Richard Hooker (2) (1554–1600)
Author of Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought)
For other authors named Richard Hooker, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Richard Hooker was born around March 1554 in Exeter, England. Born of a humble family, Hooker was able to attend Oxford University due to his patron, John Jewel. He took holy orders in 1581, becoming a clergyman in the Church of England. In 1585 he was named master of the Temple, a position he held show more until 1591. He married in 1588 and eventually moved in with his father-in-law, where he began writing his major work. Hooker's masterpiece, an eight-volume set called Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity, recounts the strife involving the admonition controversy, a doctrine calling for radical reforms in the Church of England. Hooker's work is a reply to the admonition controversy and to the Roman Catholic Church where he defended the current state of the Anglican church. Hooker generally allowed the scripture to speak for itself concerning his views of the church, but he also relied on tradition and common sense. Richard Hooker became vicar of Bishopsbourne in 1595. Some feel that while he drew his salary as the vicar, he actually allowed a lesser clergyman to perform his duties, a practice known as pluralism. He died there on November 2, 1600. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Richard Hooker
Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought) (1989) 108 copies
Richard Hooker of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (Book 5) Vol. 2 (Everyman's Library 202, Vol. 2) (2012) 46 copies
Radicalism: When Reform Becomes Revolution (The Preface to Hooker's Laws: A Modernization) (2016) 33 copies
The Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and other works, Volume 1 (2010) 29 copies
The Folger Library Edition of the Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity, Preface Books I-IV, and V (Two Volumes) (1977) 21 copies, 1 review
Law and Revelation: Richard Hooker and His Writings (Canterbury Studies in Spiritual Theology) (2009) 19 copies
The Word of God and the Words of Man (Books II and III of Hooker's Laws: A Modernization) (2018) 19 copies
In Defense of Reformed Catholic Worship (Book IV of Hooker's Laws: A Modernization) (2018) 18 copies
The Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and other works, Volume 2: Worship (2010) 13 copies
Of the laws of ecclesiastical polity: And other works by and about Mr. Richard Hooker (1994) 12 copies
Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity: Books VI, VII, VIII (Volume III) (The Folger Library Edition of The Works of Richard Hooker) (1981) 12 copies, 1 review
The Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and other works, Vol. 3 (2010) 11 copies
The Word Made Flesh for Us: A Treatise on Christology and the Sacraments from Hooker's Law (2024) 10 copies
Folger Library Edition of the Works of Richard Hooker, Vol. 5: Tractates and Sermons (1990) 5 copies
Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity: Attack and Response (Volume IV) (The Folger Library Edition of The Works of Richard Hooker) (1982) 5 copies
The Works Of That Learned And Judicious Divine, Mr. Richard Hooker: With An Account Of His Life And Death, Volume 1 (2012) 4 copies
The Works Of Mr. Richard Hooker V2: In Eight Books Of The Laws Of Ecclesiastical Polity With Several Other Treatises And A General Index (2006) 4 copies
The works of that learned and judicious divine, Mr. Richard Hooker : with an account of his life and death Volume 3 (2024) 3 copies
The Works Of Mr. Richard Hooker V1: In Eight Books Of The Laws Of Ecclesiastical Polity With Several Other Treatises And A General Index (2006) 3 copies
The Works Of Mr. Richard Hooker V3: In Eight Books Of The Laws Of Ecclesiastical Polity With Several Other Treatises And A General Index (2006) 3 copies
The Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and other works: Volume 1 3 copies
Complete Works, 3 vols. 2 copies
The works of ... Richard Hooker. To which is prefixed the life of the author, by I. Walton (2018) 1 copy
A house for the word : a treatise on public worship from the fifth book of Of the laws of ecclesiastical polity (2025) 1 copy
Richard Hooker 1 copy
Of the lawes of ecclesiastical politie, eight bookes. [With a preface by J. S., i.e. John Spencer.] 1 copy
Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity and Other Works By and About Richard Hooker (Vol. 3) (1994) 1 copy
Theology and Philosophy 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Hooker, Richard
- Other names
- Hooker, Rev. Richard
- Birthdate
- 1554-03-25
- Date of death
- 1600-11-03
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Corpus Christi College, Oxford
- Occupations
- Anglican priest
Subdean of Salisbury Cathedral
theologian - Organizations
- Church of England
- Short biography
- Richard Hooker (25 March 1554 – 2 November 1600) was an English priest in the Church of England and an influential theologian. He was one of the most important English theologians of the sixteenth century. His defence of the role of redeemed reason informed the theology of the seventeenth-century Caroline Divines and later provided many members of the Church of England with a theological method which combined the claims of revelation, reason and tradition.
