The reason of faith; or, An answer unto that enquiry, wherefore we believe the Scripture to be the Word of God: Together with The causes, ways and means of understanding the mind of God as revealed in his Word and, a declaration of the perspicuity of the

by John Owen

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Genres: Theology

Nook

First published December 16, 2014

About the author

John Owen was an English theologian and "was without doubt not only the greatest theologian of the English Puritan movement but also one of the greatest European Reformed theologians of his day, and quite possibly possessed the finest theological mind that England ever produced" ("Owen, John", in Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals, p. 494)

Reviews

[Donald Owens II · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Understanding the Mind of God, John Owen writes with all the precision of thought and thoroughness of subject matter we would expect from a Puritan, but without the dryness or inaccessibility often imputed to them. He handles his subject, the centrality, reliability, and proper use of Scripture, with a passionate directness both convincing and inspiring. With the possible exception of his last few pages, wherein he defends he source texts of the Authorized version, I found this work quotable and edifying. I intend to read it again, and recommend it to others.

[Inwoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not review, yet a note. There are two works in this one volume, which I read. On good reads they do not offer it as two books, so I added another book listed with the same title.

The two works includes Owen's The Reason of Faith and The Causes, Ways, and Means of Understanding the Mind of God.

The dates read here are for the first work, The Reason of Faith.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most exceptional part of this treatise was Owne's breakdown of the threefold ways in which we know things

1) By instinct, or principles of natural light
2) By reason, or building rational knowledge from premises that we hold in our minds, compare to other alternatives, and accept the most likely choice.
3) By faith in testimony. As in a courtroom. The grounds of that knowledge does not go deeper than the authority of the testimony itself, though we corroborate and believe the testimony by also employing the faculties of our instinct and reason.

Owen also clearly demonstrates that external evidences, though they may be helpful in refuting arguments and strengthening faith, can never be the bedrock of why we believe. We believe through the formal cause of the Holy Scriptures, through the efficient cause of the Holy Spirit opening our minds.