The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Thomson on John Owen

Next year is the anniversary of John Owen's birth in 1616 so I thought I'd read some biography. On my shelves I have Andrew Thomson's 19th century biography in the CFP Historymakers series of a few years ago. This work can also be found online and at the beginning of the 16 volume edition of Owen's Works. This edition is lightly edited. Thomson is rather discursive and a modern biography would best (I wonder if  EP are working on a bitesize one). Owen's life is interesting enough, involving trips to Ireland and Scotland (his roots are Welsh so the Celtic fringe should be kept happy), being a preacher, being Vice Chancellor at Oxford and ending his days under the opprobrium of being a Nonconformist.
I worked myself up to this with the very attractively produced children's version by Simonetta Carr. Also worth checking out. We enjoyed as a family reading a chapter a time on Sunday afternoons recently.
 

2 comments:

Mostyn Roberts said...

A Bitesize biography on John Owen from EP is planned, but probably not out for a while yet!

Mostyn Roberts.

Gary Brady said...

Glad to hear that news Mostyn.