Jonathan Edwards Lover of God by Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan – This volume of the Essential Edwards Collection tells the story of Jonathan’s life and the important events that shaped his faith and views on God and salvation. It is a biographical and contextual look at the man credited for starting the First Great Awakening.

Jonathan Edwards on Beauty by Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan – This volume focuses on Edwards’ view of God, God’s communication of beauty, and God’s desire that Christians recognize His beauty both in Scripture and the world. Edwards is presented as a “God-intoxicated” man, captivated by God’s glory and beauty, and committed to sharing that beauty with others.

Jonathan Edwards on Heaven and Hell by Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan – This volume explains Edwards’ strong sense of pastoral responsibility to warn his people of the reality and dangers of judgment and hell. But it also shows his equally vivid and compelling views of heaven and eternal life.

Jonathan Edwards on the Good Life by Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan – This volume focuses on how Edwards found joy and fulfillment by encouraging others to know and worship God. For Edwards, the good life was one lived in accordance with God’s will, a life of worshipful participation in, and magnification of, God’s glory and beauty.

Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity by Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan – This volume focuses on Edwards’ view of the nature of true religion, true conversion, and supernatural regeneration. Going from the problem of human sin, and the inadequacy of head knowledge, to God using our biblical knowledge to give us new hearts filled with Him, Edwards believed God wants to unite us to Christ by the indwelling presence of His Spirit.

From: HCTU Director Doug Sweeney
RE: New Jonathan Edwards Center at TEDS
Date: 1/12/2010

In conjunction with the Jonathan Edwards Center of Yale University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is pleased to announce the formation of a new Jonathan Edwards Center at TEDS, effective immediately. This partnership was formalized on the campus of TEDS on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Kenneth P. Minkema, director of the Yale Center, and Douglas A. Sweeney, director of the Trinity Center, both spoke to this groundbreaking development and noted its excellent prospects.

The Center at TEDS is the newest of several satellite Edwards Centers founded by Yale’s Edwards Center in strategic locations around the world. The purpose of these Centers is to promote awareness of and scholarship on Edwards in the academy and also the church. Existing locations include Germany (Tübingen), Poland, South Africa, and Australia (Ridley College). The Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity is, apart from the Yale Center, the only existing such center in North America.

The JEC at Trinity provides a rare opportunity for us to engage the larger world of Edwards studies, and to share the riches of that world with our community. The Center will debut a website near the end of February that will offer our academic and ecclesial communities access to a wide range of Edwards resources. The Center will also feature a designated computer terminal in the library on which students and visiting scholars will be able to access a wealth of resources for the study of Edwards and related figures and movements throughout history. Trinity is the only school in North America, other than Yale, with access to this range of materials.

As Director of the new Center, Sweeney is currently planning the further development of its work. In coming weeks, the JEC will announce a program of events. In addition to regular conferencing, the JEC at Trinity will offer two lecture series: “Jonathan Edwards and the Church,” which will feature the best Christian Edwards scholars in the world in conversation with Sweeney and a variety of clergy who are interested in Edwards and his legacies to the church; and “New Directions in Edwards Studies,” which will feature cutting-edge research on Edwards and his influence.

Furthermore, the JEC at TEDS will seek to encourage Trinity students, and other students in the region, to undertake advanced work on Edwards and his legacies around the world. It will provide pastors and scholars with up-to-date web resources for making good on Edwards’ legacy and for staying up on the most important Edwards scholarship.

Those interested in the JEC at TEDS should look for a second announcement in late February that will make public the new website and announce a range of programs. It is with gratefulness to God, and thanks to our friends at Yale, that we announce this unique partnership.

Sweeney begins the book by examining the place of the Bible in eighteenth century colonial American life. He concludes that the society into which Edwards was born, “may have been the most biblically oriented and literate society in the world” (28), a society thoroughly saturated with the Bible every moment of the day, especially on Sundays. After a brief introduction to Edwards’s world, Sweeney moves to a discussion of Edwards’s early life in the first chapter, “Study to Shew Thyself Approved.” This chapter details Edwards’s early experience with the Bible and experimental religion, discussing especially the education Edwards received at home under his father Timothy, and during his collegiate years at Yale. This chapter also includes a discussion of Edwards’s conversion to Christianity, his first pastorate in New York City, and some of his earliest writings.

