" . . . full of interest on every page and,as usual with whatever he writes, Professor Sell brings out the relevance of his subjects to contemporary issues." -Faith and Freedom (Faith and Freedom )
"The result is a most scholarly volume which, if most accessible to historians of ideas and far stronger on text than content, will be an important addition to the existing literature of British religious thought." -British Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies (British Journal for Eighteenth Century Studies )
"Firmly grounded in the author's deep theological and historical knowledge, and based on prodigious reading . . ." -British Journal for the History of Philosophy (British Journal for the History of Philosophy )
"As one would expect from Sell, the scholarly breadth is impressive, the judgements invariably acute . . . a formidably learned and judicious achievement." -Journal of Ecclesiastical History (Journal of Ecclesiastical History )
"The scholarship and research that has gone into this volume is truly amazing." -Irish Theological Quarterly (Irish Theological Quarterly )
"This book is a tour de force by one of contemporary Britain''s most versatile theologians . . . an extremely important contribution to the study of a period of church history and doctrine that can easily be overlooked." -Epworth Review (Epworth Review )
"His thoroughness is impressive . . . the book is the product of prodigious reading. . . . To have packed so much into one volume is a great achievement." -Enlightenment and Dissent (Enlightenment and Dissent )
"The work is extremely thorough . . . This width of investigation is equally balanced by a judiciousness of interpretation, which suggests that a re-evaluation of this topic will not be needed for a long time to come." -The Evangelical Quarterly (The Evangelical Quarterly )
"This book, which is the result of extensive and meticulous research, performs a most important service for all of us interested in the proper estimate of the legacy of the Enlightenment in the philosophy of religion. It should be read by all those seriously interested in Locke, whether they are concerned with philosophy of religion, or not . . . an indispensable work of reference . . . it deserves very wide use . . .it must be emphasised how much it adds to our understanding of Locke''s teachings and motives in a way that no more narrowly-focused study could have achieved." -Philosophical Books (Philosophical Books )
"Sell''s book is a thorough, insightful study of how Locke''s thought was received by and influenced theologians in his own time and throughout the eighteenth century. Sell''s purpose in this study is not only to investigate Locke''s reception and influence in the eighteenth century but also to articulate questions posed by this Locke-influenced tradition for contemporary Christian apologetics. Sell concludes that Locke and the eighteenth-century divines have bequeathed to us important questions about the place of reason in religion and about such central Christian doctrines as the doctrine of the Trinity, the person of Christ, the atonement, and the last things . . . This book''s greatest strength is its methodical uncovering of how various eighteenth-century theologians responded to and were influenced by Locke''s thought on a variety of important topics. Sell has surveyed a vast literature and made it accessible to those who want to know how Locke was received during his career and in the century that followed. The book also provides helpful insights into the continuing value of many of the issues Locke addressed." -Calvin Theological Journal (Calvin Theological Journal )
". . . learned and acute . . ." -Journal of Religious History (Journal of Religious History ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
John Locke (1632-1704) has been lauded as the most influential English philosopher. This book provides the first detailed account of the influence of John Locke upon the religious thinkers of the eighteenth century, and discusses the implications for Christian apologetics. Locke set out to discover the limits of human understanding, and in the course of his discussion considered such matters as reason, revelation, faith and enthusiasm. His practical interests were strong, and when considering how we ought to live he appealed to the Bible and especially to the teaching and example of Christ. He also paraphrased a number of Paul's epistles, endeavouring to grasp the apostle's message as a whole, setting his face against `proof-texting' attempts to support particular theological systems. Such an author could not fail to have an impact upon the religious writers who came after him. Many responded to Locke, but as Professor Sell shows, the responses were varied: some were enthusiastic, others hostile, many qualified. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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