Richard Hooker and the Vision of God

Charles Miller's rigorous and sensitive examination of Richard Hooker's theology makes a valuable addition to the field of study of the cleric, one of the founding theologians of modern Anglicanism. Miller examines Hooker's works in detail, leading the reader through different facets of his vision of God: creation, Scripture, the sacraments, and practices of Christian devotion. Hooker's theology challenges an increasingly time-bound, relativistic approach to doctrine and truth; his sources were as wide, as ancient, and as modern as Hooker could make them. Miller's thoughtful analysis is informed throughout by an understanding of the context of Hooker's theological development against the backdrop of continental Calvinism and the remnants of Roman Catholicism in England. The growth of interest in Hooker among specialists has been accompanied by an abandonment of the serious study of Hooker's thought among theological students, clergy and theologians. Miller's work addresses this lack; Hooker's insights must not be forgotten in the daily distribution of theological food to Christian people. A study which attunes readers to Hooker's particular theological 'voice' and teaches its value both in his own context and as a present-day interlocutor, this volume will be of great interest to Christians and theological students alike.

Charles Miller is an Anglican priest who, having received his doctorate in theology from Oxford University, has taught theology, Anglican studies and spirituality in seminaries and universities in the United States and the UK. He has a special interest in twentieth-century Orthodox theology and ecumenical issues, and is a member of the Art & Christianity Enquiry. His books include: 'Toward A Fuller Vision: Orthodoxy and the Anglican Experience', 'Praying the Eucharist: Reflections on the Eucharistic Experience of God', and 'For the Gift of the World: An Introduction to the Theology of Dumitru Staniloae'. Since 2006 he has been Team Rector of Abingdon and Vicar of St Helen's Church in the Diocese of Oxford.