Product Description
This definitive biography of America’s most important religious figure draws on newly available sources to reveal how he was shaped by the cultural and religious battles of his time.

“A magisterial biography.”—Wall Street Journal

“The finest biography of this towering figure.”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly

“One way to make sense of contemporary evangelicalism is to consider how it has both hewed to and strayed from the path laid down by one of its most brilliant founding fathers. Thanks to Marsden’s authoritative new biography . . . the path is now more clear.”—Jay Tolson, U.S. News & World Report

“In this conscientious and eloquent biography, pious Jonathan Edwards comes to unruly life with all his unresolved complexity intact.”—Thomas D’Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor

“Superb and engrossing.”—Robert D. Richardson, Washington Post Book World

“[Marsden] writes with such verve that he has given us not only the definitive biography but also a narrative that reads like a novel.”—Edward T. Oakes, Commonweal

•Finalist for a 2003 National Book Critics Circle Award in biography
•Winner of the 2004 Bancroft Prize
•Named one of Atlantic Monthly’s Books of the Year
•Winner of the 2004 Merle Curti Award from the Organization of American Historians and the 2001–2003 Annibel Jenkins Biography Prize

George M. Marsden is Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame.




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Customer Reviews (43)

Good book
I'm only 60 pages in, but good so far. Apparently Marsden is a believer, so the book has significant depth.

Wanting to read Edwards? Read this first!
What makes a good biography? If the biographer communicates a sustained vision of the subject's culture, values, relationships, etc. the reader usually walks away from the book with a greater understanding of that person in their own time. What makes a good Christian biography? If the biographer communicates the subject's commitment to Christ, how that led them to make decisions, and how that affected the world around them, the reader is encouraged to look to Christ in a similar way and walk accordingly. It's Philippians 3:17 postmortem style.

There is a problem though: Christian biographers create a good Christian biography and forget to make a good biography. How does this happen? From the small children's biographies of famous missionaries up to the bigger tomes on prominent theologians (Edwards included), the common mistake seems to be that in his or her rush to portray the subject as a Christian, the biographer forgets to substantially include the setting that gives context to the subject's commitment to Christ.

George Marsden, thankfully, doesn't fall into this trap. In his biography of Jonathan Edwards, he supplies both a biography and a Christian biography. Properly placing Edwards' faith in its historical context yields much fruit for those who are familiar with his works, or for those interested in reading Edwards. Three things stood out to me:

1) I consider Marden's biography essential reading before delving into Edwards' theological works. I've read The Religious Affections and The Freedom of the Will, and my understanding of both has been greatly served by reading Marsden's biography. When the reader understands Edwards' postmillenial interpretation of Scripture, his works come alive. But even more so, Marden does well to show the theological and philosophical background of the day, and especially the beliefs of those whom Edwards is arguing against in his theological treatise. Religious Affections argues against the "Old Light" Puritan beliefs concerning conversion, and instead argues positively for a conversion that shows up in an individual's emotions and experience. Freedom of the Will argues against both the Arminian understanding of soteriology, as well as a libertarian view of man's will. I recommend both... after you read this biography.

2) I consider Marden's biography important reading before reading other biographies on Edwards. The only other Edwards biography I've found especially helpful is Iain Murray's, but even that one leans too far on the Christian side of biography. The others I've been acquainted with lean too far one way or the other, and are less helpful in of themselves.A helpful addition is Marsden's examination at the end of the book on how Edwards has been viewed throughout the years by different biographers. An examination of Edwards in light of the 21st century surge in Calvinism would have been nice, but in 2003 that may have been off Marsden's radar, and is likely too nuanced for him to include in a future edition.

3) Marden's biography is good devotional reading. He quotes Edwards directly (as any good biographer should), showing Edwards transformation from a generally curious and inquisitive youth into a theological and philosophical powerhouse. Along the way, we see his internal struggles with his own sin, his external struggles with people, and his personal struggle with his ambition to do something great for the sake of the Gospel. It's this ambition that I found particularly compelling. When reading other good biographies, the reader gets a sense of nuanced personal ambition. Thus, Jim Elliot wanted to take Christ where He was not named; Whitefield wanted to spread Christ's fame among the churched but unconverted populace in England and America. Edwards ambition was writing for the glory of God. He saw history coming to a decisive turning point in the Church's struggle against evil in the world, and he saw himself as a warrior in the struggle. Thus, he lended his great intellectual abilities and pen to the cause of Christ within a postmillenial framework. Today's Church benefits from his writing, regardless of our millenial understandings.

So, Edwards becomes an example in the manner of Philippians 3:17 to show others how one pursued Christ, and by implication challenges others to follow him as he follows Christ. With head, heart, and hands, Edwards wanted more of Christ. Marden's biography is the best introduction that I've read to the life of Edwards.

Superior Biography of THE Major American Theologean
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 Edwardsecclesiastical 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.

Edwards in-depth
There are so many Edwards bios available and so few that view his life in the entire context of his times, by that I mean beyond the religious history that helped shape his focus and work.This work is so intriguing and in-depth that I am amazed at the author's ability to bring together so many threads of Edwards' life to make a (for me) satisfying tapestry.As well, the price is phenomenal for such a work!

If you're looking for a quick read to get a survey of his life, skip it.

George Marsden: Good Job
Marsden's biography on Jonathan Edwards is of the highest quality.It gives an excellent introduction to all of Edwards' life and thought, as he takes the time to not only show Edwards' life events but he also inserts his works at appropriate moments.These moments are long enough to provide adequate information on JE's various works ("The Life of David Brainerd", for example), but they don't stay overlong.

A superbly written book, it is quite easy to stay interested and be well-informed at the same time! ... Read more

Product Description
In THE RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS Jonathan Edwards provides an incisive analysis of genuine Christian feelings. Drawn from his experiences during the Great Awakening, his insights are every bit as relevant to our own times as they were then. Religion is not a matter of mere emotionalism, but neither is it a matter of doctrines with no personal emotional investment. Some signs of Christianity conversion are unreliable, but there are twelve genuine marks of a Christian. Jonathan Edwards was a preacher and missionary in colonial America. The son of a minister, he attended Yale while still a teenager and went on to study theology. While he was pastoring a church in Northampton, the Great Awakening reached the town. Amid the fervor of religious revival, Edwards preached both encourage to true Christianity and to alert congregations to superficial imitations. THE RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS is a systematic collection of his preaching at that time. Above all, he says, it is changed lives and characters that provide evidence of true Christianity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Good but take your time in reading it
Bravo to Edwards for another great book. One can expect his writings to always be Christ-Centered and not a display for the shallow, self-centered materialistic masses who seek the gifts ( greed, materialism, prestige & selfish ambition) and not the Giver of the gifts. You will never find Edwards appealing to the "have it your way" and "I did it my way crowd". His books are for those thirsty and hungering for more of God over everything else.

In this book you will find Christ alone exalted from start, center and ending. There is no room for appeals to our carnal nature, just a proclamation of those who are dead (to the world) but gloriously hidden and alive in Christ and how they surrender affection toward Christ in Spirit and in Truth.

This book was highly recommended to me when I was searching for another meaty book that lines up with the truth in theWord/Bible. It is to be read prayerfully and not rushed through. It is one of those books that you take your time reading for days. I did not find it as easy to quickly flow through like some of his other straight to the point, cut right to the bone & marrow straight from the Holy Spirit books.

I'm still enthralled by all things Jonathan Edwards. However, I was especially glad that he exposes the Religious affections of the lost (not redeemed) toward their false objects of worship and distinguishes the difference in the false and true. The redeemed have the affections that are true toward our God who is the only one worthy of it. Religious affections toward an object is not a sign that that object is true and worthy but
the author makes a brilliant case and logical rebuttals as to why Jesus is most worthy of all honor, praise and worship by his redeemed recipients of his marvelous grace.


Those that God has placed into the Body of Christ must come to God on his terms receiving him as their Lord and Savior because of who he is and what he is. He drives home the point of the extreme worth of Christ and the price of the payment he made for us on the Cross and I say Amen!This book is worth every dime!

All writings of Edwards including this book has gemstones within which make it worth every dollar spent!

Probably the best formatted Kindle edition out there
Of the 4 different samples of Religious Affections for the Kindle, and I found this to be the most readable. There are italics and underlining in the text, which makes it easier to read. It's not perfect (5-way controller can't skip ahead to a different section) but the Scriptural references are underlined (linked to CCEL site, but it's a barely functional site on the Kindle), and the footnotes work.

THIS BOOK IS FILLED WITH ERROR

Don't misunderstand me: This is a great work by Jonathan Edwards. Please take time to slowly read and understand what he is saying in order to grasp it. Do not get in a hurry, there is much here to help our understanding of Christian things and use to examine our hearts and draw us closer to God. Again, it is a difficult read for most, yet slowing down to grasp each word, each sentence and each paragraph is of utmost importance to being able to follow him in his thinking throughout.

However, this book produced by Eremitical Press out of Vancouver, is filled with typos and missing/extra words. It is poorly edited and filled with error, even the blurb on the back cover shows this and contains error itself; "Edwards preached both encourage to true Christianity and to alert congregations to superficial imitations." Read it again and note the missing word "to" in the text between "both" and "encourage."

I am disappointed in this edition, not in this work. If you are bothered by typos and the sort and they turn you off, avoid this edition and purchase another edition by another publisher. You may also want to avoid any and all other publications by Eremitical Press, as perhaps this is status quo for them?

Keep in mind this book and subject itself is of great value otherwise.

Tedious But Some Good Stuff in the Process
Jonathan Edwards was a brilliant and devout Christian, and his writings display his great knowledge of the Word of God.Religious Affections, on one hand, is great fodder for thought and has much to offer.