Chapter two, “Preach the Word,” opens with Jonathan’s arrival in Northampton to become the assistant pastor to the great Solomon Stoddard, later assuming the head pastor position after Stoddard dies in 1729. Here Sweeney gives us an up-close glimpse into Edwards’s life as pastor of Northampton: what his days were like, what his relationships with his congregation and with his family were like (I appreciate the very balanced discussion of Edwards’s family life, acknowledging how gentle and loving a father and husband he was, but making no pains to gloss over the fact that Jonathan Edwards was also a slave owner), and what he was like as a preacher, in structure, rhetoric, and mannerisms. “Search the Scriptures,” the third chapter of the book, narrows into a more focused look at Edwards’s intimate relationship with the Bible. It brings a rare discussion of Edwards’s exegetical methods, how he viewed the inspiration of Scripture, and the meticulous way in which he interpreted and applied Scripture in his ministry and writings.

Such application would come into controversy during the years of the Great Awakening revivals, which is the primary subject of chapter four, “Try the Spirits.” This chapter discusses the experimental religion aspect of Edwards’s thought and writings. In other words, it discusses Edwards’s answer to the question, “How does the Holy Spirit work in the life of a Christian, especially at conversion?” Chapter four ends with the sad tale of Edwards’s dismissal from the church at Northampton. Chapter five, “With All Thy Mind,” shifts the narrative away from the more practical elements of Edwards’s theology to the more theoretical and doctrinal. It discusses Edwards’s heaviest treatises, including Freedom of the Will, Original Sin, and Edwards’s two dissertations, The End for Which God Created the World and The Nature of True Virtue. But though these works are quite heady and hard to grasp, Sweeney does a remarkable job helping the reader better understand what Edwards was attempting to do through them.

Chapter six, “As the Waters Cover the Sea,” examines the post-Northampton years of Edwards’s life, including his work as a missionary to the Stockbridge Indians, and his brief stint as President of The College of New Jersey (later, Princeton) before his death in 1758. Most notable in this chapter is Sweeney’s discussion of Edwards’s influence and impact on modern missionary efforts, especially with the publication of his Life of David Brainerd. The final chapter of the book is entitled, “The Word of the Lord Endureth Forever.” Its focus is the legacy of Jonathan Edwards in the centuries since his death, including his impact on theological development before and after the American Revolution, his influence on nineteenth century American literature, and brief mention of his legacy today, very much alive in the resurgence of Reformed Theology taking place in Evangelical circles.

This final chapter concludes with seven theses that Douglas Sweeney offers on how to live today using insights learned from the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards. These theses are quite helpful and are alone worth the price of the book. As he states in the introduction of the book, the point is not to impose eighteenth century religious life on twenty-first century Christians, but instead to see how modern Christians can foster the type of Bible-soaked spiritual lives that Jonathan Edwards was known for.

All in all, this book is a very fine introduction to Edwards and his ministry. If there are any faults in this book, it may be that it’s too brief! This especially pertains to chapter three, the chapter that closely examined Edwards’s relationship with the Bible. This area of Edwards’s work is sorely lacking in scholarly examination. I realize that such an examination is outside the purpose of the present volume, but there was enough of a tease that it left me wanting much more on this subject.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is that it is a spiritual biography that doesn’t end up in hagiography. Sweeney paints a realistic portrait of Edwards, warts and all, which is so vital in looking at saints from the past. It’s important to remember that, though they accomplished great things, they were human just as modern Christians are, all susceptible to the same faults and sins. Another strength of this book is that Sweeney accomplishes what he set out to do, and that is to present to Christians an account of Edwards’s life and work with an emphasis on how much Scripture influenced and guided everything that Edwards did. Such an accomplishment makes this volume one of the most approachable for the modern churchgoer who may have been intimidated by reading about an eighteenth century figure who lived in a world seemingly quite different from her own. This book would be perfect for church small groups and Sunday School classes who have an interest in church history or learning more about America’s greatest theologian.

