Synopses & Reviews
Richard Snoddy offers a detailed study of the applied soteriology of the Irish theologian James Ussher (1581-1656). After locating Ussher in the ecclesiastical context of seventeenth-century Ireland and England, the book examines his teaching on the doctrines of atonement, justification, sanctification, and assurance. It considers their interconnection in his thought, as well as documenting his change of mind on a number of important issues, in particular how he moved from belief in a limited atonement and an assurance that is of the essence of faith to argue for a general atonement and an assurance obtained through experimental piety. Within the framework of one widely accepted scholarly paradigm he appears to move from one logically inconsistent position to another, but his thought contains an inner logic that questions the explanatory power of that paradigm.
Snoddy draws on Ussher's literary material in a variety of genres: catechetical, polemical and devotional works, correspondence, and notes. It was in the pulpit, however, that Ussher was most expansive on the doctrines considered here. Nearly three hundred sermons survive in the notes of auditors, most of them unpublished, as well as dozens of sermon outlines in his own hand. Most of the material considered in this study derives from a close reading of these sermons. The book arises from the conviction that Ussher's theology deserves to be taken seriously in its own right though not abstracted from his social and political contexts.
Review
"This is a well-designed, carefully documented and argued study of a major seventeenth-century British Reformed theologian whose work has been sadly neglected until very recently. Snoddy offers one of the most significant monographs on Ussher since the major biographical work of the nineteenth century. The book is a careful and balanced piece of work that sets Ussher into his historical context, deals with the relevant primary and secondary literature, and sheds significant light on Ussher's thought. Snoddy's work offers considerable new insight into the on-going reappraisal of theology in the early modern era, solidly contributing to the demolition of the so-called 'Calvin against the Calvinists' thesis." --Richard Muller, P.J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary
"James Ussher was one of the most important Protestant theologians of the seventeenth century, whose writings exercised profound impact on the evolution of English puritanism even as his friendship and reputation were claimed by prominent defenders of the Catholic faith. In this exceptional work of historical theology, Richard Snoddy elucidates the thinking of a key but complex figure in the construction of Reformed orthodoxy." --Crawford Gribben, Professor of Early Modern British History, Queen's University, Belfast
"James Ussher was a seventeenth-century Irish polymath whose range and subtlety has posed a considerable challenge to those trying to explain and interpret his work. Richard Snoddy meets the challenge triumphantly in this study of Ussher's theology of salvation. Not only does he place Ussher convincingly in his contemporary context, he also demonstrates the surprisingly diverse range of views on this important topic contained within seventeenth-century Calvinism." --Alan Ford, Professor of Theology, University of Nottingham
Synopsis
Drawing on material from a range of genres, with extensive reference to manuscript collections, Richard Snoddy offers a detailed study of James Ussher's applied soteriology. After locating Ussher in the ecclesiastical context of seventeenth-century Ireland and England, Snoddy examines his teaching on the doctrines of atonement, justification, sanctification, and assurance. He considers their interconnection in Ussher's thought, particularly the manner in which a general atonement functions as the ground of justification and the extent to which it functions as the ground of assurance. The book documents Ussher's change of mind on a number of important issues, especially how, from holding to a limited atonement and an assurance that is of the essence of faith, he moved to belief in a general atonement and an assurance obtained through experimental piety. Within the framework of one widely accepted scholarly paradigm he appears to move from one logically inconsistent position to another, but his thought contains an inner logic that questions the explanatory power of that paradigm. This insightful study sheds new light on the diversity of seventeenth-century Reformed theology in the British Isles.
About the Author
Richard Snoddy was born in Northern Ireland. He obtained his Ph.D. in Theology in 2011 from Middlesex University for research on James Ussher supervised at London School of Theology. Since 2009 he has been Visiting Lecturer at London School of Theology, teaching Church History, and since 2012 an Associate Research Fellow.
Table of Contents
Contents
Abbreviations
Conventions
Introduction
1. Vae Mihi Si Non Evangelizavero - The Preaching Prelate
2. Lubricus Locus - The Nature and Extent of the Atonement
3. 'This Sweet Doctrine' - Justification by Faith
4. 'An Imperfect Kinde of Perfection' - The Sanctified Life and Its Reward
5. 'The Comfortable Assurance of Our Salvation' - A Search for Certainty
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index