On the other hand, Edwards speculates a little too much, and he repeats himself so often that the reader wonders if he is making progress in the subject matter under discussion.The truth is that wheat and tares populate the church, and to understand the different psychology behind the tares and wheat is an undertaking too deep for mortal man.The secret things belong to the Lord, but the revealed to us (Deut. 29:29),I think I would disagree with Edwards as to what is secret and what is revealed!

Having offered this criticism, this is a book worth wading through. I especially appreciated his distinguishing between imagination and spirituality (p. 94).

Rather that stand in awe of Edwards, I think we are wise to glean to the good and reject that which are extensions of extensions of speculation, just as we would modern solid teachers of the Word. Sometimes the aura of being vintage adds weight to a person's views beyond the reasonableness of his argument.

Hideous Edition
One star reflects not the content of Religious Affections, but the deplorable quality of the Sovereign Grace Publishers edition.For starters, the author's name is mis-spelled on the cover and spine ("jonathOn").Once you overlook the cover, the font and type size make reading this edition a truly painful experience.I recommend Edwards...but save yourself the embarrassment and headaches (literally!) of this edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Jonathan Edwards is celebrated as America's finest Christian thinker. In FREEDOM OF THE WILL he presents an analysis of Calvinist and Arminian ideas about free will. In doing so, he pursues a relentless logic and cites hundreds of pieces of evidence from Scripture. Edwards was a preacher and missionary in colonial America. The son of a minister, he attended Yale while still a teenager and went on to study theology. While he was pastoring a church in Northampton, the Great Awakening reached the town. Amid the fervor of religious revival, Edwards preached both encourage to true Christianity and to alert congregations to superficial imitations. Toward the end of his life, Edwards was appointed president of Princeton University. FREEDOM OF THE WILL is Jonathan Edwards' masterpiece of profound analysis and his most important contribution to Christian thought. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A Must Read
A must read but definitely one to be read with much care. Edwards is phenomenal and his insight and depth is unmatched. Prepare to be challenged.

tough read
I'm not a very smart guy. It took every ounce of my resolve to get through this book. I didn't understand all the arguments. However, I have a far better understanding of the Calvinist position on predestination. I learned a lot about how to construct logical argument. One of his main techniques is precisely defining his terms; for example, what exactly is "the will." He then shows how Arminians define the term in self-contradictory ways. I found "Religious Affections" much more convicting and accessible, but Edwards demonstrates his penetrating intellect more in "Freedom of the Will.". I would suggest planning to spend a lot of time trying to understand the arguments in this book.

This particular edition has a lot of typos. Something about "Cod's majestic glory" made me chuckle. Another problem is that there is no explanation by the publisher. Footnotes go on for pages and then are signed by "-W" Is this Edwards? Is this somebody else?

Great book. I don't know if it would convince a die hard Arminian, but the book makes me meditate on the nature of God and his relationship with creation and his creatures. Is God the author of evil? How can we be held responsible for moral choices when we are morally deficient to make good choices? What is human will?

I definitely need to go through the book again.

New version of 19th Century Wesleyan Work Answers Edwards
There is now a republished book from a 19th Century Wesleyan scholar that thoroughly answers Edwards on the will. The title is "Freedom of the Will: A Wesleyan Response to Jonathan Edwards" by Daniel D. Whedon and is available on Amazon.

Whedon (1808-1885) was a prominent university professor, author and Wesleyan theologian of the 19th Century. He was a professor of ancient languages at Wesleyan University in Connecticut and professor of Rhetoric at the University of Michigan. He was the editor of the Methodist Quarterly Review from 1856-1884 and wrote a number of books.

He denied that the strongest selfish motives drive the will. He notes that the importance of the motives must be evaluated by the will. He writes: "What is in truth meant by the highest or strongest motive must be derives by the mind itself; and thence we have this definition, all important to this discussion, that the so-called strength of a motive is the comparative prevalence that the will assigns it in its own action."

He says in so many words that people are not particularly rational when it comes to their motives.

Sometimes people do things arbitrarily and have no motive at all. Or sometimes people will sacrifice their immediate happiness for self interest for a greater cause. Furthermore, Whedon insists that the Will is not driven and necessitated by motives. He says the will itself is the ultimate cause of the decision and action that and the motives flow from the will.

But considering Edwards philosophy of necessitarianism, he writes, "Necessitation is a forceful causation acting upon the Will securing a given volitional act, accordant with the Will because it makes the Will accord with itself. In the former case, the power of the body is nullified to perform any otherthan the given corporeal act. In the latter, the power of the soul is nullified to putting forth any other than the given volitional act." (p. 340)

Concerning the issue of moral inability vs. natural ability, Whedon says this is a meaningless statement. He says, "If there is no moral ability, there is no natural ability. If the absence of motive, or force of counter motive renders the volition impossible, the absence of volition renders the external act impossible."

"Where there is no power to will, there is no power to executethe behest of the will. That behest cannot be obeyed if it cannot exist."

On a related issue, Whedon insists we are not caught up in nothing but a cause(s)-with-one-effect existence. He says, "God knows in every case that the agent who wills a certain way possessed a the elemental power to of choosing another way, or several elemental powers of choosing several other ways. This conception of free alternatives stands opposed to the conception of a universal system of absolute necessity, as taught by Edwards of which every event is a fixed product of fixed causes."

He also says that if someone does not have the power and freedom to choose more than one way, then God cannot hold the person responsible as it would violate his justice.


Interestingly enough, he takes the position that Christ himself operated freely and implies that at least theoretically Christ as man could have sinned. Probably our gut reaction is to reject this but he does give the interesting argument that if Christ was absolutely incapable of sinning, that makes the temptations of Christ, in which we are told he was tempted just as we are, rather meaningless.

Whedon writes "Without the power of volitional compliance, temptation is an unreality. Temptation to an impossible act is impossible. It is impossible to say that I am tempted to fly to the moon, or that I am tempted to make two and two to be five...But in the case of Jesus, it is the very volition that is supposed to be out of his power. His so willing is supposed to be as impossible as my so flying."

Whedon likens Edwards view as turning the universe into an orrery, which is a mechanical device for rotation the stars and planets or "a mechanically moving figures of a great panorama." He also argues against the Edwardian idea that accepting the freedom of man limits and degrades God: "Denying the freedom of man does not honor but degrades God's sovereignty sinking him from the ruler of free subjects to a manipulator of mechanisms."

Furthermore, he says God's cause and effect ultimately makes God the author of sin.

There is a lot more. I highly recommend this book as an alternative perspective to anyone interested in this controversy.

Worthwhile book
It is a book that takes getting used too as you start reading. One needs to underestand the rhythm of the writer as well as the detailed method used back then. It is well worht the effort to read.

Most profound study from America's premier philosopher
We are free to do what we desire - but our desires are enslaved to sin ensuring that our "will" is no longer truly free. So argues Jonathan Edwards, considered by many to be America's premier philosopher and theologian. Few have given this difficult topic the kind of attention and logical sophistication that Dr. Edwards did in this treatise.Whether we are students of Calvin, Luther, Augustine, or Aquinas, there is much in this work we can appreciate from this giant of American intellects. This is not for the casual theological/philosophical mind but requires a great deal of concentration to grasp. The somewhat anachronistic 18th century language gives the work even more challenge.But the deeper appreciation of God's providence and grace will be it's own reward. These are not the doctrines of fatalism as another reviewer has described.These are the doctrines of a God who reaches out to mankind in our helpless state. It is by grace and grace alone that we can know and serve God only by the movement of His Holy Spirit in our lives. There may be subtle differences between the great thinkers on this topic (mentioned earlier) but none deny the essential truth that mankind is lost and finds no rest until it rests in Him. Essential reading for philosophers and theologians alike. ... Read more

Product Description
A selection of Jonathan Edward's sermons, which seeks to recognise their crucial role in his life and art. The 15 sermons reflect a life dedicated to experiencing and understanding spiritual truth, and address a wide range of occasions, situations and states.Amazon.com Review
The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader is the firstpublished anthology of sermons by the most influential AmericanPuritan of the 18th century. Some people think Edwards is scary,because his most famous fire-and-brimstone preaching ("Sinners in theHands of an Angry God") is too severe for today. But this bookdemonstrates that Edwards is equally capable of rapture, of reason,and of relating to a great variety of Christian experiences. Thefollowing passage, from a sermon called "Heaven Is a World of Love,"is timeless in its sensibilities: "[B]y living a life of love ... youwill be in the way to heaven. As heaven is a world of love, so the wayto heaven is the way of love. This will best prepare you for heaven,and make you meet for an inheritance with the saints in that land oflight and love. And if ever you arrive at heaven, faith and love mustbe the wings which must carry you there."

The Sermons ofJonathan Edwards contains 14 sermons (of the more than 1,200 thatEdwards preached), including five that have not previously beenpublished. A smart introduction describes the sermons' historicalcontext (some were preached to white congregations, others to NativeAmericans; all were delivered in the volatile period between the Salemwitch trials and the American Revolution) and their literarystructure. (Each sermon starts with a Scripture text and brief commentor interpretation; makes a simple statement of doctrine that will bepresented in the sermon; and then proceeds with various defenses,applications, and uses of the doctrine, which address the immediatepersonal and social concerns of the listeners.) As a collection, theeditors note, "the sermons have a sense of progression to them thatreflects the pilgrimage of the soul ... from its sinful earthly stateto a pure heavenly existence." A sermon called "The Way of Holiness,"preached when Edwards was a teenager, explains what each step in thesoul's pilgrimage should be like, urging believers to live so as todeepen the "likeness in nature between God and the soul of thebeliever." Edwards's own credo, written when he was 19, declares hisintention to follow such a pilgrimage, "to live with all my might,while I do live." --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A DIVINE AND SUPERNATURAL LIGHT
I purchased the book for one sermon A DIVINE AND SUPERNATURAL LIGHT

I was amazed about how many of the sermons were right one with where I am at in my life.

Gods word is time less and this is a clear translation of what God has to say to his people.

18th Century Purpose Driven preacher
Do not get this book if you're pursuing modern or postmodern theology. Do not get this book if you're looking for gimmicks.

If you want to get down to basics ... salvation and sin, heaven and hell ... read this collection.

The original 'fire & brimestone' sermon ... "Sinners in the hands of angry God" is worth the price of the book if you're unfamiliar with Edwards.

You can see the evangelical power of this mighty pastor grow in this chronological collection.

Edwards is a gift to us, well worth rediscovering.

The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards : A Reader IS A VERY GOOD BOOK TO READ
Jonathan Edwards sermons are inspiring, leading to Christ. 18 century religious american genius. Easy to read. Worth to buy. Highly recommend.

As always, excellent!
Edwards is excellent in presenting the gospel.His sermons are quite substantive and always pointing the reader (or hearer in his days) towards God.Should you desire a great book of some of Edward's greatest works, this is the book for you.

Beware of nutcase reviews of this book.
John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards are, without question, two of the greatest theologians in the history of the church.Who is Mike DeSario? ... Read more

Product Description
While completing his preparation for the ministry, Jonathan Edwards wrote seventy resolutions that guided him throughout his life. About twenty years later he wrote a letter to young Deborah Hatheway, a new convert in a nearby town, advising her concerning the Christian life. These two writings, often reprinted during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, overflow with straightforward and biblically sound advice. This advice is as current today as it was in the 1700s, and it far surpasses the "how to" books now overrunning bookstores. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Edwards - spurring one another on toward love and good deeds!
The more I read about Jonathan Edwards and the more of his works I read, the more impressed I am with the dedication to the Lord that this man had - and what an amazing time at the founding of this great nation for a man of God such as Edwards to live, write and minister.This short booklet is a compilation of Edwards' famous resolutions which he penned over about a two year period as he was completing his schooling and looking forward to the work that the Lord had before him.He took a moment to pause and reflect on the kind of man that he wanted to be (we should all learn from this) and then wrote down resolutions that would help him not only live a life worthy of his calling, but also leave a legacy through his eleven children and seventy-two grandchildren! From his resolution "never to lose a moment of time," to my favorite one, "that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die," these resolutions show what dedication, resolve and intentionality Edwards' had for his spiritual journey.

The booklet edited by Nichols also includes a letter that Edwards' sent in reply to an inquiry by a young lady giving suggestions for spiritual growth.This letter was republished by the Hartford Evangelical Tract Society titled "Advice to Young Converts."In this letter, Edwards' warns this young woman to "[b]e always greatly humbled by your remaining sin," but then encourages her by writing, "Although we are exceeding sinful, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, the precious of whose blood, the merit of whose righteousness, and the greatness of whose love and faithfulness infinitely overtop the highest mountains of our sins."

The booklet is a wonderful read - encouraging, challenging and insightful - to learn from probably the greatest theologian from the U.S. soil how he lived the Christian life with full devotion to the Lord and how we may as well. ... Read more

Product Description

Includes 25 volumes: A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, Absent from the Body, The Excellency of Christ, Directions For Judging of Persons' Experiences, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God, The Resolutions of Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, A Divine and Supernatural Light, God's Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men, God Glorified in Man's Dependence, Divine Truth, Wicked Men Useful in Their Destruction Only, The Vain Self-Flatteries of the Sinner, The Future Punishment of the Wicked, Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer, The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners, Christian Knowledge, The Salvation of the Soul, Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment in Christ, Pardon for the Greatest Sinners, Pressing into the Kingdom of God, Many Mansions, Treatise on Grace, An Unpublished Essay on the Trinity, Wicked Men's Slavery to Sin.

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

kindle version
For those wanting the Kindle version . . . this does not have a TOC.For such a large work, one would think a TOC would be a given.

Inexpensive access to most of Edwards important writings.
Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Peabody, MA, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 5th Printing, 2005) Reprinted from an 1834 edition originally printed in Great Britain.

This note essentially deals with most of the Jonathan Edwards Collected Works series available today, except for the 25 volume Yale University Press edition of Edwards works, which is the only true `complete' collection of his writings, as it includes his letters and journals, which, I believe, appear in no other generally available volume. The 25 volume Yale edition, unfortunately for most of us, is practical only for university libraries. Most of the hardcover volumes in this series are priced at [...] from Yale University Press, a few are [...], and Edwards' Blank Bible is priced at [...]. The other side of the coin is that much of what Edwards wrote, such as his letters and voluminous notebooks are simply not available anywhere else.

So, compared to the Yale edition, this edition from Hendrickson Publishers (and any other edition which you can get for under [...] is a real bargain, because it has most of what you really want, and much of what you should have, even if you didn't realize it when you set out to find an edition of Edwards' works. (I believe the complete text in the Yale edition of Edwards' works can be accessed on the Internet at [...])

Of course, the volume has those things for which Edwards is best known, such as many of his sermons, with `Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' as the first item in Volume 2. The major works you will want in Volume 1 are:

A Careful and Strict Inquiry Into the Prevailing Notions of
the Freedom of the Will
A Dissertation on the Nature of True Virtue
The Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections
Narrative of Surprising Conversions
Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England
Inquiry Concerning Qualifications for Communion
Misrepresentations Corrected and Truth Vindicated in
Reply to the Rev. Solomon Williams
A History of the Work of Redemption
Five Discourses on the Soul's Eternal Salvation

Of these, Treatise Concerning Religions Affections is Edwards' work which is most commonly read today. It is so much sought after that a an excellent recent book by Sam Storms, Signs of the Spirit, An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections literally paraphrases Edwards writing to make it more accessible to modern readers. This work, and many of the other works mentioned above were connected to Edwards' experience with the Great Awakening of 1740--1742, and his subsequent difficulties which lead to his being discharged as pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts. One selection one may be inclined to avoid is Edwards' Memoir, since there is a reward-winning biography of Edwards by George Marsden, published in 2004 (which I will highlight next week). This volume also contains A History of the Work of Redemption, the germ of what Edwards hoped would be his most important work, leading up to the notion that the New England revivals he fostered signaled the new coming of Christ.

The highlight of the second volume is collections of several sermons. To appreciate these, we must remember that Edwards lived closer to the time of Luther and Calvin than he did to the age of radio, film, television, and the Internet. Sermons, printed at Boston printing presses, were one of the main sources of diversion and information for pre-Revolutionary War New Englanders. Relatively speaking, an important sermon was delivered, printed, and distributed about as fast as a viral video today. It is important to note when and where each sermon was delivered. Those delivered in Boston may have had political implications. Those delivered in 1735--1736 and in 1741--1742 were fuel to the two episodes of Great Awakening sparked by Edwards' preaching.

One of Volume 2's contents may seem strange to those not familiar with Edwards' life. This is the Life and Diary of the Rev. David Brainerd. (According to George Marsden, this biography was the second most popular biographical work in America, up to the Civil War, after Ben Franklin's autobiography.)It is an object lesson on a virtuous live, a pastor whom Edwards mentored, and who literally boarded with the Edwards family (as several other young pastors did) before going off to his calling. Before Brainerd died, prematurely, he conducted a mission to the local Indians, a task whose importance we need to be reminded today. Central Massachusetts, in 1740, was literally on the frontier of a global struggle between England and France. The North American Indian tribes were pawns in that struggle. Whether they sided with the French in Quebec or the English in the NE colonies could tip the balance of power on the frontier. Thus, the Puritan missionaries were indirectly contributing to the military balance of power on the frontier. What made it worse for the Reformed Puritans was that the `other side' owed its allegiance to the Catholic Pope, viewed as the `Antichrist' as much in 1740 as he was in 1540. And the anger at the French Catholics was flamed by their persecution of the French Reformed Huguenots, especially after Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes granting religious freedom.

This is not `complete' even of Edwards' published works.(it's missing Edwards' popular letter, Advice to Young Converts.) But as an inexpensive source for most of his major works, it can't be beat.

One cost for having so much of Edwards in two volumes is that the volumes are heavy, the print is very small, in double columns, and the typesetting, from 180 years ago, is distracting. It is also very light on commentary. It does not even give authorship credit for the introductory essay. It does, however, cite the date, place, and occasion for most of the sermons, and it has good citations on references to the Bible. This is the `Joe Friday' edition of Edwards. `Nothing but the facts, Ma'm'.

Amazing thought and insight...
Edwards is known for the greatest sermon ever told "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and most people stop at that sermon and don't read further.These two volumes are vast and comprehensive and not for one who wants to casually read Edwards.These two volumes are still in his original venacular and have not been contemporized like I have seen with other works. They include sermons, thoughts and letters that Edwards wrote on various topics, including his two most popular "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and "Freedom of the Will" and many, many more.

It is great to read from a man so dedicated to God's word and wanting to see his cold puritan peers come to Christ.

Do not buy these volumes if you are a casual reader, these works are very deep on great theological issues but if you want to be challenged these would be a great addition to your library.

The only issue I do have is that it is hard to navigate through the sermons, they could have done a better job with an appendix to make it easier to find the info for reference.That shouldn't take away from the content though as you will be greatly encouraged in your study with Edwards.

