John Davenant’s Covenant Theology
This chapter situates John Davenant’s covenant theology into his broader Reformed context. Against certain misinterpretations of Reformed covenant theology, and of Davenant in particular, this chapter shows that Davenant’s covenant theology—even as it was used to defend his hypothetical universalism—was not especially noteworthy relative to other Elizabethan Reformed theologians, nor to the broader European Reformed community. To that end, the chapter details how Davenant understood both the so-called covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Special focus is given to Davenant’s insistence on the universality of the covenant of grace and the role played by his doctrine of an absolute covenant, corresponding to predestination.