On the Nature and Kingdom of God: The Theological Manuscripts of James Ussher

“Harrison Perkins’ translation and edition of Ussher’s theological manuscripts is a remarkable feat of textual and linguistic scholarship, bringing to light invaluable contributions to seventeenth-century theological debate. More than a recovery of historical texts, this volume offers a masterclass in the careful handling of theological “influence” and provides a model for thinking critically and constructively about the circulation of ideas in the early modern world.”

“Harrison Perkins has produced a highly significant study of the theological work of James Ussher by way of a critical text and translation of Ussher’s previously unpublished early theological lectures and of an early draft of the Irish Articles. Perkins’s examination of the early lectures (Summary of Theology) establishes convincingly Ussher’s authorship of the 1645 Body of Divinity and Perkins’ work of analysis also establishes Ussher’s work as a major background to the theology of the Westminster Assembly. This volume is a highly important contribution to our understanding of early seventeenth-century theological developments and a superbly executed edition and examination of the documents.”

“James Ussher was a seventeenth-century theological titan whose theological writing was passed around the Westminster assembly during its many long meetings. Even though Ussher was a royalist, the Westminster divines had great respect for Ussher’s work. Harrison Perkins has therefore done the church a great service by mining the archives of Oxford University to present a fresh translation of some of Ussher’s lost but now found works. Not only do these manuscripts provide readers with a window into theology of one of the seventeenth-century’s greatest theological minds, but they also rest in a cradle of Perkins’s expert editorial energies that provide context, commentary, and clarity for the reader. Anyone who loves classic Reformed theology will want to read, study, and ruminate upon this old but nevertheless new treasure.”

“Harrison Perkins has put us all in his debt with this outstanding critical edition of the theological manuscripts of James Ussher, archbishop of Armagh (1625-1654). Perkins has already rescued Ussher from relative obscurity and revealed him to have been one of the foremost theologians of Reformed Christianity in his day. In this volume he makes generally accessible for the first time the hitherto unpublished texts of Ussher’s theological work, a great body of material that has been too-often unconsulted even by Ussher researchers. This book consolidates Perkins’ standing as the foremost scholar of Ussher’s theology, and it is sure to inspire greater interest in the field. ”

“James Ussher was quite the anomaly for his time and place; thoroughly Reformed in doctrine, he nevertheless supported episcopal ecclesiology and has the distinction of being one of the few Puritan-minded divines who served as an archbishop. Until now, his influence upon post-Reformation Reformed orthodoxy—and particularly upon the proceedings, debates, and confessional drafts of the Westminster Assembly—has been largely underestimated. Painstakingly transcribed and translated from handwritten manuscripts housed in the archives at Oxford University and Trinity College Dublin, three of Ussher’s landmark (and hitherto unpublished) summaries of the Christian faith are now accessible to scholars, pastors, and theologians—notes from his theological lectures, his early draft of the Irish Articles, and his highly influential pair of catechisms (The Principles of Christian Religion). This work is a masterpiece of fine scholarship, evidencing both the brilliance of Archbishop Ussher, as well as the skill of Harrison Perkins in collating, translating, contextualizing, commenting upon, and footnoting some of Ussher’s most significant but most ignored writings. With the publication of this magisterial critical edition, it is no exaggeration to say that the field of Ussher studies will never be the same.”

“James Ussher is increasingly recognised as one of the intellectual giants of the Seventeenth Century. With this fine edition and translation of several key manuscript sources, Perkins has made a significant and welcome contribution to the ongoing reassessment of Ussher's work. James Ussher is increasingly recognised as one of the intellectual giants of the Seventeenth Century. With this fine edition and translation of several key manuscript sources, Perkins has made a significant and welcome contribution to the ongoing reassessment of Ussher's work.”

“Archbishop Ussher was among the more significant influences upon the development of Reformed theology in the seventeenth century. Thus, it behooves students of Reformed theology to become familiar with Ussher’s life and work. To that end this volume makes a most valuable contribution both by presenting, in Latin and English, hitherto unpublished along with essays exploring and settling significant questions regarding the authorship of the Body of Divinity and his relationship to the Westminster Assembly. This volume commends itself as essential to all serious students of the history of Reformed theology.”

“Westminster Abbey enshrines many of England’s most celebrated kings, queens, poets, and scientists—but few of its great theologians. James Ussher is an exception. Buried with royalty by Cromwell’s command, his simple yet elegant black ledgerstone lies off in the corner, its bronze lettering worn down by passersby drawn to the grander monuments above. So too, in the annals of Reformed Orthodoxy and the Westminster Divines, Ussher remains in the shadowy corner. Harrison Perkins masterfully corrects this oversight, bringing Ussher into the light with scholarly rigor, penetrating insight, and meticulous research—granting him the long-overdue focus he deserves.”

“James Ussher was one of the most brilliant and influential theologians in seventeenth-century England and Ireland. This edition of some of his previously inaccessible work shows how his views changed over time and how they contributed to construction of Reformed orthodoxy. This edition, superbly edited by Harrison Perkins, is a landmark contribution to the study of early modern protestant dogmatics.”

“Few figures in the history of Reformed theology and ministry rival Ussher for relative neglect. The amount of attention his work has received, both academically and otherwise, is wildly out of accord with his importance in his own day and, arguably, in our own. Thankfully, this oversight is being remedied, and Dr. Perkins and Westminster Seminary Press are to be thanked and congratulated for this substantial contribution to Ussher literature. These documents are not only theologically rich and historically important; they also serve effectively to guide current interest in the remarkable revival of Reformed Anglican traditions of prayer and preaching among Anglicans, Presbyterians, and more. Ussher stands as a compelling illustration of the vitality of historic Reformed Anglicanism in its positive relation to confessional Reformed and Westminster presbyterian traditions and in contradistinction with the allure (for some) of Anglo-Catholicism. I commend this carefully compiled and annotated collection with enthusiasm.”