Richard Hooker and Anglican Moral Theology (Hardcover)

Richard Hooker (1554-1600) is often credited with being the founding father of Anglican moral theology. This book is the first major study to examine in depth the extent to which this claim is justified and to evaluate the nature of Hooker s contribution to this aspect of Anglican tradition. The study roots Hooker firmly within his own historical context and considers his text principally on its own terms; thus it avoids many of the problems that have bedevilled modern Hooker scholarship particularly where attempts have been made to claim him for one particular theological tradition over another or to approach his work primarily with an eye to its continued relevance to contemporary debate within Anglicanism both of which can lead to significant distortions in the way in which Hooker is read and interpreted. What emerges amounts to a significant re-evaluation of much of the conventional wisdom about Hooker s place within Anglicanism as well as a range of original insights into the nature content and style of his work and its wider significance.