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Christian Doctrine, or De Doctrina Christiana, is a Latin manuscript found in 1823 and is commonly attributed to John Milton. There are currently two translations of the work; Charles R. Sumner's and John Carey's.

The history and style of Christian Doctrine has created much controversy. Critics are unable to agree on the authority of the text based on its authorship, its production, and over its content.

Background

The only edition of Christian Doctrine was found in London's Old State Paper Office.^[1] The work was one of many in a bundle of state papers written by John Milton while he served as Secretary of Foreign Tongues under Oliver Cromwell. The manuscript was provided with an prefatory epistle that explains the background and history to the formation of the work. If it is correct, the manuscript is the same work refered to in Milton's Commonplace Book and to an account by Edward Phillips, Milton's nephew, of a theological "tracate".^[1]

The manuscript was the work of two people: Daniel Skinner and Jeremie Picard.^[2] Picard first copied the manuscript from previous works and Skinner prepared the work to be copied for typesetting, although there are a few unidentified editors who made changes to the manuscript.^[2]

After Milton died, Daniel Skinner was given possession of Christian Doctrine along with Milton's other manuscripts.^[3] In 1675, Skinner attempted to publish the work in Amsterdam, but it was rejected, and in 1677 he was pressured by the British government to hand over the document where it was then hidden.^[3]

However, there is a minority line of criticism that seeks to deny Christian Doctrine as a work produced by Milton.

Manuscript

The Christian Doctrine is divided into two books. The first book is then divided into 33 chapters and the second into 17.

The first part of the work appears to be "finished" because it is free of edits and the handwriting (Skinner's) is neat, whereas the second is filled with edits, corrections, and notes in the margins.^[4] The Skinner's incomplete fair copy has stirred controversy over the work, because it does not provide critics with the ability to determine what the fair copy was based on.^[5]

The manuscript itself is patterned off the theological treatises common to Milton's time, such as William Ames's Medulla Theologica and John Wolleb's Compendium Theologiae Christianae^[6] Although Milton refers to "forty-two works", of them many were "systematic theologies", in his various works, Christian Doctrine does not allude to them in the same way as he does in his political treatises.^[7] However, the actual pattern of discourse found within the treaty is modeled after Ames's and Wolleb's works even if the content is different.^[8]

Where Milton differs is in the use of scripture as evidence; Milton relies on scripture as the basis of his argument and keeps scripture in the center of his text, whereas, many other theological treatises keeps scriptural passages to the margins.^[9] In essence, as Lieb says, "Milton privileges the proof-text over that which is to be proven."^[10] Schwartz has gone so far as to claim that Milton "ransacked the whole Bible" and that Milton's own words are "squeezed out of his text."^[11] However, the actual "proof-texts" of the Bible used are various and there is not one version used in Milton's Latin citations.^[12]

Theology

Milton's approach to theology is deal directly with the Bible and use "the word of God" as his basis.^[13] Even though Milton relied on the pattern of "theological systems" of his day, he believed that there was a "progress" to relying on the Bible completely. ^[14]

Some critics have argued, and have been supported among the critical community, that Milton's theology is Arian.^[15]

Christian Doctrine

The first chapter of Christian Doctrine discusses the actual meaning of "Christian Doctrine." Milton claims that this "Christian Doctrine" needs to be understood before one can begin to talk about divinity and that the doctrine comes from Christ's communication to mankind about divinity.^[16] The doctrine requires humans to "come to terms with God's nature" and it comes from "the ever-abiding desire to celebrate [God's] glory because of his redemptive plan."^[17]

Milton's approach to Christian doctrine is not philosophical, and Milton does not attempt at "knowing" God.^[17] Instead, we have to find God "in the Holy Scriptures alone and with the Holy Spirit as guide."^[18] Milton grounds his message in Christian teaching when he says:

"I do not teach anything new in this work. I am only to assist the reader's memory by collecting together as it were, into a single book texts which are scattered here and there throughout the Bible, and by systematizing them under definite headings in order to make reference easy"^[18]

As such, Milton promotes the idea that his whole work comes only from the teachings of Christ, and that Christian doctrine can only come from Christ.^[19]

Milton's God

Milton's version of God is characterized by the darker aspects of deus absconditus.^[20] Milton's God is an "over-whelming force" that, in some of Milton's works, appears "as the embodiment of dread."^[20]