After an Old Testament reading (usually at least a chapter in length), the minister “gave the sense” of the text, offered a New Testament lesson (typically lectio continua, continuous reading, week by week, of major sections of Scripture) and then explained that text as well. The people sang a metrical psalm. The pastor led a corporate prayer of public confession and intercession. Then he preached a massive, exegetical sermon (usually one to two hours in length). After another corporate prayer, often lasting half an hour, the congregation sang another psalm and heard the benediction (which was usually from the Bible).

One could absolutely conclude, as Sweeney does, that worship services in colonial New England were thoroughly centered and grounded upon the Scriptures. One could even go farther, stepping outside the narrow, ecclesiastical context, to claim that much of everyday life in the colonies was centered around the Scriptures. Religion touched every aspect of one’s life (social, familial, vocational, etc.), and and this is one of the biggest keys to understanding early to mid 18th century American society (things drastically change in the latter part of the century largely due to Enlightenment influences and movement toward revolution and independence). This, of course, is largely foreign to us in the 21st century and results in a good deal of misrepresentation of our colonial forebears.

Publisher’s Description
Jonathan Edwards has been recognized as the most influential evangelical theologian of all time. Before his death at the age of fifty-four, he had sparked a new movement of Reformed evangelicals who played a major role in fueling the rise of modern missions, preaching revivals far and wide, and wielding the cutting edge of American theology. He has never gone out of print, and Christians today continue to flock to seminars and conferences on him.

In this biography of the great preacher and teacher, historian Douglas Sweeney locates for us the core and key to Edwards’ enduring impact. Sweeney finds that Edwards’ profound and meticulous study of the Bible securely anchored his powerful preaching, his lively theological passions and his discerning pastoral work. Beyond introducing you to Edwards’ life and times, this book will provide you with a model of Christian faith, thought and ministry.

Endorsements
“Doug Sweeney has written a fine introduction to Jonathan Edwards’ life and theology. Accessible and accurate, this introduction is a good place to start in trying to understand Edwards as a man, a Christian, a theologian and a pastor.” —Mark Dever, senior pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.

“I love this book! Doug Sweeney not only demonstrates the central role of Scripture in the theology and pastoral ministry of Jonathan Edwards but also provides us with a vibrant portrayal of his life and the many brilliant insights that have rightly contributed to his global reputation. Combining clarity and ease of style with a remarkable breadth of research, Sweeney has given us a treatment of Edwards that may well prove to be the standard against which all future contributions are judged. I highly recommend it!” —Sam Storms, Ph.D., senior pastor, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

“Doug Sweeney gives us a nourishing and tasty introduction to the real Edwards, and focuses in this brief but substantial volume on Edwards’ ministry of the Word. He provides a fascinating entre to the life and career of Edwards, and then zeroes in on Edwards’ multifaceted understanding of Scripture. Sweeney gives us enough detail to stimulate new insights into Edwards,Scripture and its Author. But his writing is not so technical that the general reader would not be abundantly rewarded by perusing this slim but informative and illuminating volume.” —Gerald McDermott, professor of religion, Roanoke College, Salem, Virginia

“Douglas Sweeney has written an admirable ‘Jonathan Edwards for Christians.’ It is at once authoritative and addressed to the practical concerns of evangelicals in the pews.” —George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life and A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards

“With the exception of George Marsden and Kenneth Minkema, it is hard to find someone more knowledgeable about Jonathan Edwards than Douglas Sweeney. In focusing his book on Edwards as minister, Sweeney offers academic and clerical readers a treasure trove of insight and elegant prose. If not Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, the inclusion of seven ‘theses’ for discussion at the end is a stroke of genius and will certainly enhance the reading experience for church groups of all levels. For anyone interested in getting to know America’s greatest theologian in greater detail, this masterful analysis is must-reading.” —Harry S. Stout, Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Religious History, Yale University

“A lively, intimate portrait of a man many have found distant and intimidating. Douglas Sweeney reveals Jonathan Edwards to be the flesh-and-blood Christian we should have suspected he was, in a way that neither patronizes nor idealizes him. As importantly, we have here for the first time an account of Edwards’ life that rightly places the Bible at the center of his intellectual and pastoral genius.” —Robert E. Brown, assistant professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University, and author of Jonathan Edwards and the Bible

