John Owen and English Puritanism
Experiences of Defeat
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:16th Nov '17
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John Owen was a leading theologian in seventeenth-century England. Closely associated with the regicide and revolution, he befriended Oliver Cromwell, was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, and became the premier religious statesman of the Interregnum. The restoration of the monarchy pushed Owen into dissent, criminalizing his religious practice and inspiring his writings in defense of high Calvinism and religious toleration. Owen transcended his many experiences of defeat, and his claims to quietism were frequently undermined by rumors of his involvement in anti-government conspiracies. Crawford Gribben's biography documents Owen's importance as a controversial and adaptable theologian deeply involved with his social, political, and religious environments. Fiercely intellectual and extraordinarily learned, Owen wrote millions of words in works of theology and exegesis. Far from personifying the Reformed tradition, however, Owen helped to undermine it, offering an individualist account of Christian faith that downplayed the significance of the church and means of grace. In doing so, Owen's work contributed to the formation of the new religious movement known as evangelicalism, where his influence can still be seen today.
Gribben pays careful attention to the research, writing, publication, dissemination, reception, and defence of many of Owen's key works. * Matthew Rowley, Churchman *
Gribben has done a remarkable job in weaving together evidence from Owen's life and writings to present a vibrant portrait of his personal and intellectual character. * Mark Burden, The Seventeenth Century *
Engaging, quotable, scholarly, exemplary -- these four words summarise Gribben's fine biography of John Owen. This book belongs in the libraries of universities and theological coleges as well as in the hands of any serious student of Owen or the Puritans. * T. J. Marinello, European Journal of Theology *
John Owen and English Puritanism is a remarkable achievement, offering a sophisticated presentation of Owen's life and writings as they are embedded in the religious, political, and literary cultures of his period. Gribben is an astute and detailed observer of the complexity, range, and shifts in Owen's thought, and his book establishes a new standard in study of one of the most complex and enduringly provocative thinkers of seventeenth-century nonconformity. * John Webster, Professor of Divinity, University of St. Andrews *
Crawford Gibben's superb book establishes John Owen as a towering figure in the culture and politics of seventeenth-century England. Readers have been deterred by the bulk and difficulty of his huge output of theological writings, but Gribben steers us clearly and expertly through the development of his ideas across the rapidly-shifting political landscapes of revolutionary and post-revolutionary England. * David Norbrook, Emeritus Merton Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford *
Crawford Gribben has here produced the most persuasive account ever of a multi-faceted career that ended in deep personal sadness and public failure. Owen was a profound Calvinist thinker who outlived the welcome of most of the millions of words he published, but he was as much a Lord General in the war of ideas as Oliver Cromwell was the Lord General of the clash of swords. * John Morrill, Fellow of the British Academy, Emeritus Professor of British and Irish History, University of Cambridge *
- Winner of Honourable mention for the Richard L. Greaves Prize of the International John Bunyan Society.
ISBN: 9780190860790
Dimensions: 231mm x 155mm x 25mm
Weight: 590g
424 pages