Richard Hooker and Anglican Moral Theology - Hardcover

Discussions of Hooker's thought have burgeoned, but not all who have published on the subject are reliable guides. Alison Joyce is one who is: her book is a mandatory addition to any working library on Hooker and to our shelves of Anglican moral theology. (Paul Avis, Theology)

this book is an excellent work and must be consulted by anyone doing research in Hooker's theology. It is a substantial achievement. (Andre A. Gazal, Trinity Journal)

This book sets out to provide the first substantial study of Richard Hooker's moral theology, building on shorter studies of his work over the years ... Her analysis of his use of irony is excellent (Nigel Voak, Journal of Ecclesiastical History)

Joyce ... shows Hooker's continued relevance to religious life today and offers a major contribution to the understanding of the Polity that no serious scholar can ignore. (Michael Brydon, Journal of Theological Studies)

This is an excellent book. The title alone gives confidence ... (Robin Ward, New Directions)

A.J. Joyce has written what is undoubtedly the definitive work on Richard Hooker's moral theology, and it must surely remain so for many years to come. (Eric Woods, Faith and Worship)

Joyce illuminates Hooker's use of rhetoric, irony, and wit, his theological anthropology, and his understanding of scripture and of ethics, arguing throughout that Hooker's work needs a properly contextualised reading. (Revd Dr Edward Dowler, Church Times)

Richard Hooker (1554-1600) is often credited with being the founding father of Anglican moral theology. This book is the first major study to examine in depth the extent to which this claim is justified, and to evaluate the nature of Hooker's contribution to this aspect of Anglican tradition. The study roots Hooker firmly within his own historical context and considers his text principally on its own terms; thus it avoids many of the problems that have bedevilled modern Hooker scholarship, particularly where attempts have been made to 'claim' him for one particular theological tradition over another, or to approach his work primarily with an eye to its continued relevance to contemporary debate within Anglicanism, both of which can lead to significant distortions in the way in which Hooker is read and interpreted. What emerges amounts to a significant re-evaluation of much of the conventional wisdom about Hooker's place within Anglicanism, as well as a range of original insights into the nature, content, and style of his work and its wider significance.