Author Description
Scottish Puritanism, 1590-1638, is a portrait of Protestantism in the two generations leading to the National Covenant of 1638. This book investigates the construction of a puritan community embracing 'godly' ministers along with significant numbers of lay men and women willing to engage in the practice of a piety which confronted the inner person and the external world, seeking the reformation of both. Topics include attitudes towards the Bible and the sacraments, the nature of the Christian life, the place of the feminine in Scottish divinity, and the development of ideas about predestination, covenanting, and the relationship between church and state. The book addresses the tensions inherent in puritanism, such as those associated with the nature of the church and the extent of freedom, and provides a perspective on the relationship between Scottish and English religious developments.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work examines the development and character of Scottish Puritanism during the critical period between 1590 and 1638, leading up to the National Covenant. David George Mullan, a scholar of early modern Scottish religious history, utilizes primary source documents and theological treatises to reconstruct the lived experience of the 'godly' community. The text argues that Scottish Puritanism was a distinct, rigorous movement that sought to reform both the individual conscience and the broader ecclesiastical and political structures of the nation.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of theological developments regarding predestination and covenanting.
- Examination of the role of women in Scottish divinity and religious practice.
- Comparative study of Scottish and English religious trajectories.
- Discussion of the tension between church authority and individual religious freedom.
Scope Limits
- The study concludes in 1638 and does not cover the subsequent conflicts of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms in detail.
- The focus remains primarily on the theological and social construction of the 'godly' community rather than a comprehensive political history of the era.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars recognize this text as a significant contribution to the understanding of early modern Scottish piety and the intellectual foundations of the Covenanter movement. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of primary theological sources for students of Reformation history.
Page Count:
392
Publication Date:
2000-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191520713
ISBN-13:
9780191520716
History
Religion
Theology
Protestantism
Puritans
Puritanism
Scotland
Scottish History
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