존 오웬의 영성이해

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to seek after the spirituality that John Owen ( 1 6 16-1683)experienced of communion with God. Nowadays there are popular interests in spirituality but christian spirituality have some problems in terms of contents and methods. Often it operates without a theological core. Richard Foster, a spiritual theologian, admits that he put up more on technique than on theological affirmation about the nature of the believer’s union of God. I think that Owen displays both theological depth and practical wisdom based on authentic, biblically orthodox, and time–tested spirituality. I will deal with Owen’s theological reflection and practical application in ‘communion with God’viewed in trinitarian spirituality. Firstly, I take up the meaning of communion, distinction between union and communion, and distinctions between the divine persons when a believer has distinctively communion with one of the divine person. Owen contends that communion with God presupposes a person’s union with God in Christ. He also insists that once united to Christ, there are no final falling away, but communion with God will be affected by a believer’s behavior of unbelief. He holds that our communion with God is always experienced in terms of communion with divine persons. As triune, God reveals himself to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Owen’s trinitarian theology of communion, he introduces Father as not full of wrath but ‘fountain of love’. He points that communion with Son is through grace, and communion with Spirit is through comfort. Secondly, I discuss the spiritual practices related to his communion with God. There are spirituality of prayer, meditation and worship. Owen call us to be not theo-retical study but rather finding of delight in the living God. In conclusion, I will evaluate several characteristics about communion with God he said.