Key events of the century, including the English Civil War, the regicide of Charles I, and the establishment of the republic, were debated and legitimized through biblical precedents of resistance and monarchy. Core Areas of Political Application
According to the Cambridge University Press table of contents, the book explores how scripture was applied to: The Political Bible in Early Modern England
In Kevin Killeen’s (2017), the Bible is framed not just as a religious text, but as a central political document that provided the primary language for 17th-century debate. Killeen argues that biblical kings—such as Hezekiah, Rehoboam, and Jeroboam—were as influential to early modern political thought as any classical Greek or Roman model. Key Themes and Concepts Key events of the century, including the English
Deriving "enemy theory" and justifications for conflict from the Thirty Years' War through the lens of the Old Testament. Key Themes and Concepts Deriving "enemy theory" and
Examining how the "chopping and mincing" of scripture into isolated verses allowed readers to make the text serve specific political turns. Related Academic Works The Political Bible in Early Modern England
Using the "vast repertoire" of biblical king-killings to argue for or against the execution of Charles I.