18 - Puritanism

Summary

Chapter 18 deals with the continuing development of the doctrine of justification in England and subsequently America in the movement known as ‘Puritanism’. Puritanism can be understood as the English form of a Reformed theology which laid particular emphasis upon both the experimental basis of faith and the divine sovereignty in election – in other words, an ‘experimental predestinarianism’. This is often linked with a covenantal theology, similar to those developed by Reformed theologians in Germany. The chapter provides a discussion of the leading themes of Puritan discussions of justification in England, particularly those of William Perkins and John Owen, noting a developed use of the motif of ‘union with Christ’ as a means of holding together the gratuity of justification and the ensuing quest for holiness. The analysis then shifts to America, noting some of the controversies which developed around the doctrine of justification in New England, such as the ‘preparationist’ controversy associated with Thomas Hooker. The chapter concludes by considering the Trinitarian theology of justification developed by Jonathan Edwards.