“Strangely, it has taken nearly three centuries for us to realize the obvious: that Jonathan Edwards had a lifelong love affair with the Bible. Doug Sweeney has been at the forefront of elucidating Edwards the exegete and the biblical foundations of his theology. In this new work, Sweeney shows the vital, reflective and informed connections between Edwards’ Biblicism and his calling as a ‘faithful minister of the Word.’ Even more, Sweeney points out the extent to which Edwards’ more formal theological formulations arose directly out of his local pastoral experience. This study will be a blessing to pastors, preachers and spiritual leaders, who can learn from Edwards’ faith, thought and experience.” —Dr. Kenneth P. Minkema, executive director, Jonathan Edwards Center, and adjunct assistant professor of American religious history, Yale University

It is with this in mind that the editors of Jonathan Edwards at Home and Abroad sought to gather a group of scholars to begin the conversation in hopes of sparking further study into this important topic. In the introduction of this volume, the problem the authors observed is further spelled out: “Much work remains to be done on the long-term significance of his life and ministry, the dissemination of his many writings (both published and unpublished), his roles as a clerical and intellectual exemplar, his influence outside the world of religion, the appropriation and re-appropriation of his remarkably resilient cultural authority, and the convergence of these developments into discernible intellectual and ecclesiastical movements” (xii). That one sentence represents generations of further Edwards studies.

The book is divided into three parts, each offering a broad lens from which to approach the study of Edwards’s legacy. Part one, entitled “Remembering Edwards’s Ministry,” is comprised of four essays looking at how Edwards is remembered as a pastor in eighteenth century New England. George Marsden, more qualified than anyone to do so, muses on the various challenges faced by Edwards’s biographers. Michael McClymond speculates on the probable cultural shifts that may have occurred had Edwards lived to finish his History of the Work of Redemption, self-described by Edwards as “a body of divinity in an entire new method.” Catherine Brekus discusses Edwards’s ministry to children, specifically in how he thought and ministered in terms of the salvation of children, and the controversies that later developed out of it. Concluding part one of this volume, Ava Chamberlain probes the “bad book” controversy, seeing this episode as less to do with reputations in the community and everything to do with cultural transformations related to sex and speech that were coming to a head in the late eighteenth century.

Part two of this collection focuses on the influence of Edwards on American culture at large. Mark Valeri looks at how Edwards, and those who followed him, were influential on the development of the American market economy. James German explores Edwards’s doctrine of depravity and how that played into early American politics. Charles Hambrick-Stowe discusses the marriage of Edwardsian piety and the burgeoning abolition movements, particularly in the activism of Samuel Hopkins, Sarah Osborn, and Lemuel Haynes. Rounding out part two, Sharon Kim and Amanda Porterfield contribute articles tracing Edwardsian influence into pop culture, the former in the world of nineteenth century woman’s fiction, the latter in the film Runaway Bride.

Part three takes us abroad to get a better idea of how Edwards was received outside America. David Bebbington begins this discussion with a survey of the countries most known as having been penetrated by Edwards, whether through influence or published works. D. Bruce Hindmarsh focuses in on England, particularly early evangelicals in England. Moving north on the island, Christopher Mitchell explores the well-known “Scottish connection” that Edwards developed, primarily looking at this connection through the six correspondents with whom Edwards formed the closest friendships. Andrew Walls and Stuart Piggins focus on how missionary efforts were sparked by Edwards and those who followed him, first through the publication of Life of Brainerd and later through the efforts of the various evangelical missionary societies. The final essay in this volume comes from M.X. Lesser, best known for the extensive annotated bibliographies on Edwards that he has compiled and edited. Naturally, then, he briefly discusses how Edwards’s works have traveled across the globe, and then gives an extensive list of Edwards’s works published abroad.

This collection of essays is very helpful in bringing the various issues regarding Edwards’s legacy into view. Indeed, there is something here for all types of scholarly pursuit and can be very useful in thinking through ways to bridge disciplines in knowing how Edwards’s works have been used since his death in 1758. Hopefully this book has started the conversation and furthered the interest in this very important, yet very neglected, study of Jonathan Edwards and his works.