- Cause of death
- natural causes
- Nationality
- England
- Birthplace
- Heavitree, Exeter, Devon, England
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Place of death
- Bishopsbourne, Kent, England, UK
- Burial location
- Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Bishopsbourne, Kent, England
- Map Location
- UK
Members
Reviews
The Folger Library Edition of the Works of Richard Hooker: Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity, Preface Books I-IV, and V (Two Volumes) by Richard Hooker
Read: The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.
The Laws are intended to lay down proper principles of interpreting Scripture in terms of both Christian liberty and sanctified reason, and deepened my understanding of how we are both bound and free in those respects. Hooker explains how the Church is bound by the teaching of the Bible in matters of doctrine and morals, but also free to express herself in matters of worship and polity while refraining from anarchy or libertinism.
As for reason, we've show more all heard about the so-called "three-legged stool" with equal and opposing legs, but a close reading of Hooker shows that his formula is a catena, a chain composed of Scripture > Reason > Tradition, and that the link in the chain we call reason is not that of Descartes nor of 'common sense' but more accurately echoes credo ut intelligam—reason doesn't function independently in terms of authority, and Scripture alone is normative.
Essential "ad fontes" reading for Anglicans and those Protestants interested in the history of the Church of England, 16th-century magisterial Protestant theology, and the history of authority and interpretation. show less
The Laws are intended to lay down proper principles of interpreting Scripture in terms of both Christian liberty and sanctified reason, and deepened my understanding of how we are both bound and free in those respects. Hooker explains how the Church is bound by the teaching of the Bible in matters of doctrine and morals, but also free to express herself in matters of worship and polity while refraining from anarchy or libertinism.
As for reason, we've show more all heard about the so-called "three-legged stool" with equal and opposing legs, but a close reading of Hooker shows that his formula is a catena, a chain composed of Scripture > Reason > Tradition, and that the link in the chain we call reason is not that of Descartes nor of 'common sense' but more accurately echoes credo ut intelligam—reason doesn't function independently in terms of authority, and Scripture alone is normative.
Essential "ad fontes" reading for Anglicans and those Protestants interested in the history of the Church of England, 16th-century magisterial Protestant theology, and the history of authority and interpretation. show less
I: Books I-IV 1977 xxxviii, 372
II: Book V 1977 lvi, 552
III: Books VI, VII, VIII 1981 lxxvii, 644
IV: Attack and Response 1982 l, 274
V: Tractates and Sermons 1990 xl, 926
VI/1: Commentary Upon Books I-IV 1993 xxx, 652
VI/2: Commentary Upon Books V-VIII 1993 vii, 653-1247
VII: Index of Names and Works 1998 xv, 272
II: Book V 1977 lvi, 552
III: Books VI, VII, VIII 1981 lxxvii, 644
IV: Attack and Response 1982 l, 274
V: Tractates and Sermons 1990 xl, 926
VI/1: Commentary Upon Books I-IV 1993 xxx, 652
VI/2: Commentary Upon Books V-VIII 1993 vii, 653-1247
VII: Index of Names and Works 1998 xv, 272
The works of that learned and judicious divine, Mr. Richard Hooker : with an account of his life and death by Isaac Walton / arranged by John Keble by Richard Hooker
2 v. Vol. 1 is third American ed.; vol. 2 is first American ed.Ex-lib. Berkeley Divinity School
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Western Canon (1)
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Statistics
- Works
- 83
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 826
- Popularity
- #30,877
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 3
- ISBNs
- 177
- Languages
- 7