Union with Christ or the Atonement

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Jimmy Eppley

Puritan Board Freshman
Hi all,

I'm a seminary student. Currently, I'm taking a church history class. One of the requirements is that we write a paper on a figure's theology. I chose to write on Owen, but I can't make up my mind for either the Atonement or Union with Christ. The paper is limited to 10 pages and the professor desires that we go in deep with the topic. What would you pick and why? Thanks for your thoughts!
 
KMK said:
Wow. Owen wrote a TON. What resources are you using?
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Thanks for the reply! I'm leaning towards atonement. I just need to narrow it. I'll definitely use "Death in the Death" and his Hebrews commentary. Also, Ferguson's "Owen on the Christian Life" and search through his works. My main struggle now is how to structure the paper.
 
If you are limited to ten pages and have to "go deep in the topic," you need a fairly narrow topic. I agree that atonement is the narrower of your two options, though it still feels awfully broad.
 
If I were you, I would focus on the double jeopardy argument that Owen uses against the Arminians. That would be a fun topic, and narrow enough for a ten-pager.
 
There is a book out that deals specifically with atonement. From Heaven He Came and Sought Her and there are two specific chapters that might be of interest to you:

Chapter 8- Atonement and the Covenant of Redemption: John Owen on the Nature of Christ’s Satisfaction

Chapter 18- Punishment God Cannot Twice inflict: The Double Payment Argument Redivivus
 
I would actually recommend the opposite. If I want to just read on Owen's view of the atonement, I'd read Packer's intro. Atonement is too easy for Owen. He is known for his treatises on that subject. Such a paper is typical and expected. Write on an area that has less study. Contribute to that discussion. What or how did Owen contribute to the idea of union with Christ? That has more intrigue for me.
 
Thanks for all the ideas! I've been reading the Institutes for another class. Predestination was the assigned chapter, which reprobation is a part of. Of course, it caused the most controversy in class, for me personally as well. So I started to think that Calvin's reprobation would be interesting and narrow.
 
Actually turns out that a lot of people are doing reprobation. I'm mostly just having a hard time coming up with a paper outline
 
John Bunyan wrote an good book on reprobation called Reprobation Asserted. It may be helpful to compare the two since Calvin understands reprobation as predestination whereas Bunyan outlines it in terms of preterition.
 
Why not do something you disagree with? John Gill's doctrine of justification from eternity strikes me as something that is interesting and narrow. Also, you could contribute to the discussion on the implications of his view.
 
timfost said:
John Bunyan wrote an good book on reprobation called Reprobation Asserted. It may be helpful to compare the two since Calvin understands reprobation as predestination whereas Bunyan outlines it in terms of preterition.
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Ah, nice! I didn't think about that. I can't focus too much on that, but I can reference it.
 
TylerRay said:
Why not do something you disagree with? John Gill's doctrine of justification from eternity strikes me as something that is interesting and narrow. Also, you could contribute to the discussion on the implications of his view.
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Gill would be interesting, but it's too far removed for the Reformation for my professor. Sounds like a good vacation research topic though
 
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