The Lord reigns supreme : an investigation on Stephen Charnock's exegetical, doctrinal, and practical theology concerning the existence and the attributes of God

Abstract

This research explores the method and theological content in Stephen Charnock’s discourses on the attributes and the existence of God with the intention to determine whether this material is structured upon the influence of the scholastic method. This is accomplished (1) by locating Charnock within his own academic and historical context and by interpreting his works according to the theological genre to which they belong, (2) by identifying the conceptual and methodological presuppositions that framed the discourses, (3) by examining and accounting for the order of exposition found in the discourses, and (4) by performing a descriptive analysis of the material seeking to identify traces of the scholastic method and style of argumentation. The findings of this investigation indicate that Charnock’s discourses are theological sermons primarily intended for homiletical purposes and yet organised and reasoned per the scholastic method.