A Treatise on True Theology with the Life of Franciscus Junius (Junius)

Franciscus Junius (1545–1602) was an influential pastor and professor during the developmental years of Reformed orthodoxy. As a skilled linguist, biblical exegete, and theologian, Junius shaped the Reformed tradition in profound ways.Junius’s Treatise on True Theology is a scholastic introduction to the discipline of theology. He reflects on the definition of theology, where it comes from, and the variety of modes it takes. This book set a lasting pattern for many Reformed theologians in their approach to dogmatics, establishing a benchmark for theological prolegomena for years to come. Accompanying this work is The Life of Franciscus Junius, which provides an autobiographical account of the tumultuous days of Junius’s life and the complex circumstances that the Reformed churches faced during the French and Spanish wars of religion.Although Junius’s significance in the history of Protestant theology is increasingly valued by historians, most of his impressive body of works is not available to English-speaking readers. David C. Noe’s fine translation of these two important writings will certainly rectify this deficit. Readers are further aided by Willem van Asselt’s valuable introductory essay, which offers a scholarly perspective on the treatise and on Junius’s life and work in the context of the rise of Reformed scholasticism and orthodoxy.Table of Contents:The Life of Franciscus JuniusPrefaceThe Life of Franciscus JuniusThe Death of Master Franciscus JuniusA Treatise on True TheologyPrefaceThirty-Nine Theses Are Demonstrated in this Treatise1. Whether True Theology Exists2. What Theology Is3. How Many Parts Theology Contains4. Archetypal Theology5. What Ectypal Theology Is, and in How Many Parts It Consists6. The Theology of Union in Christ7. The Theology of Vision in the Heavens8. The Theology of Revelation in This Life9. In How Many Parts the Mode of Communicating Theology Exists10. Natural Theology11. Supernatural Theology12. What Theology Stated Absolutely Is13. The Material Cause of Our Theology14. The Formal Cause of Our Theology15. The Efficient Cause of Our Theology16. The End of Our Theology17. Theology in the Subject18. The Conclusion of the Work