Critical response

In the mid 20th century, C. A. Patrides declared Christian Doctrine as a "theological labyrinth" and as "an abortive venture into theology."^[21]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Complete Poetry and Essential Prose Intro to Christian Doctrine
^ ^a ^b Lieb p. 18
^ ^a ^b Campbell et al.
^ Lieb p. 19-20
^ Lieb p. 20
^ Lieb p. 22
^ Kelley Prose 21, 22 note 25
^ Kelley p. 27;38
^ Lieb p. 41
^ Lieb p. 42
^ Schwartz p. 232
^ Lieb p. 44
^ Lieb p. 23
^ Lieb p. 23-24
^ Bauman
^ Lieb p. 45
^ ^a ^b Lieb p. 46
^ ^a ^b Christian Doctrine Ch. 1
^ Lieb p. 47
^ ^a ^b Lieb p. 8
^ Patrides p. 106;108

References

Bauman, Michael. Milton's Arianism. Peter Lang. 1987.
Campbell, Gordon, Thomas Corns, John Hale, David Holmes, and Fiona Tweedie. "The Provenance of De Doctrina Christiana," Milton Quarterly 31 (1997) pp. 67-117
Kelley, Maurice. This Great Argument. Gloucester, Mass.: P. Smith, 1962.
Lieb, Michael. Theological Milton: Deity, Discourse and Heresy in the Miltonic Canon. Pittsburg: Duquesne University Press. 2006. 348 pp.
Milton, John. The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose ed. William Kerrigan, John Rumrich, and Stephen Fallon. New York: The Modern Library. 2007. 1365 pp.
Milton, John. The Complete Prose Works of John Milton. Vol 6. Christian Doctrine ed. Maurice Kelley. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1953-1982.
Patrides, C. A. "Paradise Lost and the Language of Theology," Language and Style in Milton: A Symposium in Honor of the Tercentenary of "Paradise Lost," ed. Ronald David Emma and John T. Shawcross. New York: Frederick Unger. 1967.
Schwartz, Regina M. "Citation, Authority, and De Doctrina Christiana," in Politics, Poetics, and Hermeneutics in Milton's Prose ed. David Loewenstein and James Turner. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1990

[Intro-1] Complete Poetry and Essential Prose Intro to Christian Doctrine

[Lieb_p._18-2] Lieb p. 18

[Campbell-3] Campbell et al.

[4] Lieb p. 19-20

[5] Lieb p. 20

[6] Lieb p. 22

[7] Kelley Prose 21, 22 note 25

[8] Kelley p. 27;38

[9] Lieb p. 41

[10] Lieb p. 42

[11] Schwartz p. 232

[12] Lieb p. 44

[13] Lieb p. 23

[14] Lieb p. 23-24

[15] Bauman

[16] Lieb p. 45

[Lieb_p._46-17] Lieb p. 46

[Ch_1.-18] Christian Doctrine Ch. 1

[19] Lieb p. 47

[Lieb_p._8-20] Lieb p. 8

[21] Patrides p. 106;108

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@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 ===Christian Doctrine===
-The first chapter of ''Christian Doctrine'' discusses the actual meaning of "Christian Doctrine." Milton claims that that that "Christian Doctrine" needs to be understood before one can begin to talk about divinity and that the doctrine comes from Christ's communication to mankind about divinity.<ref>Lieb p. 45</ref> The doctrine requires humans to "come to terms with God's nature" and it comes from "the ever-abiding desire to celebrate [God's] glory because of his redemptive plan."<ref name="Lieb p. 46">Lieb p. 46</ref>
+The first chapter of ''Christian Doctrine'' discusses the actual meaning of "Christian Doctrine." Milton claims that this "Christian Doctrine" needs to be understood before one can begin to talk about divinity and that the doctrine comes from Christ's communication to mankind about divinity.<ref>Lieb p. 45</ref> The doctrine requires humans to "come to terms with God's nature" and it comes from "the ever-abiding desire to celebrate [God's] glory because of his redemptive plan."<ref name="Lieb p. 46">Lieb p. 46</ref>
 Milton's approach to Christian doctrine is not philosophical, and Milton does not attempt at "knowing" God.<ref name="Lieb p. 46"/> Instead, we have to find God "in the Holy Scriptures alone and with the Holy Spirit as guide."<ref name="Ch 1.">''Christian Doctrine'' Ch. 1</ref> Milton grounds his message in Christian teaching when he says: