John Owen

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John Owen was one of the most published writers in the seventeenth century1. He published around 8 million words1. His writings included books on theology and spirituality, politics and economics1. Many theologians consider him the greatest Puritan theologian and one of the greatest Reformed theologians of his day2. His works have influenced many people over the centuries. 

John Owen's Timeline

• 1616: John Owen was born in Stadhampton, Oxfordshire, England12.

• 1628: He entered Queen’s College, Oxford, at the age of twelve3.

• 1635: He secured his M.A. when he was nineteen3. It is said that during these years he studied for between 18 and 20 hours each day2.

• 1637: In his early twenties, conviction of sin threw him into such turmoil that for three months he could scarcely utter a coherent word on anything; but slowly he learned to trust Christ, and so found peace3. He became a pastor3.

• 1642: Appointed rector of Fordham, Essex1.

• 1646: Owen was made vicar at nearby Coggeshall after preaching1.

• 1651: He was made Dean of Christ Church, Oxford’s largest college3.

• 1652: He was given the additional post of Vice-Chancellor of the University, which he then reorganized with conspicuous success3.

• 1653-1658: He was an advocate of Congregationalism and an aide to Oliver Cromwell, the lord protector of England1.

• 1654-1655: He was briefly a member of parliament for the University’s constituency, sitting in the First Protectorate Parliament4.

• 1660 onwards: After 1660 he led the Independents through the bitter years of persecution3.

• 1683: He died in London1.

Throughout his life, John Owen was a prolific writer and controversialist1. He was by common consent the weightiest Puritan theologian, and many would bracket him with Jonathan Edwards as one of the greatest Reformed theologians of all time (link)3.

John Owen's Context

John Owen was born in 1616 in Stadhampton, Oxfordshire, England12. His father, Henry Owen, was the minister of the parish church there and a Puritan3. This religious upbringing likely had a significant influence on Owen’s own beliefs and his decision to enter the ministry2.

Owen lived during a time of significant religious and political upheaval in England. The English Civil War broke out in 1642, and Owen sided with the parliament2. This decision cost him both his place and the prospects of succeeding to his Welsh Royalist uncle’s fortune2. Despite these challenges, Owen remained committed to his religious beliefs and continued to preach and write2.

In the 1640s, Owen served as a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, who would later become the lord protector of England4. Owen’s relationship with Cromwell allowed him to ascend from relative obscurity to become highly influential in both religious and political circles2. He was appointed rector of Fordham, Essex, in 1642, and was made vicar at nearby Coggeshall in 1646 after preaching1.

In 1651, Owen was made Dean of Christ Church, Oxford’s largest college4. In 1652, he was given the additional post of Vice-Chancellor of the University4. He was briefly a member of parliament for the University’s constituency, sitting in the First Protectorate Parliament of 1654 to 16552.

Owen’s life and work were significantly shaped by the broader historical and religious context of his time, including the English Civil War and the Puritan movement2. Despite the challenges he faced, Owen remained a steadfast advocate of Congregationalism and a prolific writer and controversialist1.

Key People In John Owen's Life

The key people in John Owen’s life include:

• His father, Henry Owen: He was a minister of the parish church in Stadhampton and a Puritan1. John Owen was bred up from his infancy under the care of his father1.

• His brothers: William Owen, who became the Puritan minister at Remenham, just north of Henley-on-Thames; Henry Owen who fought as a major in Oliver Cromwell’s New Model Army; and Philemon Owen, who was killed fighting under Cromwell in Ireland in 16491.

• His first wife and children: Owen lived through the deaths of his first wife and all of his children, several of whom died in very early childhood. He supported his last surviving daughter when her marriage broke down2.

• Lord Lovelace: A nobleman sympathetic to the Puritan cause, who employed Owen as a private chaplain1.

• John Bunyan: A close friend of Owen and fellow nonconformist, who suffered fines and imprisonment for not heeding the laws of the Established Church (link)1.

• Charles II: The king of England during Owen’s time1. Charles II had some influence on John Owen. After the Ejection, Owen enjoyed some influence with Charles II who occasionally gave him money to distribute to impoverished ejected ministers1. This shows that despite the religious and political differences, there was a level of mutual respect and understanding between the two. Charles II’s actions indirectly supported Owen’s efforts to aid those ministers who had been ejected due to their nonconformist beliefs1. 

• Richard Baxter

  • John Owen (1616-1683) and Richard Baxter (1615-1691) were both pivotal figures in shaping the nonconformist landscape of Restoration England1. However, despite having much in common, they found themselves taking opposite sides in several important debates1. Their relationship was marked by acute strain and mutual dislike1. Theological differences alone cannot account for that divergence, since in the early 1640s Baxter and Owen would have agreed on the issues that later separated them2. Their starkly contrasting experiences of the First Civil War helped to set them apart2. For Baxter, personally caught up in the upheaval, the war was a disaster that corrupted the Gospel. For Owen, untouched by the fighting, the war was a blessing from God that liberated the Gospel from Arminian captivity2. 

• Oliver Cromwell

  • John Owen had a significant relationship with Oliver Cromwell, the lord protector of England1. He developed a friendship with Cromwell and accompanied him on the latter’s 1649 campaign in Ireland2. Despite being ill much of this time in Ireland, Owen stayed there from August 1649 to February 16502.

  • Owen ascended from relative obscurity to become highly influential in both religious and political circles3. He became not only one of the most important Puritan religious leaders of that era, but also a trusted confidante and close advisor to Oliver Cromwell3. He served as a chaplain to Cromwell himself4, but later seems to have been instrumental in dissuading him from accepting the crown4. This shows the level of trust and influence Owen had in his relationship with Cromwell.

• Thomas Goodwin: Owen is reported to have seen into the mind of Paul as clearly as Goodwin1. They both worked together on the draft of The Declaration of Faith and Order, more commonly known as The Savoy Declaration2.

• Philip Nye: Owen and Nye outlined proposals for the ecclesiastical settlement under the Protectorate in 16523. They also co-authored An Apologeticall Narration, pleading for toleration of Calvinist congregations outside a proposed Presbyterian national church3.

• William Bridge: Bridge was one of the members of the Westminster Assembly who prepared the draft of The Declaration of Faith and Order, more commonly known as The Savoy Declaration2.

John Owen's Writings

• "Communion with God"12: This work is about the individual and distinct worship of each of the persons of the Trinity2.

• "The Mortification of Sin"2: This is one of his notable works2.

• "The Divine Power of the Gospel"2: This is another one of his significant works2.

• "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ"2 (1648) This is his undisputed work on the extent and purpose of Christ’s atonement2.

• "Justitia Divina"2: An exposition of the dogma that God cannot forgive sin without an atonement2.

• "Doctrine of the Saints’ Perseverance"2: His final attack on Arminianism2.

• "Vindiciae Evangelicae"2: A treatise written by order of the Council of State against Socinianism2

• A Treatise of the Holy Spirit (1659)

• The Doctrine of Justification (1655)

• A Discourse of the Trial and Temptation of Our Saviour (1667)

• A Discourse on the Divine Covenants (1662)

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