John Owen was the second of at least five children born to Henry Owen, the nonconformist Vicar of Stadham (now Stadhampton) near Oxford, and his wife, Hester. This was a typically Puritan family, with daily routines of prayer and Scripture reading, and the Sabbath rhythm of teaching and worship. Due to the beneficence of an uncle, Owen was sent to a small grammar school in the parish of All Saints, Oxford, and then to Queen’s College where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in 1632 and a Master of Arts in 1635. He left the University in 1637, by then an uncomfortable place for sons of nonconformist households under the Chancellorship of Archbishop William Laud. As Owen’s later writings would demonstrate, his academic training had given him a thorough grounding in broad learning to match his…

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Citation: Cooper, Tim. "John Owen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 September 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12183, accessed 19 March 2024.]

12183 John Owen 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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