More on John Owen

I’ve written about John Owen before: John Owen - Leader of his day

He came up again in Tim Challies A La Carte (5/16)

The Essential Owen - Here’s a blog I’ve only just discovered. And it’s a good one. “John Owen was arguably the most brilliant theologian of the English language. While he was extraordinarily brilliant, his writings were not always extraordinarily accessible. It is the intention of this site and its author to glean from the good doctor, quotes and excerpts that show the Christ centered world view of this gifted Puritan divine.” In other words, it’s bite-sized portions of John Owen’s writings.

From the web site I’ve taken a few quotes from  Owen’s bio.

About Owen

At Coggeshell, through John Cotton’s Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (1644) and other political influences, Owen openly converted from Presbyterianism to Congregationalism. He wrote about this change in Eshcol; or Rules of Direction for the Walking of the Saints in Fellowship. He also began remodeling his church on Congregational principles.

Owen’s fame spread rapidly in the late 1640s through his preaching and writings, gradually earning him a reputation as a leading Independent theologian. While he was still in his early thirties, more than a thousand people came to hear his weekly sermons. Yet Owen often grieved that he saw little fruit upon his labors. He once said that he would trade all his learning for John Bunyan’s gift for plain preaching. Clearly, he underestimated his own gifts.

Through his lectures in theology, he promoted Reformed theology and Puritan piety. He set up several boards to regulate the religious life of the university. Undergraduates were required to repeat Sunday sermons to “some person of known ability and piety.” They were to have private evening prayers with their tutors, and every home where students lodged was to offer frequent preaching

In 1665, Owen was indicted at Oxford for holding religious conventicles in his home. He escaped without imprisonment. However, like many other Puritan pastors, he returned to London to preach after the Plague and the Great Fire. He started a small congregation, engaged in ongoing theological battles against the Arminians, and wrote several anonymous tracts on behalf of religious liberty as well as numerous edifying treatises for the spiritual growth of believers. His Indwelling Sin, Exposition of Psalm 130, and the first volume of his massive commentary on Hebrews were written during this period.