A note regarding the Works of Jonathan Edwards
This is not a review of The Works of Jonathan Edwards, which at any rate is simply outstanding and which nearly every person -- Christian and non-Christian, elder and young convert, apologist and truth seeker, scholar and layman -- would likely do well to read and digest, but rather a note for those interested in purchasing the currently listed, two-volume Hendrickson edition (ISBN 1-56563-085-8).

The Works of Jonathan Edwards is not the complete works of Jonathan Edwards. A couple of the other reviewers must have accidentally overlooked this fact, but it's understandable given the already immense size of the anthology. Nevertheless, all of Jonathan Edwards' most well-known religious works are indeed included: "Resolutions"; "Freedom of the Will"; "The End For Which God Created the World"; "The Nature of True Virtue"; "Religious Affections"; "Narrative of Surprising Conversions"; "Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England"; "A History of the Work of Redemption"; "The Life and Diary of David Brainerd"; and of course "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."

In addition, there are plenty of lesser known religious works from Edwards' youth to shortly before his death to occupy the interested reader in godly thought and reflection.

Regarding the various sermons and other writings that would complete the Edwards collection, but which are unfortunately not contained herein, for the most part these can be found online via a quick Google search (i.e., only Edwards' more obscure works are not to be found online, as far as I can tell).

Speaking of which, you can view the table of contents as well as the entire work itself online for free too at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, for instance, if you want to see for yourself what's specifically included in this collection before purchasing it. That said, although The Works of Jonathan Edwards is available for free online, in my opinion it is far more convenient to have the printed version, as I'm personally more comfortable reading with a book (whatever its size) in my lap than in front of a computer screen.

Of course, if you want the definitive edition, which would include all twenty-three volumes of Edwards' works published to date (including his non-religious works on varied topics such as John Locke, science, etc.), you will have to purchase Yale University's edition of the same name. But that will cost you an arm and a leg, plus there's a considerable amount of secular academic criticism, which you may or may not find helpful. For example, the Yale volume on "The Life and Diary of David Brainerd" compares Brainerd's original diary with Edwards' edited version of the diary, claiming in the process that Edwards edited it in such a way as to make Brainerd conform to a preconceived notion of "saintliness." However, if you're keen on purchasing the Yale edition, the best available price I've been able to find is at Solid Ground Christian Books, which by the way is an excellent bookstore.

So although the Hendrickson publication is not substantively a complete Edwards collection, it is more than "close enough." Edwards was primarily a pastor and a theologian, and this is what is reflected in these volumes. In my view, then, given the price and content, this compilation of The Works of Jonathan Edwards is the best available edition for those primarily interested in Edwards as humble, faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

Also, about the text and binding. A single page is divided into two columns, so that when you open a volume, there will be a total of four columns facing you (since there are of course two pages to look at when a book is opened). I'm not sure what the font size is, but it can't be more than 10 point. Actually, I'd venture to guess it's even slightly smaller.

Regarding the binding, it is sturdy, but I have a feeling that it may not hold up well with constant reading. The binding is quite similar to other Hendrickson publications, if you're familiar with them (e.g., The Works of Josephus, ISBN 0-913573-86-8).

Finally, I highly suggest looking at The Works of Jonathan Edwards on the Hendrickson Publishers' website before purchasing it. In addition to the photo of the two volumes, you can download an Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf) file of a sample chapter to view (at least at the time of this review). Thus you can get an actual image of what I'm only feebly able to describe with words.

I sincerely hope this helps. And in reading these works, may you be led to study and understand the Bible more fully, since it is the Bible which Edwards himself wholly leaned on in his writings: for the believer, to know and love Him more deeply, and for the one with ears to hear, to come to know and love Him because He first loved you.

Update: The above comments were based upon the Hendrickson edition, but now that I've seen both the Hendrickson edition as well as the Banner of Truth edition I can likewise recommend purchasing the Banner of Truth edition.Although the content is identical, in my opinion the Banner of Truth edition's binding is more sturdy and of a higher quality. However, if you prefer the works with slightly bigger font (eh, then again, the font size is probably negligible), as well as perhaps a more colorful and attractive cover, then the Hendrickson edition might be better. You can find both the Hendrickson as well as the Banner of Truth editions (ISBNs 0-85151-216-X and 0-85151-217-8) at Monergism Books, another fine bookstore.(Personally, I prefer the Banner of Truth edition.)

Also, the following by Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his lecture "Jonathan Edwards and the Crucial Importance of Revival" might prove useful to some:

The two volumes recently republished by the Banner of Truth Trust have often been regarded as the Complete Works, but they are not. A man published a book in the 1860's consisting of numerous other things which are not in these two volumes, and there are still more-sermons, letters, occasional remarks, miscellanies and so on. They are all going to be reprinted in the definitive [Yale] edition.

An amazing collection
Freedom of the Will, Religious Affections, The End for Which God Created the World, The Nature of True Virtue, Original Sin Defended, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God...they're all here and much more. These are some of the most influential Christian writings of all time within the Calvinist branch of Christendom. The resurgence of Calvinism and the tremendous rise in Edwardsian studies in both Christian and secular academia make this two volume set of his works an essential addition to anyone's library. With nearly 1000 pages in each volume, there's more here than you will probably ever read. However, because of so many discourses, treatises, and sermons, the print size is very small -- in order to fit all of the material into the two volumes. Also, this is a fascimile reprint of a 19th century edition, so the font quality is mediocre. Other than those drawbacks, this is an excellent set and a great value. The multi-volume Yale collection will cost you over a thousand dollars, while all you'll ever want is in this collection.

In my opinion, the greatest addition to this set is the Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards. This is the closest you'll get to receiving a personal look at his life of faith. They greatly enhance the intellectually-weighty theological works and the inspiring (and likewise brilliant) sermons.

Jonathan Edward's title as "America's greatest theologian" (or simply "America's theologian") is well-deserved. Don't let the "fire and brimstone" caricature dissuade you. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

Profoundly Moved
A couple of preliminary thoughts. I first heard about Jonathan Edwards (JE) as a college freshman when someone referred to his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." During my sophomore year I was called into the Dean's office because a large number of us were discovering the doctrines of grace and the administration was very concerned. In that meeting one student referred to the venerated JE as a Calvinist but we were patronizingly informed by the Dean (who was also a History prof!) that while JE did dangle sinners' feet over the fires of Hell, he definitely was NOT a Calvinist. Ahhemmm!! Do I need to write further about that the truth of that statement?

George Marsden is an Emeritus Professor of History at Notre Dame and is a first class historian with evangelical Presbyterian convictions. He writes about Edwards not only with a critical historian's mind, but also with a sympathetic theologian's heart.

The first thing I must praise about this biography is that Marsden simply writes well! His narrative moves along smoothly, unencumbered by footnotes, technical jargon, and unnecessary digressions. In 2003 Marsden wrote a large critical biography of JE so he knows whereof he speaks, but he also knows that only Edwards specialists will read that tome. People who love JE's writings and theology desire to know more about the man and his ministry - and Marsden does not fail us in that regard.

A good historian always sets a life in its historical context. Marsden does so for JE by evaluating the remarkable spiritual "awakening" that the preacher witnessed and recorded as part of the larger movement of "international pietism" spawned in the wake of the Protestant scholasticism that emerged after the Reformation. The German August Wilhelm Franke, the British Wesleys and Whitfield, and the Presbyterian Tennent family of Log College fame are all integrated into the narrative. Even Cartesian individualism is mentioned as a non-religious factor in this movement that stressed a person's individual relationship to the Lord.

Another effective aspect of Marsden's approach is how he places JE over against Benjamin Franklin in both parallel and contrasting roles. These two young men desired in vain to live in New York in the year of 1723. Each also responded to his strict Calvinist background but diverged in radically different paths. In my opinion the author's use of this effective "foil" is one of the most effective contributions of this short but powerful volume. Later in the book Marsden compares and contrasts JE's biography of David Brainerd, emphasizing his total sufficiency in God, with Franklin's Autobiography, emphasizing total self-sufficiency.

I learned that JE actually pastored four churches and it was during his first brief pastorate in New York City that he wrote his famous Resolutions, at the tender age of 18!

Edwards can be viewed as a pastor, an evangelist, a revivalist, a writer, a theologian, a missionary, and a college president (the last for only two months before his death in 1758). One should not forget that he was also a faithful husband and father of eleven children (ten surviving).

Some things I learned or had affirmed in this book that I hope will piqué your interest to read it yourself.

1. His greatest sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was not preached at his Northampton church but at another Massachusetts congregation and the cries and moans of the hearers were so great and disruptive that JE did not get to the second point of his sermon on the merciful forgiveness of God.

2. His most famous writing for a hundred years was not the "Sinners" sermon but his "Advice to Young Converts" written at the height of the second great revival under his ministry. It was printed as an extended tract in great numbers up until the Civil War.

3. Most of his books originated as series of sermons in his church. Only during his fourth and last pastorate as a missionary to the Indians did he compose The Freedom of the Will and a few other theological treatises.

4. Not only did JE write a life of the missionary, David Brainerd, but the young missionary died of tuberculosis in JE's home attended by his daughter, Jerusha. The story of their love is told with a poignancy that is worthy of their special relationship. Jerusha died two years after Brainerd and the Edwards buried her beside him.

5. JE encountered severe controversy and opposition at every point in his life. The emotional reactions displayed during the three "awakenings" or "revivals" were met with severe opposition, leading to the creation of the New Light and Old Light Presbyterians. His change of approach (from his grandfather's practice!) to requiring a profession of faith for communion led to his dismissal from his beloved church. His ministry to the Indians in Stockbridge literally unraveled in the face of a number of problems, including severe opposition from relatives!

