The Soteriology of James Ussher

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 ageneral 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 ofseventeenth-century Reformed theology in the British Isles.

“"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”

"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, andsheds 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 theso-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 ofEarly 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-centuryCalvinism." --Alan Ford, Professor of Theology, University of Nottingham

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.

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.

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