Finding Locke's God

The portrait of John Locke as a secular advocate of Enlightenment rationality has been deconstructed by the recent 'religious turn' in Locke scholarship. This book takes an important next step: moving beyond the 'religious turn' and establishing a 'theological turn' Nathan Guy argues that John Locke ought to be viewed as a Christian political philosopher whose political theory was firmly rooted in the moderating Latitudinarian theology of the seventeenth-century.<br/> <br/>Nestled between the secular political philosopher and the Christian public theologian stands Locke the Christian political philosopher whose arguments not only self-consciously depend upon Christian assumptions but also offer a decidedly Christian theory of government. <i>Finding Locke's God</i> identifies three theological pillars crucial to Locke's political theory: (1) a biblical depiction of God (2) the law of nature rooted in a doctrine of creation and (3) acceptance of divine revelation in scripture. As a result Locke's political philosophy brings forth theologically-rich aims while seeking to counter or disarm threats such as atheism hyper-Calvinism and religious enthusiasm. <br/><br/>Bringing these items together Nathan Guy demonstrates how each pillar supports Locke's Latitudinarian political philosophy and provides a better understanding of how he grounds his notions of freedom equality and religious toleration. Convincingly argued and meticulously researched this book offers an exciting new direction for Locke studies.