Nathaniel Culverwell (alternative spellings ''Nathanael'' or ''Culverwel''; 1619–1651) was an English author and theologian, born in

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

. He was baptized on 14 January 1619 at the church of St. Margaret Moses where his father was rector. He was the second of six children of Richard and Margaret (Horton) Culverwell. A student (admitted 1633) and later a fellow of

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...

, he was associated with members of the Cambridge Platonists group.

Works

* ''Spiritual Optics, or a Glass Discovering the Weakness and Imperfection of a Christian's Knowledge in this Life'', 1651 * ''An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature'', 1652 – His best-known work, this was originally delivered as a series of lectures in 1645–1646, and attempted mediation between reason and faith, via

natural law Natural law ( la, ius naturale, ''lex naturalis'') is a system of law based on a close observation of human nature, and based on values intrinsic to human nature that can be deduced and applied independently of positive law (the express enacte ...

, in the context of the opposing religious stances of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

. * ''Worth of Souls'' * ''The Schisme'' * ''Act of Oblivion'' * ''Child's Return'' * ''Panting Soul'' * ''Mount Ebal'' * ''White Stone''

References

External links

Nathanael Culverwel
''Bartleby.com'' biography
An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature
''The Online Library of Liberty''.
The Cambridge Platonists
1619 births 1651 deaths Cambridge Platonists English Roman Catholics Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Fellows of Emmanuel College, Cambridge {{england-writer-stub