As I reflect on this life, I offer one correction and one question. My correction is about the way in which JE is often called "America's greatest theologian." This is meant as a compliment, but I think it is a disservice to him. Except for two brief months at the end of his life, JE was never a professional theologian nor academic. He was a pastor, and his theology was not crafted in the classroom but in the crucible of the care of souls in a local church. Marsden considers his best work to be "A Divine and Supernatural Light" which was preached and written at the height of the Great Awakening. Academic theology was foreign to JE.

My question is: Why do we who share JE's theology of grace never experience awakenings and revivals like he did? If manifestations of repentance were displayed in our meetings like those under Edwards and Whitefield, we would condemn them as excessive emotional outbursts - just like their opponents did! I have been in theologically sound and mostly Calvinistic congregations for all my ministry and I have never seen such things. If I did, I honestly would not know how to handle them, because I have been conditioned to resist such manifestations. Therefore, which side would I have been on if I had been present during Jonathan Edwards' leadership of the Great Awakening? How about you?

Despite the rebuke that this book delivered to me, or perhaps because of it, A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards now enters the list of "Books That Have Influenced Me."

A Great Introduction to Edwards
A great intro to Jonathan Edwards, his life, work, ministry and writings. Marsden has a fuller biography of Edwards (Johnathan Edwards - A Life; 640 pages) but tghlyhis at 152 pages, will wet your appetite to pursue further reading of this remarkable man and theolgian.

Marsden's writing style is easy and flowing and so wonderful for just getting immersed into the story. Highly recommended.

Informative and interesting
This book gives good insight into the life and theology of
pre-revelutionary minister Jonathan Edwards.

Makes Me Want to Read More
I've had George Marsden's 640-page biography of Jonathan Edwards on my shelf for a long time, but it is a little intimidating. If you're like me, and you need something to get you going, then A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (152 pages) will do the trick. Now I can't wait to read the larger volume!

A Short Life is not an abridgment of the larger biography. It's a completely new narrative. It's fresh and readable, and made me want more.

Edwards lived from 1703-1758, and was a pastor, preacher, theologian, biographer, philosopher, and briefly the president of Princeton. He was a contemporary of Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield. His books and papers are still widely read today.

Marsden not only makes Edwards come alive, but he concludes with a chapter on what we can learn from Edwards.

I admit that I've had a pretty inaccurate view of Edwards up until now. I'm glad to have this corrected. I'm always glad to be reminded that many of the issues that we think are new have been around a long time. I was sad to come to the end of this book. Highly recommended.

Short and Sweet
Enjoyable to read, as well as informational. Not as long as Madson's other book on Edwards which is nice. The only complaint is that we sure hear an awful lot about Benjamin Franklin even though he never met Edwards. ... Read more

Product Description
Prepared by editors of the series "The Works of Jonathan Edwards", this anthology includes selected treatises, sermons and autobiographical material by Jonathan Edwards, early America's great theologian and philosopher. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Jonathan Edwards Reader
It has everything important for a beginning reader of Edwards, beautifully edited.I chose it for classroom use and it was just right.

Good Selections, Too Abridged
This was the required primary text reading for a class on Edwards. When it was all said and done, I was very disappointed. There is a wide selection of Edwards' works in this volume--sermons, letters, essays and treatises. It was helpful to be able to read parts from so many of these works. Edwards' writings can be quite varied, and this volume really allows the reader to see the difference in his writings.

But......

The editorial process on each work is rough. Admittedly, several of the works are quite lengthy in their full text, and you would just need to buy the two volume version of Edwards' works (and a magnifying glass) if you wanted the full texts. However, some of these texts are cut so short that you don't really get a feel for Edwards' real argument. I'm specifically thinking about his treatise on Original Sin, where you only get some of his natural arguments, and little (if any) of his biblical and theological arguments. The same could be said about the treatise on Free Will. This is unfortunate, as it makes Edwards look to be more of a philosopher and less of a theologian. Edwards was clearly both.

The editors had no choice but to chop Edwards' works into small pieces for this volume. However, it would have been nice to see the multifaceted nature of his arguments, instead of being left with a few odd ramblings.

A Good Companion
This book is a permanent fixture on my night stand. After the Bible itself, Edwards offers the best source of spiritual support for the reformed-theology oriented believer. (At the very least, he's right up there with Calvin.) He was not only a compelling minister, but a world-class thinker, and the depth of his thought is only recently beginning to be appreciated. (An outstanding source on Edwards as a thinker is "The Philosophy of Jonathan Edwards," by Stephen H. Daniel. (Indiana University Press, 1994.) In his academic works, Edwards frequently mentions Locke, and it's easy to conclude that he is just another modern philosopher, albeit with a reformed-theological bias. Nothing is further from the truth. An in-depth reading of Edwards reveals a subtlety of thought which anticipates that of Heidegger. Many volumes could be written on t his subject alone. Like Heidegger, Edwards was interested in understanding what it means to be human, and sought his answers in human lived experience, rather than in a rarified conceptual model far removed from the world of everyday human being. It is here that we begin to appreciate the magnitude of his genius, since his ontology cuts across the mind-will dualism which has bedeviled Western philosophy at least since Descartes. In any case, it's rare indeed to find a writer who speaks with equal fluency to the heart as well as the head. In this respect, Edwards has few peers, and even fewer superiors (if any). An anthology like this can scarcely do justice to the breadth and depth of Edwards' thought, but it's an excellent place to begin. And too, at a time, like the present, when evangelical Christianity is long overdue for a second reformation, Christian ministers and theologians could do worse than take their cue from Edwards.

This collection of essays is carefully edited, but, from a hard-core scholar's point of view, lacks the authority of the critically-edited volumes of Edwards' works being prepared by Yale University. But it's far superior to any other collection of Edwards' works.Each volume in the critical editions is rather pricey, but well worth the investment.

Great anthology
This book contains excellent choices from the writings of JonathanEdwards, the first great philosopher in the American colonies, includingsome of his earliest writings, mostly just philosophical or biologicalmusings.It reflects some interesting developments in the maturation ofhis thinking.It also has letters to friends, colleagues, and familymembers.Some of his most well-known sermons are alongside somerepresentative samples of his sermons.Unfortunately, there is room foronly excerpts from his longer works, such as The Religious Affections, butthat can't be helped in an affordable popular anthology.If you want allof his works, but the complete works from the same publisher.If you justwant a representative sample of some of the best works of this greattheologian and philosopher, get this. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Review on Essential Edwards on Beauty
Book Review
By
Jason Scott


The Essential Edwards Collection: Jonathan Edwards on Beauty
By Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeny


This volume is one in a set of five.This volume shows how Jonathan Edwards valued God's creation and how everything he saw reflected the magnificent beauty of the Master Creator.Five chapters are contained in this book: 1) The Beauty of God, 2) The Beauty of Creation, 3) The Beauty of Christ,4) The Beauty of the Church, and 5) The Beauty of the Trinitarian Afterlife.

God's beauty can be seen in His attributes.God is powerful, loving, kind, holy, all knowing, righteous and the list could go on.How should man respond to God's beauty? "the fundamental duty of every person before the holy God is to humble themselves." Pg. 41

Jonathan Edwards enjoyed greatly taking walks in nature and reflecting on God's beauty." So far from the stereotype of Edwards as a dry and dusty thinker, Edwards's love for nature reveals the deeply aesthetic side of the man." Pg 48
"When he was twenty, he published a brief treatise
on the habits of spiders that won him international
acclaim.Called the `Spider Letter", the document
demonstrates Jonathan's powers of observation and
reveals his early tendency to trace the hand of God
in the world of nature." Pg. 49

Christians today would do very well to study Edwards and how he viewed nature and the environment.Edwards saw nature as a reflection of God.Sadly, too many Christians in our modern day have taken a carefree attitude when it comes to nature and the environment.This is probably because it is a reaction to the other extreme, the worship of nature and the environment without the worship of the Creator.Edwards did not value nature strictly for nature; instead he valued it because in it he could see the awesome beauty of its Creator.

The last chapter is a wonderful look at the harmony of the Trinity and how each person of the Godhead perfectly loves one another and that love never ever fades.One day believers in Christ will be able to enjoy a love that never fades when for eternity we will feel the love of God and will eternally love God.

An appetizer for more!
I have never really read anything of Edwards expect "Sinners in the hands" but after recently being intrigued by him ( through friends, and John Pipers Bio sermon)I thought I would give this little paperback a try.I'm glad I did!It is compiled very well and will definately leave you wanting to read more of Edwards.Why? Very simple: Edwards exalts Christ!To see the beauty of Christ in the section that talks about Edwards sermon " the excellency of Christ" is worth far more than what you could ever pay for this book.

Now I am challenged to read more from this great theologian.I'm going to try to find "the Excellency of Christ" sermon right now. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Review on Essential Edwards on Beauty
Book Review
By
Jason Scott


The Essential Edwards Collection: Jonathan Edwards on Beauty
By Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeny


This volume is one in a set of five.This volume shows how Jonathan Edwards valued God's creation and how everything he saw reflected the magnificent beauty of the Master Creator.Five chapters are contained in this book: 1) The Beauty of God, 2) The Beauty of Creation, 3) The Beauty of Christ,4) The Beauty of the Church, and 5) The Beauty of the Trinitarian Afterlife.

