A Heavenly Directory

Trinitarian Piety, Public Worship and a Reassessment of John Owen's Theology

Ryan M. McGraw, Herman J. Selderhuis

• Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9783525550755
• eBook ISBN:
  9783647550756
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

There is a growing body of historical literature on the importance of John Owen. Ryan M. McGraw seeks to reassess Owen's theology in light of the way in which he connected his trinitarian piety to his views of public worship. McGraw argues that Owen´s teaching on communion with God as triune was the foundation of his views of public worship and that he regarded public worship as the highest expression of communion with the triune God. These themes not only highlight Owen's context as a Reformed orthodox theologian, but the distinctive influence of English Puritanism on his theological emphases. The connection between his practical trinitarianism and public worship runs through the course of his writings and every major area of his theology. These include the nature of theology, the knowledge of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, public worship, spiritual affections, apostasy, covenant theology, ecclesiology, and Christology. This work treats these themes in Owen's thought and shows how they intersect and are intertwined with the Trinity and public worship. In addition, this book provides a detailed exposition of the parts of Reformed worship. While other works have treated the centrality of his trinitarianism in his theology, few have acknowledged the importance of public worship in his thinking. This research concludes that communion with God in public worship was integral to Owen's practical trinitarian theology.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Body
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Historical Introduction and State of the Question
• 2. Trinitarian Worship: The Climax of Communion with God
• 3. Chastity in Worship: The Spiritual and Scriptural Principles of Worship
• 4. Heavenly Worship: Worship as a Transaction with the Triune God in Heaven
• 5. New Covenant Worship: The Character of Communion with God in PublicWorship
• 6. The Ministry and Worship: The Christian Ministry as the Means of Communion with God in Public Worship
• 7. Conclusion
• 8. Appendix: Faith Versus Sight: The Rejection of Images in Devotion to Christ
• Works Cited
• Index of Persons
• Index of Subjects
• Back Cover