The Central figure in this thesis is William Gurnall M.A. (Cambridge) who lived from 1616 to 1679. He was the Rector of the Lavenham Parish church for 35 years, 1644/45-1679. He was one of the few Puritans who remained in the Established Church after the 1662 Act of Uniformity had been promulgated. His 'The Christian in Complete Armour' is one of the greatest practical-pastoral works to come from the pen of any Puritan. It is firmly based on Calvinistic theological principles. While holding common beliefs in many areas, Gurnall nevertheless was at odds with his fellow Puritans over certain crucial issues that directly affected his attitude to the Puritan revolution. His analysis of the person, being, nature, wiles, strategies and weapons of the Christian's great enemy and description of the Christian's resources such as the role of the shield of faith in its multiple uses, which constitute an important contribution to pastoral theory and practice are shown to arise out of Gurnall's theological stance, his own personal history, the history of East Anglia and of Lavenham in particular; his reflections on the 'Days of Great Confusions' and his deep concern for the breakdown in orderly society and the decline of genuine piety in the church. Basically we will concentrate on three issues: First. The real nature and locus of the Christian's spiritual warfare. Second. -- The means used for his investigation, namely, an examination of the person, power, methods and wiles of the Christian's great enemy and the vital role of the shield of faith. -- Third. His conclusions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:1223 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Van Zyl, Frederick William James |
| Publisher | Rhodes University, Faculty of Divinity, Divinity |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MA |
| Format | 183 leaves, pdf |
| Rights | Van Zyl, Frederick William James |
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