John Locke's 'Letters of Gold': Universal Priesthood and the English Dissenting Theologians, 1688-1789

by Malcolm B. Yarnell III

The doctrine of the universal priesthood has been understood in various ways throughout Christian history. Previous research has focused upon presentations of the doctrine during the Patristic and Reformation eras, but there has been no sustained consideration of the doctrine as interpreted during the Enlightenment. This lacuna in the literature is especially notable with regard to the Dissenters, many of whom became fervent advocates of the doctrine. The Enlightenment era seemed to re-orient the royal priesthood away from its covenantal context and toward a more individualistic understanding, but could this supposition be demonstrated?

56 pages, Paperback

Published October 19, 2019