meditative Puritan of Lancashire”, “of a contemplative disposition”, and even a
“religious mystic.” However, the reality is that no one has actually made a detailed
study of his theology and piety. While there have been a few theses that have briefly
considered Ambrose, no one has made him the primary subject of study. Therefore,
in one sense, this research is distinctive and fills a gap by providing a careful
examination of Ambrose’s theology and particularly his contemplative-mystical piety.
Further, this thesis can accurately confirm and demonstrate that Ambrose was indeed
a contemplative. There are five specific conclusions to this research.
First, Isaac Ambrose possessed a rich contemplative-mystical piety. That
prompts the necessary question, what was the shape of Ambrose’s contemplative-
mystical piety? McGinn expands his understanding of the mystical element of
Christianity by speaking of mystical theology, mystical texts and mystical
experiences, mystical practices, and mystical vocabulary. A careful reading of
Ambrose’s mystical texts, especially those of Media and Looking Unto Jesus revealed
all of these categories were present within his understanding of Christianity and
provided a window into his soul that traced the contours of his life. It became clear
that Ambrose experienced God across a full spectrum of means including his annual
month-long retreats in which he intentionally engaged in a variety of spiritual
practices as well as regularly facing the personal struggles and temptations of his soul,
practicing the active ministry of being a physician of the soul to both clergy and laity,
and participating in times of fasting and times of celebrating the Lord’s Supper. He
also experienced the transformative role of place, whether in the woods during his
retreats or in villages and cities such as Preston or London. Further, there were some
significant practices that undergirded his life. Ambrose always combined a deep