A Treatise on Christian Doctrine

work by Milton

Also known as: “De Doctrina Christiana”

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July 14, 2026

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De Doctrina Christiana, or A Treatise on Christian Doctrine, is an unfinished theological work by John Milton, likely composed between 1655 and 1660. Discovered in 1823, this comprehensive treatise reflects Milton's deep engagement with Scripture, drawing extensively on biblical texts to support his theological concepts. While systematic, many of its ideas are traceable to Protestant thinkers like Johannes Wollebius, William Perkins, and William Ames. Milton's work tends to subordinate the Son to the Father and opposes traditional Trinitarian orthodoxy.1

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John Milton
Works on history and theology
…and published in 1825 as A Treatise on Christian Doctrine. The comprehensive and systematic theology presented in this work reflects Milton’s close engagement with Scripture, from which he draws numerous proof texts in order to buttress his concepts of the Godhead and of moral theology, among others. Like his historical…
Read More
…and published in 1825 as A Treatise on Christian Doctrine. The comprehensive and systematic theology presented in this work reflects Milton’s close engagement with Scripture, from which he draws numerous proof texts in order to buttress his concepts of the Godhead and of moral theology, among others. Like his historical…
Read More