Jonathan Edwards

George M. Marsden, Jonathan Edwards, A Life (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2003) This is the latest and probably the best available full biography of Jonathan Edwards (1703--1758), to which its winning the 2004 prize for works in American history (Bancroft Prize) can attest. It is hefty, topping out at 505 pages of text, plus an additional 110 pages of tables, notes, and index. As biographies of religious figures go, it is superior to Bruce Gordon's recent biography of Calvin, comparable to the best biographies I've read of Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus, and superior to its assessment of Edwards' intellectual life than the Perry Miller intellectual biography of 1949. Marsden makes a special point of correcting some ideas about Edwards' thought which Miller made current, such as the image of Edwards being virtually alone in New England to grasp the importance of new ideas from the English Enlightenment by John Locke and Isaac Newton. Edwards was a genius, and original, but he was not intellectually isolated. Someone who knows no details of Edwards' writings may be puzzled by his reputation as one of the most brilliant homegrown American intellects. His popular persona is as the author of fire-breathing sermons such as `Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God', and as the catalyst for two `Great Awakenings' in and around Northampton, Massachusetts in 1734--35 and 1741--42. This is no more accomplishment than the typical revivalist preacher parodied by the novel Elmer Gantry, by Sinclair Lewis. Edwards' accomplishment, on which Marsden and Miller agree, is to present a thoroughgoing Calvinist theology based on the epistemology and physics of his day, 200 years after Calvin, in an integrated picture, sustaining both an eyes open sense of the physical world combined with a conviction for the reality of the Bible as a coherent picture of God's working in the world. His theological works on subjects such as original sin and freedom of the will are paradigms of reasoning, and the latter stands in good stead with modern doctrines of the subject. In his own day, extending up to the Civil War, his biography of his protégé, David Brainerd, who died young from tuberculosis, was almost as widely distributed and read as that early best seller, Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography. Many of his works were published and avidly read in England and Scotland. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, published an abridgment of that work in England, and it remains one of the best paradigms of selfless missionary work to have been written. Edwards' theology had two seemingly inconsistent sides to it. He did embrace his contemporary thought, but he put it in defense of theological ideas close to 160 years old, current 100 years before, when the Puritans established themselves in New England. Therefore, his theological thinking quickly lost ground after his death, only to be rediscovered after the Civil War. His theological idealism also lead to problems in his pastoral career, and placed him in the role of combatant against several strains of Christian thought, such as Arminianism (free will and resistible grace) , Socinianism (Jesus was human, leading to Unitarianism), Latitudinarianism (broad freedom in interpreting Anglican doctrine) and Deism (Rational picture of God as great Clockmaker). Edwards doctrinal battles became very personal when he tried to reverse the liberal confessional policies of his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, who he replaced as pastor in 1729. While Stoddard was liberal in allowing people to be admitted to communion, Edwards' father, Timothy, a pastor in Connecticut, was more conservative, and that reserve evolved in Jonathan Edwards ecclesiastical policies. Edwards crisis began in 1744 with his taking public issue with young boys, several of whom were sons of prominent Northampton families, who were being titillated by reading midwives' manuals, and who used that knowledge to make distasteful and disparaging remarks to local girls. Edwards made a public case of the matter, and make the enormous mistake of listing witnesses names along with the violators, without distinguishing between the two groups. His situation was exacerbated by the death of two of his most powerful allies in central Massachusetts. Then, in 1748, just a few months after his uncle John Stoddard's death, Edwards decided to reverse his grandfather's liberal policies regarding receiving the sacraments, and began a campaign to require professions of faith before being admitted to communion. The normal method to address such matters was to bring the issue before the entire congregation of male members, which made the matter even worse. The congregation became so incensed over the issue that they would not even allow Edwards to preach on the subject. In 1750, the internationally known Edwards was dismissed as pastor from his church in Northampton, whereupon he took up a pastoral and missionary post on the frontier, in Stockbridge, where he encountered further `political' contests with people inclined to milk the English fund for missions to the Indians, for their own enrichment. In these disputes, Edwards took the day, up to the outbreak of the French and Indian War of 1755. In 1757, Edwards was offered and took the position of president of what was to become Princeton University in New Jersey, after publishing his works on Original Sin and Freedom of the Will, but