1st Edition

John Owen and the Civil War Apocalypse Preaching, Prophecy and Politics

By Martyn Calvin Cowan Copyright 2018
236 Pages
by Routledge

236 Pages
by Routledge

236 Pages
by Routledge

John Owen was one of the most significant figures in Reformed Orthodox theology during the Seventeenth Century, exerting considerable religious and political influence in the context of the British Civil War and Interregnum. Using Owen’s sermons from this period as a window into the mind of a self-proclaimed prophet, this book studies how his apocalyptic interpretation of contemporary events led... Read more

Introduction; 1 Owen’s prophetic worldview; 2 The identification and interpretation of providentially significant events; 3 The obligation to ‘improve’ these providential mercies; 4 The magistrate’s response to providentially significant events; 5 The obligations of the magistrate and the search for a church settlement; 6 Warnings of judgment to a negligent nation; Conclusion

Biography

Martyn Cowan is a Lecturer in Historical Theology at Union Theological College, Northern Ireland.

'Martyn Cowan’s study of John Owen and the Civil War Apocalypse ... must be recognised as one of the most important contributions to Owen studies, and a fine addition to the excellent Routledge series in "Religious Cultures in the Early Modern World."'

– Crawford Gribben, Queen’s University Belfast, Journal of the Northern Renaissance

"This volume makes an excellent contribution to the ongoing renaissance in Owen studies and helpfully illuminates the degree to which apocalyptic fervour shaped the development of Cromwellian England."

- Matthew C. Bingham, Oak Hill College, London, Journal of Ecclesiastical History

'Cowan helps us better appreciate how Owen’s theological convictions interact with his political vision. Eschatology profoundly shaped how he viewed the world, including England’s place within it … Cowan’s work should be warmly received by historians and theologians alike.'

- Kelly Kapic, Covenant College, Church History

'A valuable study for those interested in seventeenth-century eschatology, preaching, and English Puritanism … Cowan’s work contributes significantly to understanding the issues at stake in seventeenth-century England.'

- Ryan McGraw, Greenville Presbyterian Seminary, Westminster Theological Journal