Thread: Owen on the Holy Spirit

Where would be the best place to start with respect to reading Owen on the Spirit and His nature, role and functions? At present there are three books I see that seem to speak centrally to that issue: The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit: His Gifts and Power and The Spirit and the Church. What are the main differences between those works?

Thanks,

The first is an abridgement of Pneumatologia, which is volume III of the Works set, and the third is an abridgement of volume 4, which includes the four treatises: The Reason of Faith(which is on the doctrine of scripture), Causes, Ways, and Means, of Understanding the Mind of God, On the Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer, and Of the Spirit and His Work, as a Comforter and as the Author of Spiritual Gifts. The former is more theological, the latter is more practical, though neither is exclusively one or the other.

I am unfamiliar with the middle work, but it sounds like it is an abridged equivalent of one or both of the others.

I am working through volume III right now, and it is absolutely phenomenal; I can't recommend it enough. If you are going to read something on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, that is the one to read. The Puritan Paperbacks abridgement is a good summary, but lacks some of the richness of Owenic detail. If possible, I would recommend getting volume III of the works, but the Puritan Paperbacks abridgement will still be well worth your time. If you have to choose between those three, I am sure that all the material in the middle one will be contained in the other two, and if you can only get one for the moment, go for the first.

Thanks...since I won't yet be able to afford the Works for some time, I'll probably start out with the first one, even just to get an exposure to his general ideas and approach.

You can buy the Individual volumes from BOT for $20.00 or so from there website. Anything over $25.00 includes free shipping and they are very quick on the delivery 3-4 days.