God's beauty can be seen in His attributes.God is powerful, loving, kind, holy, all knowing, righteous and the list could go on.How should man respond to God's beauty? "the fundamental duty of every person before the holy God is to humble themselves." Pg. 41

Jonathan Edwards enjoyed greatly taking walks in nature and reflecting on God's beauty." So far from the stereotype of Edwards as a dry and dusty thinker, Edwards's love for nature reveals the deeply aesthetic side of the man." Pg 48
"When he was twenty, he published a brief treatise
on the habits of spiders that won him international
acclaim.Called the `Spider Letter", the document
demonstrates Jonathan's powers of observation and
reveals his early tendency to trace the hand of God
in the world of nature." Pg. 49

Christians today would do very well to study Edwards and how he viewed nature and the environment.Edwards saw nature as a reflection of God.Sadly, too many Christians in our modern day have taken a carefree attitude when it comes to nature and the environment.This is probably because it is a reaction to the other extreme, the worship of nature and the environment without the worship of the Creator.Edwards did not value nature strictly for nature; instead he valued it because in it he could see the awesome beauty of its Creator.

The last chapter is a wonderful look at the harmony of the Trinity and how each person of the Godhead perfectly loves one another and that love never ever fades.One day believers in Christ will be able to enjoy a love that never fades when for eternity we will feel the love of God and will eternally love God.

An appetizer for more!
I have never really read anything of Edwards expect "Sinners in the hands" but after recently being intrigued by him ( through friends, and John Pipers Bio sermon)I thought I would give this little paperback a try.I'm glad I did!It is compiled very well and will definately leave you wanting to read more of Edwards.Why? Very simple: Edwards exalts Christ!To see the beauty of Christ in the section that talks about Edwards sermon " the excellency of Christ" is worth far more than what you could ever pay for this book.

Now I am challenged to read more from this great theologian.I'm going to try to find "the Excellency of Christ" sermon right now. ... Read more

Product Description
To present an example of intentional, faithful, and passionate Christian living, Dr. Steven J. Lawson paints a portrait of eighteenth-century pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards, who structured his relationship with God by composing and following seventy heart-searching resolutions.



The ultimate goal of this book is to challenge a new generation of believers to pursue holiness in their daily lives. Steven J. Lawson



Edwards, often remembered for his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, is revealed here as a man with a heart for God s glory above all things. To help himself pursue that goal, he composed a set of resolutions to guide his conduct in all areas, from his battle against sin to his use of time. In Edwards singleminded pursuit of God, Dr. Lawson sees an unparalleled example for modern Christians. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

A Passionate Plea For Genuine Godliness
This is the second book in The Long Line of Godly Men Profiles series. While the first volume examined the preaching of John Calvin, this book analyses the personal piety of Jonathan Edwards. Its focus is Edwards "passionate pursuit of personal godliness through his resolutions". The famous resolutions, Edwards' "seventy purpose statements for his life", were the building blocks with which he constructed a truly consecrated life. They give us a fascinating and profoundly challenging account of how Princeton's first president sought to discipline himself for the purpose of godliness. The resolutions and their relevance to the question of developing genuine godliness forms the substance of Lawson's book.

In the opening two chapters the reader is given two excellent surveys of Edward's life and his resolutions. In chapter three, the preamble to the resolutions is studied. In Lawson's view the preamble is important for while the resolutions tell us what Edwards purposes, the preamble tells us how he intended to pursue them. In Edwards' mind, the pursuit of holiness meant a healthy distrust of self and an absolute reliance upon God's grace. In chapters 4-9 the resolutions themselves are examined. In each chapter a number of resolutions are grouped together under one subject heading. These themes include such things as Edwards' passion for the glory of God; his pursuit of a disciplined life; and his practice of love towards others.

The chapter on the priority of God's glory is the most important and best in the book. Edwards believed that he was here on this earth, in the famous words of the Shorter Catechism, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The resolutions were aids to help him promote the glory of God. Lawson rightly declares that this was Edwards' chief ambition which he relentlessly pursued. It was his life's goal to bring all of his life under the sovereignty of God, purposing to do always those things which most declared the glory of God.

While the chapter on God's glory is the key to the whole book, the chapter on the putting away of sin is the most convicting; the chapter on the passion of discipline is the most challenging, and the chapter on the practice of love is the most revealing.

The life of Jonathan Edwards is one that all Christians should be acquainted with. He speaks loudly and pointedly to all ill-disciplined, lazy, and wordly-wise church. Steve Lawson has done an excellent job in encouraging us to rediscover Edwards' driving passion - soli deo gloria. Living for the glory of God alone. In the preface to the book, the author set himself the goal of challenging 'a new generation of believers to pursue holiness in their daily lives' and to show 'how we must be disciplined in this pursuit'. It was a worthy aim and the book succeeds in meeting it. I warmly recommend this volume.

Resolved, read Unwavering Resolve
One of the beauties of our faith is that it is not a new one.Though there are situations unique to our time and place we have the great models of the ancient saints from which we can gather guidance on how to both rest in the providence of God, and yet strive with our whole being to overcome sin.The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards by Rev. Lawson is an excellent introduction to "America's Greatest Theologian."Focused on the 70 resolutions that Edwards left behind and inter-spaced with support from his diary entries we are given an insightful look into the man.If all you know of Mr. Edwards is the sermon "Sinners in the hands of an angry god" than this is a must read.Rev. Lawson strikes a delicate balance between theological depth and breadth.Way beyond simply background on Jonathan Edwards, Unwavering Resolve teaches the model as exemplified by Mr. Edwards as to living in-between this world and the next.Highly recommended to all reading levels.I pray that all those who would read this book would be encouraged to dedicate themselves to the glory of God.Edwards was a prime example of our greatest happiness found in living fully for the glory of our Lord and Savior.

*I have been given a free copy of this book in exchange for posting my review of it.It was not given on the condition of a favorable review.

Make a Decision
This book on Jonathan Edwards is excellent. It challenges one to make a decision on eternal life issues.

Jonathan Edwards
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.I had not read anything by Edwards or about him and didn't know what to expect.I was amazed to learn that as a young man he made a list of resolutions of how he would live a godly life and he kept record of his progress or lack there of.While this may at first sound kind of legalistic, Edwards entire focus was on glorifying God and acknowledged that any good he does is because of God's work through him.The book gives some biographical information about Edwards and his life of faith.His list of resolutions is convicting and challenging.This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Resolved
This book has been another link in the well done research and writing by the reformation trust and their authors. So often when I read of Christian History I get this false impression that things are different now then they were then, pertaining to living a Holy Life that is. This Book was a sobering reminder that while the then and now are seperated by time and cultural trends and what not, the christians duty and goal has remained the same. I knew very little about Edwards and I am sure there is much more to know. However this book gave tremendous insight into the man and his resolutions. It is from his commitment to God first that this man was able to leave such a legacy. Thinking of him and the impression this book left causes scripture such as Romans 12:1-3 to storm through my mind. Not just that though, it reminds me of not just the call and duty of the christian, but the fruit of an obedient life. I was sobered by this reading as well as encouraged and challenged. While the book as a whole, like Edwards life may be seen as a big and grand accomplishment for and among the body of Christ to the glory Christ. For me what this Book showed was how important small decision are. Edwards made lots of them all of the time. I highly recommend this book. It is encouraging, insightful and from me gets 4 out of 4! ... Read more

Product 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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent, but with one issue
This particular biography of Jonathan Edwards is incredibly insightful and thought provoking.If you don't have the time to go through Edwards' works yourself, this book, with the (optional) addition of John Piper's biography, will be sufficient for you to be familiar with Edwards as he was.

That being said, I think that there is one issue with this biography: at a couple places, Sweeney inserts his own opinions of certain subjects, and critiques Edwards by that standard, rather than letting Edwards speak for himself.One example is that Sweeney severely critiques Edwards for having a slave (and that is a critique which I would agree with), but rather than allowing us to see how Edwards treated his slave, Sweeney practically insults Edwards.However, Sweeney then goes on to say that it was Edwards who was a grandfather of sorts to the abolitionist movement (with many of Edwards descendant being leaders in that movement).

On the whole, though, I can't recommend any other biography over this one, as this one seems to paint Edwards most clearly as what he was: A sinner saved by the grace of God who had warts that were the result of the culture he was raised in.

You'll love this book
If your not into Jonathan Edwards stuff this is a very good book to start with. Can be read in a day. And its well written. The introduction on its own is worth the book. You'll want to know more about these 18th century people, cause Swenney will transportyou the time when Edwards ministered. Starting there he'll show aspects of Edwards that in other books are overlooked or simply neglected.

Thats all I'll write about the book. For if you're a Jonathan Edwards fan or admirer, whatever, you'll love this book. So buy it! Won't regret it.

must read, easy read
I just finished a class this semester taught by the author of this book, Douglas Sweeney. This book was one of the required readings. Douglas Sweeney's personality and teaching style shines through in this book. Both the author and the book are informative, pastoral, and passionate.

Douglas Sweeney does an excellent job of correcting some of the incorrect stereotypes that a lot of people have when they think of Jonathan Edwards. Sweeney shows that Edwards was a passionate and well-thought of preacher and pastor. Edwards did care for his church members and hosted many counseling sessions at his home. People thought of his preaching as passionate, thought-provocative and life-transformative. The mischaracterizations of Edwards occurred through the selective focus of his one sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" which is assigned in most high schools and through some unhelpful biographies of Edwards.

Another important aspect of this book is that Douglas Sweeney takes us into the historical and cultural context of Edwards and his times. This is very helpful for understanding Edwards' ministry philosophy and ministry practices.

I highly recommend reading this book. I just assigned this book myself for a special study of Jonathan Edwards from a Reformed Perspective at my church.

A fine introduction to Edwards
Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word by Douglas A Sweeney,IVP Academic 2009

This review first appeared on [...] and is used with permission.

