 3. Many Weapons, One Aim: Trinitarian Reactions to John Biddle in Context (page 124) 4. Polemical and Practical? The Trinitarian Spirituality of Francis Cheynell and John Owen in Context (page 172) 5. Bishops Behaving Badly? Hobbes, Baxter, and Marvell on the Problem of Conciliar History and the Nature of Heresy (page 217) 6. Platonic Captivity or Sublime Mystery? The Trinity and the Gospel of John in Early Modern England (page 271) Conclusion (page 320) Notes (page 329) Bibliography (page 429) Index (page 475) Anti-trinitarian theology and trajectory of Paul Best and John Bddle Antinomian and antitrinitarian?: the fate of the Trinity, c. 1640-1660 Many weapons, one aim: pro-trinitarian reactions to John Biddle in context Polemical and practical?: the spirituality of Cheynell and Owen in context Bishops behaving badly?: Hobbes, Baxter, and Marvell on the problem of conciliar history and the nature of heresy Platonic captivity, or sublime mystery?: the Trinity and the Gospel of John in early modern England. Paul C.H. Lim offers an insightful examination of the polemical debates about the doctrine of the Trinity in 17th-century England, showing that this philosophical and theological re-configuration significantly impacted the politics of religion in the early modern period