Theology

Milton is very clear to establish Paradise Lost as a poem through which he wishes to educated his reader about the will of God and the events of the Fall. This core religious aim of Paradise Lost is incredibly important but it is vital to note  that Milton was not only writing from a Puritan persepctive but also one which challenged many of the key Christian Doctrines at the time. Milton's discrepancies from them many not be noticeable to the modern or non-Christian reader but they help explain why Paradise Lost was so controversial at the time

Though Milton did not publish them, he did write his beliefs down in a theological treatise called De Doctrina Christiana (‘Concerning Christian Doctrine’), which was discovered and published in 1823. De Doctrina confirms, among other views:

• That he did not believe the Son co-equal or co-eternal with God the Father (the so-called Arian heresy)
• He did not believe God the Father in all things omniscient
• Milton saw no reason why a man should not take more than one wife, possibly at the same time
• He also saw no reason for a human priesthood
• He disagreed with the need for the Church to interpret or mediate Christian doctrine
• And he saw little point in meeting for worship

Since the publication of De Doctrina critics have argued with some energy to what extent Milton’s Epic Poem reflects these unorthodox thoughts:

• Some have argued that they find in it significant similarities. For example, the non-biblical doctrine of the Trinity…