Book Review: The Foundation of Communion with God: The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen.

Introduced and Edited by: Ryan M. McGraw
Reformation Heritage Books

John Owen (1616 - 1683) was an English Nonconformist pastor, theologian, and scholar. He was also a prolific author and the Ryan McGraw has set out in the book The Foundation of Communion with God to not only wet your appetite, but give you an introduction to Owen and his writing style.If you have never read John Owen - buy this book. Owen can be intimidating and some of his works are difficult but this book shows you that it is worth the effort.

The Foundation of Communion with God is part of an ongoing series of books Profiles in Reformed Spirituality that takes selections of the writings of the Puritans and reformers with biographical sketches to introduce the reader to the author and his works with the hope that it will encourage further exploration. With this book and John Owen I can say: mission accomplished.

The book consists of three main sections. After a brief introduction and biographical sketch, we get to the readings. Section one deals with Knowing God as Triune. Section two deals with Heavenly-Mindedness and Apostasy, and the last section Covenant and Church. There are 41 separate readings but are very short, just a few long paragraphs each. But don't let their brevity fool you; they are deep and full of wonderful truths.

The two appendices close the book out with some helpful tips to reading Owen and some recommendation on where to proceed for those ready to pursue more of his writings.

Since each chapter is an excerpt from a larger published work, you don't have the flow of thought you would have if you were reading the original book itself. I think it would be helpful to use this as a devotional book to take it a chapter a day.

If you are unfamiliar with John Owen or thought that the Puritans are out of reach, or maybe you think that the old writers have nothing to say to us today, I would urge you to pick up this volume and sit at the feet of an old master and grow to love the depths and the riches of our Triune God.