while still working on a History of Redemption and the Harmony of the Old and New Testaments. In 1758, he died as the result of a smallpox vaccination which went wrong. Edwards seemed to fulfill, even more than Luther, the image of Christian theologian who relied on the senses, a nominalist. He was imbued with the fine details of the beauty of nature as God's handiwork, and a staunch advocate of the value of the scriptures as 'eyewitnesses' to the correctness of Christian doctrine. I suspect that many of his beliefs may be viewed with embarrassment by modern Christians, such as his assessing the events of the day as evidence that the coming of the New Jerusalem was imminent. He took very seriously, for example, the Biblical expectation that other religions would fall before Christianity before the second coming. While he was pastor at Northampton, after the Great Awakening, he preached to the congregation that their experiences were of a piece with those of the Biblical narratives. They were participating in salvation as surely as contemporaries of Moses, David, or Elijah. But even the Awakenings had opponents, lead by Boston's Charles Chauncy who made the very modern, skeptical argument that spiritual regeneration could show in many ways, and people are easily deceived by uncontrolled emotion. Edwards' argument, stated in his `Religious Affections' was that indeed, spiritual renewal was, in fact, found in emotions, and one cannot separate reason from the will and its `affections'. Ironically, the liberal Congregationalist pastor was the leader of the `Old Lights' party, opposing the more conservative `New Lights' party lead by Edwards, to which several sensationalist travelling preachers subscribed, without Edwards rigorous thinking. What may amaze us today is the extent to which these doctrinal controversies were carried out in written tracts (a familiar part of ecclesiastical and theological controversy since the days of Luther and Calvin), generally printed in Boston, sometimes by the skeptical atheist, James Franklin (Benjamin's older brother). These tracts generally demonstrated the far higher level of rigorous thinking on Edwards' part, as he typically shredded his opponents' arguments. In his `Religious Affections,' Edwards showed supreme intellectual honesty by stating that one can never be certain that such experiences are genuine, as Satan can counterfeit them if he wishes. Among today's evangelical preachers, it appears Edwards' permeating spirituality, consistently argued from deep study, is having a renaissance, to address the tendency to preach a shallow `Gospel of Success'. This book will not replace the study of Edwards thought itself, but it is a very big help in putting him in context.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the most influential and remarkable figures in the history of Christianity. In terms of theological influence, none since Calvin had shaped the thought of evangelicals the way Edwards did. The works he published has carried on the tradition of Calvinism and has especially contributed to the Christian Hedonism of John Piper, Sam Storms, and others. His corpus of theological works is worthy of consideration for any serious theology student. Edwards was the premier theologian of the 18th century and there has yet to be a theologian to surpass his greatness since.However, Jonathan Edwards the theologian is only one title that only describes one aspect of his being. Jonathan Edwards was also a devoted husband, father, and missionary. His supreme love for God flowed over into every other aspect of his life.Because of his influence and example as theologian, husband, father, and more, Jonathan Edwards is worthy of studying his works and his life and if one is found without the other in a biography, the reader will come away disappointed. In fact, even approaching the authorship of a biography of a man like Edwards is an enormous task. What Marsden does in this biography of Edwards is he shows us Jonathan Edwards, the man. We see both his life and his theological works, and how the latter fits into the former. For such a polarizing and influential figure, Marsden remarkably “gets him.” This is why this biography must be considered the primary biography on Jonathan Edwards and can already be considered a classic.SummaryMarsden accomplishes the goal of painting an accurate and compelling picture of Edwards by examining the complete journey of his life. Marsden provides a holistic understanding of Edwards’ thought and personal struggles. Edwards’ teachings are brought out within the context of his life. What Marsden does throughout all thirty chapters is trace the life, ministry, thinking, and theology of Jonathan Edwards through various joys and struggles. Whether it is detailing taking over as pastor of Solomon Stoddard’s church, or describing the painful ousting of Edwards from the same post, Marsden honestly portrays Edwards as a man who adored the triune God and faced everything in his life with utter confidence in him. Marsden presents Edwards’ life in what seems to be three different sections.First, Marsden examines the childhood of Edwards. Here Marsden discusses his lineage by giving some background to his parents. Edwards’ mind is portrayed in this section in his pre-Christian state. Edwards’ conversion is described as happening over a period of time and not in an instantaneous moment. Edwards understood his conversion as he slowly grew spiritually.In the second section, Marsden chronicles a time of growth, reflection, and