Prolegomena

Abstract

After giving a brief biographical sketch of the life and work of John Davenant, this chapter explores the various secondary literature regarding Davenant and hypothetical universalism. This survey of literature looks not only at a vast array of writings on hypothetical universalism but also at the many misinterpretations of Davenant’s hypothetical universalism. This chapter also examines an assortment of important terms relative to this thesis. It includes an investigation into the various early modern language of what historians of theology have called hypothetical universalism. Finally, this chapter gives an outline of each chapter making up the rest of the study.