The number of books produced on Jonathan Edwards in the last twenty years would fill a small library. New works on his writings, personal life, even the types of ink he used, are still coming into print, threatening to swamp bookstores and libraries. Yet this volume deserves to be purchased, read and passed along to those who are followers of Edwards and especially those yet unacquainted.

To those who know Edwards well, there is little new here. Nonetheless, the lively writing, Sweeney's particular focus on Edwards' ministry of the Word of God, and the overall affection of Sweeney's treatment will warm the heart of any Edwards groupie. It is even possible that Sweeny may introduce a new slant to one's thinking or present a heretofore undiscovered fact.

To those who have somehow entirely missed the Edwards Academic Onslaught and remain uninitiated into its hallowed halls this may well be the best general introduction to the man, his life, times and thought.Why so?

Dr. Sweeney presumes nothing and teaches much.The opening chapters are highly engaging, largely biographical and very accessible.The depth and difficulty increases as the books develops.But herein lies the genius of the work. Sweeney tells his readers all they need to know in order to understand even the deepest of concepts (2/3 of the way through the book Sweeney spends six pages on Edwards' Freedom of the Will - a most challenging work - made user-friendly by Sweeney's deft analysis and explanation).

Throughout the work Sweeney presumes his reader will have no previous knowledge of Edwards, his day or his predecessors and therefore helps the Edwards newbie wade though theological terms (Arminian vs. Calvinist),colonial dating (Gregorian Calendar)and sermon preparation (intricacies of medieval exegesis), all without being tedious or pedantic. At times he does this in the text itself, in an engaging way, but more often than not, the help, and the scholarship, is in the footnotes.

For those wanting go deeper, Sweeny provides the links. The lengthy footnotes pack the pages leading the budding scholar to places unimaginable.Wanting to dig deeper into Edwards writings?, Sweeney cites not only the texts and the manuscripts for further study but even their location (folder 1211, box 16, JE collections, Beinecke Library, Yale). These detailed roads signs announce treasure troves yet to be explored.Wanting to know more about music in colonial churches, the books on Edwards' shelves, Edwards and Biblical higher criticism - it's all there in the footnotes.One example: Sweeney mentions that very little work has been done on Edwards and prayer then proceeds to cite five works specifically on Edwards and prayer and four general works on the Puritans and prayer.Very little indeed when compared to the amount of writing on Edwards and other topics, but a rich collection nonetheless!

It appears Sweeney wants to write an introduction to Edwards but does not want to forget his academic friends. Sweeney is one of the top Edwards scholars in the world. He obviously enjoys Edwards, but this is not hagiography.He deals honestly with Edwards's failures, his ownership of slaves for example. (As J.I. Packer said of Richard Baxter - "he was a great man and great men have great faults").

Sweeney is able to include in this brief work (200 pages) several points that have only recently been brought to light by scholars. Example: Edwards's great interest in missions, indeed his sparking of the modern mission movement by his labors and writings, esp. the biography of David Brainerd.
A few time I cringed at Sweeney's language. It appears that he may be attributing the power behind the 1734/5, 1740s revivals to Edwards or other men, "these spiritual practices yielded a transformation", and "he led the great revival".Edwards would have given all credit and glory to God and would be amazed to think he "led" anything in those heady and tumultuous days of revival.

Also, is it not anachronistic to refer to Sarah Edwards as "slain in the spirit"?Sweeny (in the footnote) admits it is a modern term, with different connotations and meaning - so my question - why use the term? It may wrongly combine disparate experiences.

Finally, is it proper to say that when Edwards added a portion of a one of his previous sermons into another he was "cannibalizing a manuscript"? But I am nit picking.On the whole this is a wonderful read, very accessible, highly engaging and a book you can pass along to almost anyone.
If you want to read a fuller biography of Edwards, pick up George Marsden's or Iain Murray's work. If you want a work more narrowly focused (in a positive sense) on his preaching, read John Carrick. But if you are looking for an excellent introduction to Edwards' life and writings, this is it.

Reviewed by Robert E. Davis, Senior pastor, Draper's Valley PCA, Draper, VA.

Buy it, then digest it
I just finished Sweeney's book.It covers a lot of terrain in rather brief compass (200 pages).Sweeney is a well-known scholar on all things Edwards and it shows in this book.The scholarship, though evident, does not compromise the readability and edification of the book.The author does a marvelous job of demonstrating why Edwards ought to be on our spiritual radar screens today.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

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Highly satisfied
The book was in excellent condition and was exactly as described.Delivery was very prompt.I am highly satisfied. ... Read more

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Review on Essential Edwards on True Christianity
Book Review
By
Jason Scott


The Essential Edwards Collection:
Jonathan Edwards Lover of God
By
Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeny

This is one volume in a five-volume set.These volumes are not numbered in any particular order, but this would be probably the best one to start with.The reason for this is that this is more biographical than the others.This book begins with the birth and early life of Edwards, including his educational background.Edwards formal education ended with him giving the valedictorian address at Yale, in Latin!

"Jonathan's master's work placed him
squarely in the camp of orthodox
Protestantism.Some in his day challenged
the idea that a sinner had to be saved by
divine grace, asserting that people, in effect,
completed their salvation by
good works." Pg 46

The main thrust of this book, is that Jonathan Edwards truly and deeply loved his God.This is evident in the life he lived.The glory of God was his concern as he led his family, both as a husband and father, shepherd his flock, and mentored young men to become faithful servants for Christ.

Edwards had his share of trials as well.He was not a very healthy man, often working himself so hard to the point of being bed ridden for long periods of time.Edwards also felt the deep pain of death, as his spiritual son( David Brainerd) and later daughter( Jerusha) succumbed to a young death.Edwards also had to face the humiliation of being a prominent pastor that was fired from his church after several years of faithful service.

"The fact that America's greatest
theologian was fired from his church
is a source of historical shame.Edwards
did not always make the right decision,
and he was not free from sin, but
his firing was a travesty."
Pg 128

After this firing Edwards spent some years as a missionary to Native Americans.It was during this time that he was able to write many of his important works.In 1757, Edwards received a surprising call from the board of trustees at Princeton University; they wanted him to become the next president.Edwards accepted this call, but a month after his instillation, he died of small pox.


Edwards life is one that is worth studying and this book helps in that study.

"We who love and worship Jesus Christ
will find Him just as satisfying
in our modern era as Edwards did in his
own day.May we learn from his
example, glean his wisdom, and
above all, devote ourselves to pursuing our
great God on a daily basis just as
Jonathan Edwards, lover of God,
did so many years ago. Pg 150. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reprint of Jonathan Edward's famous sermon. Many have said it is the most famous sermon ever preached. The sermon was first delivered in Enfield, MA on July 8, 1741. The sermon had an amazing impact on the audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

sinners in the hands of an angry GOD
Its the first time i have read a book by this author edwards
writes well and truthfully. but the book i got was not a book it was a booklet with 27 pages.The add did not say booklet so not able to comment on overall content,but yes ill buy from his writings again but this time ill make sure that it is a book and not booklet very dissapointed about that .

1 i would want to know that it was a booklet and alittle more about the authour

Fire and Brimstone
I wish I had noticed the size of the book before I purchased (5x3). I figured it would be very thin, but wasn't expecting that it was the size of a Gospel tract. It will require a special resting place in my library.

In regards to the material, it is what fire and brimstone is all about. I'm sure at the time it was provocative, but many pastors have molded themselves after the Edwards sermon, which today seems overdone. Some it may reach, some it may not. We are all brought to Christ by different approaches.

The sermon is based on scripture, inparticularly those of eternal life without God. My favorite quote due to my own experience:

"Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls: all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God."

Edwards impugns those who have "religious affections" without a personal relationship with Christ.

How Does God Relate To You Apart From Christ
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is the text of a sermon that Edwards preached to his congregation. I know of no author/preacher who is more consistently captivated by God's glory in his grace and love towards sinners, especially as manifested in the eternal joy in Him of heaven. But Edwards was also poignantly aware of the reality of hell. Hell is what we all deserve; God's eternal and infinite wrath is what we would be experiencing now and should experience for eternity if it were not in God's good pleasure to restrain Himself. God's glory in salvation and grace is made all the more glorious when his perfect and righteous wrath are manifested toward the vessels prepared for destruction. Edwards calls all hearers to recognize their powerlessness in the face of this God who is justly wrath-filled against them. Either rest secure in your position in Christ, where Christ has already absorbed this wrath and given us his righteousness securing eternity in heaven. Or be very afraid, be convicted by sin when you see just how horrible it is that a perfect God would punish it so, repent/turn, and trust in God to cleanse you from that sin, both its guilt and its power. This is an excellent sermon that I had not read in quite some time and am resolved to return to regularly. No matter who you are, you must know of the true God, both his justice and mercy.

Sinners Before a Holy and Just God
Arguably the best preacher and theologian that America has produced. Edwards has a brain that God extremely developed and brought into His presence continually. Edwards had a heart for the lost and for the supremacy of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life. This is his most popular sermon that he preached at Enfield and many within attendance came to repentance in Christ while weeping and having great conviction. I would suggest all to read Edwards and think heavily on how He brings the wrath, justice, mercy, and grace of our Lord to the forefront of His sermon. He is gospel centered and wanting repentance to take place.

"Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath...that you are held over in the hand of God...you hang by a slender thread...you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself...nothing you can
do, to induce God to spare you a moment"
"Christ has thrown the door of mercy open, calling and crying to poor sinners"

Just to warn, occassionally some may believe that Edwards is somewhat harsh in his language. Please be prepared for a no holds barred view on sin through the eyes of God and what the fate of mankind is without the Savior of Jesus Christ. Many believe that God's love is not displayed enough within the sermon, but the fact the sermon took place to sinners is an act of God's love and mercy towards them.

