Portrait of a Prophet: Lessons from the Preaching of John Owen (1616-1683)

This study offers a sketch of John Owen's prophetic preaching in which his dogmatic providentialism and the fiery apocalypticism almost threaten to destroy his image as a Reformed Orthodox theologian and man of the Renaissance. With an initial glance, one might think that there is little practical to be learned from such a vignette. However, upon closer inspection three striking applications, or, in the language of early-modern homiletics, 'uses', emerge that are directly relevant for much contemporary preaching. Martyn C. Cowan is a licentiate minster of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. After completing an MA in Philosophy at Queen's University Belfast he trained for gospel ministry on the Cornhill Training Course before gaining an MTh from Oak Hill Theological College, London. He served as assistant minster in First Saintfield Presbyterian Church, Co. Down and then completed a PhD on the preaching of John Owen at the University of Cambridge. He and his wife Kathy live in Co. Armagh where he is an assistant minister in First Portadown Presbyterian Church. He has contributed to the NIV Proclamation Bible and teaches courses at the Cornhill Training Course in Belfast and Union Theological College, Belfast.