A Puritan, Spiritual Household: William Perkins and the "Right Ordering" of a Family.

In this article, the authors explore theologian William Perkins's understanding of Christian oeconomy -- the doctrine of the right ordering of a family. He expounds his insights in a treatise penned in the early 1590s; it is entitled "Oeconomy, or Household Government: A Short Survey of the Right Manner of Erecting and Ordering a Family, According to the Scriptures." It is stated that by the end of the sixteenth century, there was a considerable body of literature about managing a household.