John Robinson (ca. 1575–1625) was the beloved pastor of the English Separatists/Plymouth Pilgrims. This study focuses on the historically influential Separatist teachings as set forth in Robinson’s writings. As Professor George points out, “the tension between a sectarian ecclesiology on the one hand and a high predestinarian theology on the other was the controlling dynamic in Robinson’s Separatist tradition” (Harvard Theological Review). This excellent study rescues Robinson from “affectionate obscurity” and reaffirms the value of the Separatists’ distinctive quest for a new sense of Christian community.
Timothy George is Associate Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.