The covenant with Moses and the kingdom of God : Thomas Hobbes and the theology of the old covenant in early modern England

"Covenant theology was a popular and controversial topic in early modern England. In particular, the biblical old covenant with Moses generated tremendous theological and political debates during the years of the English Civil Wars. And yet, the disciplinary boundaries of historical theology and the history of political thought make it hard to understand why early modern preachers and philosophers wrestled over this topic with such vigour. This interdisciplinary historical theological study explains the development of the covenant theology in the major works of Thomas Hobbes and his contemporaries, including Bishop Robert Sanderson and the puritan and presbyterian circles of the Westminster Assembly"-- Provided by publisher Front Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chapter 1 Early Modern Covenant Theology and Political Thought in Conversation 1 Introduction 2 Summary of Chapters Chapter 2 Covenantal Conformity: Robert Sanderson’s Anti-puritan Covenant Theology 1 Introduction 2 The Faithfulness of Moses and the Unfaithfulness of Non-conformity 3 Sanderson’s “Moderation” and Terminology for the Old and New Covenants 4 Covenant Conditions and Mediators 5 Covenantal Calling, Public Persons, and the Relationship between Nature and Grace 6 Israel, the Leviathan, and the Relationship between Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction 7 “Law as a Rule” and “Law as a Covenant” 8 Conclusion Chapter 3 Covenant Continuity, Part I: The Covenant with Moses in Presbyterian Covenant Theology in the 1640s 1 Introduction 2 The Taxonomy of Samuel Bolton 3 The Taxonomy of John Ball 4 The Taxonomy of Anthony Burgess 5 The Taxonomy of Edmund Calamy 6 Conclusion Chapter 4 Covenantal Continuity, Part II: The Covenant with Moses in Presbyterian Covenant Theology in the 1650s 1 Introduction 2 The Taxonomy of Thomas Blake 3 The Taxonomy of Samuel Rutherford 4 The Taxonomy of Francis Roberts 5 Conclusion Chapter 5 Covenantal Consent, Part I: Covenant Theology and Political Legitimation in Thomas Hobbes’ The Elements of Law (1640) 1 Introduction 2 The Nature and Definition of Covenants in The Elements of Law 3 Covenants, Consent, and Authority in The Elements of Law 4 Covenants and Resistance Theories in The Elements of Law 5 The Possibility of Covenants with God in The Elements of Law 6 Covenants, the State of Nature, and Natural Liberty in The Elements of Law 7 Covenantal Conditions, Faith and Works in The Elements of Law 8 Conclusion Chapter 6 Covenantal Consent, Part II: Covenant Theology and Political Legitimation in Thomas Hobbes’ De Cive (1642) and Leviathan (1651) 1 Introduction 2 Covenantal Developments in De Cive 3 Covenants and Law in De Cive 4 The Old Covenant in De Cive 5 The New Covenant in De Cive 6 Covenants and Spiritual and Temporal Authority in De Cive 7 Covenants and The Kingdom of Heaven in De Cive 8 Covenants in Leviathan 9 Not in the Garden of Eden: the Original Covenant in Leviathan 10 The (Eschatological) New Covenant in Leviathan 11 Conclusion Conclusion: Early Modern Covenant Theology and Political Thought in Conversation Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Sources Index Back Cover