Martyn C. Cowan

Martyn C. Cowan is an Irish Presbyterian minister and lecturer in historical theology at the Union Theological College in Belfast, Ireland.^[1]

Cowan studied philosophy at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Queen’s University Belfast. He was a student on the Cornhill Training Course and trained for ordination at Oak Hill Theological College (MTh Distinction), and Union Theological College (PG Cert Min). He subsequently completed doctoral studies at the University of Cambridge with a dissertation entitled ’The prophetic preaching of John Owen from 1646 to 1659 in its historical context'.^[2][3]

Cowan served as assistant minister at First Presbyterian Church of Saintfield, and assistant to the vacancy convener in First Presbyterian Church of Portadown.^[4][5] In 2016 he was ordained and appointed lecturer in historical theology at Union Theological College.^[6]

In 2018 Cowan was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.^[7] Cowan's work on the preaching of John Owen is part of a new scholarly turn in Owen studies and 'will push Owen studies in important new directions in historical theology and in the social history of ideas.'^{[8][9][10][11]}. Cowan has been noted as one of the authors involved in a change in Owen studies towards a more contextual interpretative approach, along with Tim Cooper and Crawford Gribben.^{[12][13][14][15]} Some of his work has been described as more theological than historical.^[16] He has contributed towards the understanding of Owen as an exponent of prophetic preaching, influenced by his eschatological views, looking towards a future golden age^[17] and worked to raise the profile of John Own studies, particularly in Northern Ireland.^[18][19]

As a member of the Doctrine Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and lecturer in historical theology at its seminary, Cowan addressed the decision made at the denomination's General Assembly in 2018 that it was necessary for people to make a "credible profession of faith" in order to receive the sacraments, which precluded people in same-sex relationships from receiving the sacraments.^[20]

During Cowan's years on the faculty of Union Theological College, the institution has become more conservative in public's eye, along with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland which focused on traditional Reformed theology in its training for ministers and its own theology as a denomination. During this time the College broke its ties with Queen's University Belfast and developed links with St. Mary's Twickenham and the BibleMesh online theological training platform.^{[21][22][23][24][25]}

• Sermons and Tracts from the Commonwealth and Protectorate (1650–1659), The Complete Works of John Owen Vol. 19 (Crossway, 2025). ISBN 9781433560484.
• Sermons and Tracts from the Civil Wars (1646–1649), The Complete Works of John Owen Vol. 18 (Crossway, 2025). ISBN 9781433560477.
• 'Owen the Preacher', in The T&T Clark Handbook of John Owen, ed. Crawford Gribben and John Tweeddale (T&T Clark, 2023), 118–45. ISBN 9780567688750.
• John Owen and the Civil War Apocalypse: Preaching, Prophecy and Politics (Routledge, 2017). ISBN 9781138087767.
• Portrait of a Prophet: Lessons from the Preaching of John Owen (1616–1683) (St Antholin Charity Lectureship, Latimer Trust, 2016) ISBN 9781906327415
• ‘Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books’ in NIV Proclamation Bible: Correctly Handling the Word of Truth (Hodder & Stoughton, 2013). ISBN 9780310437956
• ‘New World, New Temple, New Worship: The Book of Revelation in the Theology and Practice of Christian Worship’, published in three parts: Churchman 119.4 (Winter 2005), 297–312; Churchman 120.2 (Summer 2006), 159–176; Churchman 120.3 (Autumn 2006), 247–265.

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