personal suffering for Edwards and his family when they were in Northampton. During this time, Marsden details Edwards’ relationship with David Brainerd as well as Edwards’ marriage to Sarah and the birth of his seven children. This section also gave space to the First Great Awakening where revivals hit America. Marsden discusses Edwards’ role in the spiritual explosion in Protestantism in America. It is here that Marsden demonstrates his candor and honesty when it comes to Edwards. He writes that Edwards probably overstated the extent of the revivals that happened in Northampton. Nevertheless, Edwards was a primary figure in the Great Awakening.In the third and final section, Marsden chronicles the latter years of Edwards’ life. Edwards goes from being a pastor to a missionary to Native Americans and then finally he takes the position of President of Princeton before his death. Marsden focuses on Edwards writing in this section and after a thorough look at Edwards’ life, his writings can be more accurately understood.One thing that is particularly helpful is the correct context that we are taken into. Edwards considered himself to be a citizen of Great Britain and was politically “pre-Revolutionary” (1). Edwards grew up in the colonial time of the New World. It was during this time that the First Great Awakening was prepped. As it was, Edwards viewed this arrival of revival as being a direct work of a sovereign God. From the initial overview of Edwards’ life to the summation of the legacy he left behind, Marsden carefully probes the history in such detail that this biography can be simultaneously viewed as a weighty history book. Marsden’s dwelling on the historical context gives great reliability and better understandability to the life and ministry of Edwards. To ignore the history of the time of Edwards is to miss the major influences on Edwards’ mind and ministry. Understanding any historical figure must be done so within the historical context in which he lived. Marsden takes readers into 18th century pre-Revolutionary America, which provides a much clearer portrait of Edwards. Critical EvaluationMarsden’s biography on Edwards is the premier Edwards biography and it seems that there are a few reasons worth mentioning. Firstly, Marsden gives fair attention to the life of Edwards and the works of Edwards. One is not forsaken for the other. Marsden would break away from the biographical life and look at Edwards the author as he chronologically approached his writing in the course of his life. As Edwards’ writing appeared in his life, so did Marsden bring it out. This is evidence of Marsden’s unparalleled research.A second major strength of this work is its overall historical prowess. While most biographies do well with the immediate historical context, Marsden goes above and beyond by deeply bringing out all of the historical significance of Edwards’ life and the time period in which he lived.A third strength is the unbiased tone and direction this biography takes. Biographies by nature are usually biased one way or another. Marsden accomplishes the goal he sets out in the preface to produce an unbiased portrait of Edwards (xvii, xviii). One example is Edwards’ removal from his pastorate at Northampton. The way Marsden presents the details of the decision to remove Edwards, the reader is forced to draw his or her own conclusions as to whether his removal was just or not. By avoiding bias, Marsden stands in the backdrop and allows Edwards to speak for himself through his words, writings, and actions.ConclusionJonathan Edwards: A Life is quite simply a masterpiece. There is no greater biography on this giant theologian. While this biography is self-admittedly not an exhaustive look at Edwards’ life, Marsden leaves little to be desired. If one wants to know Edwards the man, pastor, and theologian, he or she must look no further than Marsden’s work. Edwards is a figure who will always be talked about. This discussion has been greatly aided by the work of Marsden. This honest portrayal of a sinner redeemed by grace helps those looking back to Edwards not to idolize him, but actually learn from him—from his sins and from his devotion to the God he loved and adored.

Every review I have read of this biography rates it highly. Everyone I have spoken too who has read it speaks highly of it as well. As for my opinion, this is an extraordinary and wonderful book. It is superbly written and is a thrilling account of one of the world's greatest theologians. It has changed my life in giving me a new appreciation of the sheer great goodness of God, challenged me to worship and stretched my thinking. Buy it and enjoy the book,Edwards and above all, Edwards' God.

It is hard to think of a better biography, maybe impossible. This is the definitive biography of Jonathan Edwards. Marsden has also written a shorter biography in which he places Edwards in contrast to his contemporary, Benjamin Franklin. That is also good, but not as good as this one. Fair, accurate, balanced and a compelling read. You will feel like you know Edwards much better after reading this book, guaranteed.

Great read!

Wonderful biography, surely a fine work. The same can't be said of this kindle version. The notes aren't linked, making it almost impossible to find them adequately. The first chapter letters sometimes overlap the first word, and words blend almost every page start. If you don't mind reading without notes, go for it, if not, buy the paperback.

Good weight, arrived in good condition and as anticipated.