"Federal Theology"

Did you know that there is a term, "Federal Theology"?
"Federal" came from a Latin term foecus, a covenant. There was a movement in the 17th century Reformed theology to present a comprehensive history of salvation, working from the Old Testament (see Westminster Confession chapter vii). Federal theology specifically refers to the theory of Johannis Cocceius (1603-1669), who taught mainly in the Netherlands and whose teaching threw the Church into turmoil. Cocceius held that the original natural covenant of works was 'abrogated' in five steps in accordance with the super-natural covenant. The steps were: the Fall; the inner-trinitarian pact between God and the Mediator; the proclamation of the covenant of grace in the Old Testament, fulfilled in the New Testament; the death of the body and sanctification; and the resurrection of the body. Federal theology deeply influenced pietism (we call it today as fundamentalist christians), and all later philosophies of history.(from Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, article by J.C.O'Neill, p. 210)