Show me where this stacks up to Jesus' "Sermons".
True, God is not just Love, don't believe only the parts convenient to you.You need to understand the whole scope of God and have fear for him.By fear I would mean awareness of his justness and impartiality.God is the supreme judge as well as the one who is love.

That said, I think this so-called most famous sermon goes against how Jesus presented God.While it could do a job in scaring the hell out of people, it lacks balance.Jesus preached about hell as a part of the whole picture and not just about it.I don't see Jesus relying on scare-tactics and harsh words to get his point across.The only people Jesus came hard against were the Pharisees and other religious people who were self-righteous and thought just knowing the scriptures and following a bunch of rules "made up by man" were the way to please God.These 'rules' were all the rules added to the original commandment, for example, the scripture spoke of 40 lashes but the Pharisees would say go 39 times in case of a miscount.

This sermon is a brutal scare tactic that might give a church a spiritual kick in the butt but I don't think it would benefit people in the long run.While some christians have overblown God's love to the point of denying his wrath, overblowing God's wrath at the expense of his love is just the reverse of the first blunder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Best Way in to Edwards' Theology
Though it bears the aggregate title of "Ethical Writings," the texts and editorial commentary in this volume indubitably provide the best available way to gain a rich and broad understanding of Edwards' theological program. If you have to buy only one of the Yale Works of Jonathan Edwards series, I think this is it.

from the book cover
This volume contains two major works of Jonathan Edwards: an unpublished text of a series of sermons he preached in 1738, know as Charity and Its Fruits, and his Two Dissertations. I. Concerning the End for Which God Created the World. . On the Nature of True Virtue, published post-humously in 1765. Together these writings set out the principles of Edwards' ethical thought. ... Read more

Product Description
Heaven isn't only about the future. It has everything to do with life on earth. Author Stephen J. Nichols shows how the insights of Jonathan Edwards can be applied to the challenges of living the Christian life in the twenty-first century. Edwards reminds us of our duty to live on earth in light of heaven.

"No one spoke or wrote more eloquently than Jonathan Edwards on the earthly responsibilities of those whose citizenship was in heaven. And no one has done a better job than Stephen Nichols in making Edwards’s thoughts on this subject accessible to the church today. His insightful analysis of Edwards’s sermons on heaven is essential reading for those who’ve lost sight of the life-changing power of meditating on future glory. I highly recommend it."Dr. Sam Storms, Enjoying God Ministries

"Jonathan Edwards’s contagious vision of heaven on earth is compellingly captured by Stephen Nichols in this accessible book. It’s been said that some Christians are so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good. On the other hand, it’s also the case that some are so earthly-minded that they are not fit for heaven. Nichols, following Edwards, argues that the solution to the errors of escapism and earthliness is not to find a happy medium, but rather to develop a radical new perspective that transforms both our vision of heaven and our life on earth. With Edwards as our guide, Nichols teaches us the biblical art of living the vision of heaven on earth."Justin Taylor, co-editor of A God-Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Catch the Vision of Living in Between
As Christians we must try to balance seemingly contradictory views in many areas of our lives. We often tend to lose our balance and fall into an extreme on one side of an issue or the other. For example; it is difficult for us to comprehend the sovereignty of God in salvation and yet understand that we must invite and even plead with sinners to repent of their sins and come to Christ. Also, we strive with all our might to become more like Jesus Christ in daily life, and yet realize that God is ultimately working in us "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

One of the main areas in which Christians struggle to maintain the proper balance is the tension between living as citizens of heaven and citizens of earth. Stephen Nichols wrote Heaven on Earth to deal with this tension. However, he does not go it alone. The entire book is based on the sermons of Jonathan Edwards. Through the explanation of several of Edwards' sermons, Nichols expounds the vision Edwards had of living on earth as a citizen of heaven.

Heaven on Earth is a short book, but is filled with helpful explanations of Edwards' thoughts on heaven. Nichols begins the book with the problem being discussed, namely that we live as dual citizens, and we must learn how to properly balance our time and efforts to reflect our commitment to heaven but our desire to impact this earth with the gospel. He explains the two extremes that Christians often fall into. First, there are those Christians that Nichols calls "monastery Christians". They live a life fearful of the world around them and with no desire to interact with it at all. "They refuse to live in this world and instead construct an entirely Christian one, from which they rarely break out." (p. 19) In contrast to these people are those Christians who live for this world so much that it appears they aren't even aware of the one to come. "They are consumed by this world's agenda and are driven by its passions." (p. 19)

After explaining the two extremes, Nichols spends the remaining six chapters teaching the proper balance of living on earth while bound for heaven. Each of these chapters is based on a sermon of Edwards. Nichols doesn't reproduce the entire sermon, but walks the reader through the major concepts presented in each one. For example, chapter two is based on the Edwards sermon, "Heaven Is a World of Love". Many people perceive Edwards as the preacher who preached the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." This is only half the picture. In chapter two of this book we come to understand that Edwards was a man who thought often about heaven and longed to be there. Nichols walks the reader through the beautiful explanation Edwards gave of our future home. His vision of heaven is a vision of a world consumed by love. The helpful part of Edwards is that he does not stop by explaining what heaven will be like. He wants his listeners to understand how the proper vision of heaven will transform their lives on earth. "He points them to heaven with one hand, while with the other he directs their attention back to earth." (p. 32) This is where we come to understand the vision that Edwards had of living heaven on earth. "Living in between means we take both worlds into account. We are on the way to heaven, but we are not there yet. We applaud its breakthroughs in this world, but we know there are far better things to come." (p. 37) In other words, it is our duty as Christians to bring heaven to earth as much as possible.

The remaining chapters continue to investigate the tension of living in between. These chapters deal with such topics as "On the Way to Heaven", "Being Good Citizens", "But to Act Justly", "It's Only the Beginning", and "Meeting There at Last". Nichols closes the book with an abridged version of Edwards's sermon "Heaven Is a World of Love".

I believe this book will be helpful for a number of reasons. First, most of us tend to drift to one extreme or the other when it comes to living in between heaven and earth. For those who tend to live as "monastery Christians", this book will help to propel you out into the world to make an impact with the gospel. Nichols makes the point in the book that even though the Titanic is going down it is still our responsibility to polish the brass because it's God's ship. In other words, the earth will one day be burned up by fire, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be investing ourselves in others while we are on the earth. For those who tend to attach themselves to this earth, this book provides an appealing look at heaven. Living on earth is important, but we must remember it is not ultimately our home.

Also, Heaven on Earth will prove helpful because it will alter your perspective. Sometimes books are helpful because they provide specific instructions to deal with specific issues. Other books are helpful because they can spark a paradigm shift in the way you think. This book falls into the second category. Heaven on Earth will challenge your most basic thoughts about heaven, earth, and the possibility of living in between in a God honoring way. It takes purposeful effort to live out the vision Edwards sets. This book is a useful tool in catching that vision.

Heaven on Earth
A very easy read and great introduction to Jonathan Edward. Many practical pointers on living in between. We liked it so well we did a Sunday school class on it.

Become Heavenly Minded and of Earthly Good
It's easy for some people to become "so heavily minded they're of no earthly good," while others are more likely to be too earthly minded to be of no heavenly good. Scripture points us to a middle path, a way to live between the two worlds. Stehpen J. Nichols sheds light on this path through a collection of sermons by Jonathan Edwards in Heaven on Earth.


Through seven brief chapters Dr. Nichols explores a handful of Jonathan Edwards's sermons in an effort to explain what it means to live on earth with a vision of heaven. It includes themes of pilgrimage, citizenship, just action, waiting, and true happiness found in God's purposes for mankind. The book also includes an introduction on how to read Edwards' sermons, and an appendix containing an abridged version of the sermon "Heaven Is a World of Love."

This is a book that gets better as it goes, which makes its short length disappointing. I especially found the final two chapters to be insightful and though-provoking. Readers unfamiliar with Jonathan Edwards will learn much about his life as application of what he taught. While not an academically sophisticated work, Heaven on Earth will challenge every reader to make practical use of the theological truths it describes.

Excellent Readable Intro to Jonathan Edwards Life View
Heaven on Earth is a wonderful summary of an aspect of Jonathan Edwards's thinking and preaching - specifically, how to long for heaven and the next life, while living, serving and enjoying our time here on Earth.Nichols is a very clear and enjoyable writer, and the book is relatively brief, so I would highly recommend it - especially if you think an "old theologian" like Edwards has no practical relevance to our lives today.Some of the chapter topics include:Living as preparation for heaven; the meaning of "our citizenship is in heaven" and how it impacts our life here; working to make this world better as stewardship of God's creation; the struggle of waiting in our lives; and how to deal with the deaths of loved ones, and how to see our lives as a journey towards heaven.

Here's a good summary passage near the end of the book to give you an idea both of J.E.'s theology, and of Nichols' way of explaining it:
"Both in life and in death Edwards teaches us how to live the pilgrim life.He teaches us that as we make our way to heaven we should serve God and do what good we can.He teaches us that we should long for our heavenly home and that we should enjoy the foretastes of that home now." (pp. 105).

Nichols also gives an introductory section on how to read an Edwards sermon, and includes an appendix with the abridged text of an Edwards sermon, "Heaven is a World of Love" on 1 Cor. 13:8-10.Hopefully, as I know the author hopes, people after reading this book, will want to and feel able to tackle some of Edwards' actual writing.And anyone who does will be spiritually richer as a result-not because Edwards is so great, but because of his ability to describe the greatness and great love of our God and King.Highly recommended! ... Read more

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