Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity

The great Elizabethan divine Richard Hooker has occupied a prominent place in the intellectual history of the Church of England and sixteenth-century Protestantism but his wider significance has often been neglected. In his introduction to this selection of books from Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, Professor McGrade demonstrates clearly the continued relevance and importance of the particular politico-religious project Hooker undertook and shows that The Laws offer far more than simply an apologia for the Elizabethan religious settlement. The text of this version is based on the authoritative Folger edition and presents those sections of The Laws most important to an understanding of Hooker’s wider aims and context.

Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Principal dates in Hooker\'s life and in the publication of his work; Bibliographical note; The text and notes of this edition; Part I. Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity; Part II. The First Book; Part III. The Eighth Book; A guide to Hooker\'s sources and to the Elizabethan debate about religion and society; Index of scriptural citations; Index of persons; Subject index.