ABSTRACT
Theological biographies can only tell us so much about theological culture: one might always question the typicality of one’s sources and, indeed, it is fair to say that individuals are most often written about because they are in some way unusual, and thus particularly interesting. The subjects covered so far in this book were all remarkable in one way or another – Perkins for the completeness of his predestinarian worldview, Greenham and Rogers for their pioneering pastoral methods, Wilson for his rare soteriological emphases and Sanderson for the contrast between his own theology and the regime that he sought (up to a point) to defend. For these sorts of sketches to achieve a sense of proportion we must look at the wider trends. My decision, though, to begin with a study of particular predestinarians was, I trust, a sound one, because when we study the ‘history of ideas’ we always need to remember that these ideas do not exist except in the minds of individuals: it is too easy implicitly to reify concepts and ignore the importance of personality and intention when the question turns to the ‘big debates’ about the theological character of the Church of England or the social functions of predestinarian ideas. This chapter attempts to build on the preceding case studies. I will explore how some of the ideas and formulations already presented became consolidated into more widespread pastoral themes, and also highlight the ways in which predestinarian preaching cohered around certain core emphases while showing significant diversity over other matters.
