This study is concerned with the development of a distinct and coherent tradition of thought on the Trinity in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The strength of this tradition was such that, in a significant number of cases, it actually prevented theologians from being able to see the real issues before them. When theologians in the thirteenth century come to put forward their interpretations of the statement on the Trinity issued by the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, they are severely hampered in their ability to do so because of their preoccupation with an argument about the divine essence which is, at the most, tangential in the Lateran decree itself. Their interpretations are so wide of the mark as to constitute nothing less than a case of collective misunderstanding. This raises questions about rationality and hermeneutics which are not as easily answerable as they first appear. The difficulty arises because it is just possible to discern a conceptual link between the skewed interpretation offered by these theologians and the issues addressed in the Lateran decree as they appear to us today. It is almost as if theologians considered their version to be legitimate because they saw an intrinsic link between the issues of divine unity and divine generation, the main concerns of the decree and academic theologians respectively. What gives credence to this possibility is that these issues were themselves often inseparable in the development of trinitarian theology in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Much of the coherence of the tradition of academic theology of the Trinity derived from a recurrent preoccupation with the question of whether the divine essence begets. In certain crucial instances, the answer to this question was determined with reference to the doctrine of divine unity. The idea was that the generation of the essence would impair irretrievably the absolute unity of essence which was beginning to emerge as the dominant view of divine unity. The Lateran Council's statement on the doctrine can only be understood within this wider theological context. It is no longer possible to attribute this statement to Pope Innocent III's wish to bolster the authority of Peter Lombard. Innocent himself borrowed from Joachim's trinitarian theology, making it almost inconceivable that he would have later wished to condemn the same theologian. Only by giving less attention to the personalities involved and more to the issues themselves can we realise the full significance of the theological controversies of this period.

This thesis investigates the theory and practice of episcopal government in the English Church between 1603 and 1625. The source material consists of the records of seventeen diocesan archives in the province of Canterbury, in conjunction with primary printed and manuscript sources, such as sermons, theological treatises and polemics, and, where appropriate, the records of central ecclesiastical and secular government. It is proposed that the dominant image and practice was of the bishop as preaching pastor. The exemplar of the Apostolic bishop, which was set out in Pauline writings, could not be easily adapted to the realities of seventeenth century church government. Not merely had the episcopal office accumulated a series of non-pastoral functions, but its government also had a primarily judicial character. Nevertheless it is argued that, as a group the Jacobean episcopate managed to incorporate many aspects of the Pastoral ideal of St. Paul into their diocesan rule. Most bishops resided in their sees, attended their visitations in person, took a part in the running of their consistory courts, preached fairly regularly and supervised the clergy entrusted to their care. Extraneous circumstances helped to provide the right conditions in which this pastoral government could flourish. The divisive issue of ceremonial nonconformity, which could so easily sour relations between the bishop and his flock was largely stilled by James I's accommodating attitude to 'moderate' nonconformists and the consequent de facto toleration of occasional conformity. The King also supported the proselytising mission of the Church, and he restrained the hostility of Arminian prelates both to excessive preaching and to ceremonial nonconformity. This thesis, in short, seeks to demonstrate the strength and vitality of the Pastoral ideal among the Jacobean episcopate.

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This thesis consists of seven chapters focusing chiefly on the Arabian Mission and its activities in the Arabian Gulf region. It begins with a first chapter briefly describing Arabia and its people; and since the missionaries of the Arabian Mission went to the region with the idea that Arabia was once influenced by Christianity and with the aim of regaining it, this chapter deals also with the influence of Christianity on Arabia from the earliest times. It also discusses the impact of Islam. In addition it discusses modern times and the attempts on their relationship with the growing imperialism of the Western powers, and the way in which this imperial expansion helped the missionaries to reach many remote areas, among which was the Arabian Gulf. Chapter II gives a survey of the Arabian Mission, its birth and plan of work, and the opening of its stations and substations, with some account of the difficulties which faced the Mission in its earlier years. This chapter also deals with the contact of the Moslems of the Gulf with East Africa. In Chapter III there is an attempt to discuss and survey the Mission's medical approach to evangelisation, this being the main way in which it attempted to preach the Gospel. Chapter III begins with some account of the health of the people in the region before the Mission came. Chapter IV discusses another of the Mission's evangelistic methods, education, and it begins with the concept of missionarr education and Islamic education, then gives some idea of educational conditions in the region in the past. Chapter V deals with the centrally important activity of the Mission, its evangelism, in the context of the Bible-shops, hospitals and dispensaries, and the Churches. The tours made by the missionaries are discussed, and the kind of personal contact made with the natives. Chapter VI analyses the political involvement of the Mission, giving some idea of the relationship between the Missionary work and imperialist expansion. There is a discussion of the relationship between the Mission and the political powers in the region : the Ottoman authorities, the British, the American Consulates and the local governments. Finally, in Chapter VII, an attempt is made to consider three important questions: What firstly has the Arabian Mission accomplished? Secondly, what are the prospects for a dialogue between Christians and Moslems - what are the motives for such a dialogue, and what the obstacles facing it? Thirdly what is the future of missionary work in general and particularly in Arabia? This last question is considered from the missionaries' point of view and from the point of view of the Moslem inhabitants of the region, and not least, finally from the author's own point of view.

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