Thomas Boston (1676-1732) as preacher of the Fourfold state
Thomas Boston is best known for his pastoral labours in the Scottish border parish of Ettrick, for his defence of the The Marrow of Modern Divinity during the Marrow Controversy (1717-1722), and for his collection of sermons entitled Human Nature in its Fourfold State (1720). The thesis attempts to provide fresh insight into Boston's work in four ways. First, it satisfies the need for a critical analysis sensitive to the homiletical genre of his writings. It is unified not so much by a single argument about his theology as by a single perspective -- Boston as preacher -- from which his theology should be understood. Second, the structure of the thesis is governed by the structure the Fourfold State inherited and developed from Augustine's distinction between grace posse non peccare and non posse peccare: innocence, nature, grace, and eternity. Among the more important reasons for selecting the work for this purpose are the centrality of its major themes to Boston's preaching as a whole and its status as the most frequently published Scottish book of the eighteenth century. Third, it aims to read the Fourfold State against the fullest possible background of Boston's sources, locating the sermons within the
Ryken, Philip Graham
Philosophy
Thomas Boston (1676-1732) as preacher of the Fourfold state. Thomas Boston is best known for his pastoral labours in the Scottish border parish of Ettrick, for his defence of the The Marrow of Modern Divinity during the Marrow Controversy (1717-1722), and for his collection of sermons entitled Human Nature in its Fourfold State (1720). The thesis attempts to provide fresh insight into Boston's work in four ways. First, it satisfies the need for a critical analysis sensitive to the homiletical genre of his writings. It is unified not so much by a single argument about his theology as by a single perspective -- Boston as preacher -- from which his theology should be understood. Second, the structure of the thesis is governed by the structure the Fourfold State inherited and developed from Augustine's distinction between grace posse non peccare and non posse peccare: innocence, nature, grace, and eternity. Among the more important reasons for selecting the work for this purpose are the centrality of its major themes to Boston's preaching as a whole and its status as the most frequently published Scottish book of the eighteenth century. Third, it aims to read the Fourfold State against the fullest possible background of Boston's sources, locating the sermons within the
thomas boston preacher fourfold state thomas boston best_know pastoral labour scottish_border parish defence modern divinity controversy collection sermon entitle human nature fourfold state attempt_provide fresh_insight boston work way first satisfies need critical_analysis sensitive genre writing unified much single argument theology single perspective boston preacher theology understood second structure govern structure fourfold state inherit developed augustine distinction grace posse non non posse innocence nature grace eternity among_important reason select work purpose centrality major_theme boston preach whole status frequently publish scottish book third_aim read fourfold state full possible background boston source locate sermon within