This book is a revised version of the Carlyle Lectures which I delivered at the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term 1999, under the title “Christian Equality in the Political Theory of John Locke.”

The opportunity to develop and deliver these lectures was most welcome and I am particularly obliged to Larry Siedentop and Mark Philp for the invitation and the arrangements. I am grateful also to the Warden and Fellows of Nuffield College and the Warden and Fellows of All Souls College for office accommodation and living accommodation during my eight weeks in Oxford, and to Suzanne Byrch for administrative arrangements. Thanks also to Gerry Cohen, Cecile Fabre, John Gardner, James Griffin, Bob Hargrave, Tony Honore, Brian Loughman, Dan McDermott, David Miller, Karma Nabulsi, Joseph Raz, Mike Rosen, Alan Ryan, and Andrew Williams for their interest and their comments.

A substantial extract from Chapters 3 and 8 of this book was delivered as the Spring 2000 University Lecture at Columbia University. I want to say “thank you” to President George Rupp and Provost Jonathan Cole for this invitation. It was an honor to be able to present some of these arguments under the great cupola of Columbia's Low Library. The same material was also presented at Political Theory workshops at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago.