This thesis is a study of some hitherto unexplored aspects of James Martineau's life and thought, based on his published works, his unpublished 'Biographical Memoranda', and some unpublished letters in Manchester College, Oxford. The introduction briefly describes the principal existing studies of Martineau, and points out the neglected areas of his thought, concerning his emergence as a theologian, his Christology, and his doctrine of the Church. The first section traces the main influences upon Martineau's religious thought, in particular those of Lant Carpenter, Joseph Blanco White, Immanuel Kant, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and those of his ministerial colleagues. Included in this section is an account of his major theological controversies. This is followed by a discussion of Martineau's doctrine of Christ. It deals with his rejection of orthodox Christology and gives a detailed account of his alternative Christology, based on the notion of God as spirit, filling and Inspiring Jesus. The thesis argues that it Is Important to know what Martineau taught about Christ to understand his interaction with nineteenth-century Unitarianism, and that without his high doctrine of Christ Martineau's influence outside Unitarianism would have been reduced. The third section deals with Martineau's doctrine of the Church as an inclusive society centred on Christ. The thesis examines his belief that doctrines are only approximations of an eternal reality, and his view that a truly catholic church should embrace a wide variety of opinion. His views on church unity, the Ministry and church organisation are also examined: It is argued that although many of Martineau's formal ideas were rejected, he did affect the emphasis of English Liberal Dissent. The -thesis maintains that Martineau's religious thought was influenced by those from a wide variety of traditions and not just by Unitarians; and that his Christology and his doctrine of the Church were more Important than have been previously supposed. The 'Biographical Memoranda' and the unpublished letters in Manchester College are printed as Appendix A and Appendix B.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:325938 |
| Date | January 1986 |
| Creators | Waller, Ralph |
| Publisher | King's College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/james-martineau--his-emergence-as-a-theologian-his-christology-and-his-doctrine-of-the-church-with-some-unpublished-papers(c5977cff-abdc-42ed-ace7-2e765d874cc4).html |
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