“Of the making of books, there is no end”: Reading Jonathan Edwards (1703–58)

Jonathan Edwards (1703–58) is widely considered to be one of America’s most important Christian thinkers – a theologian of comparable significance to Saint Augustine, John Calvin, or Karl Barth. His published writings, made available online by Yale University, extend to some 73 volumes on subjects as various as aesthetics, metaphysics, typology, redemptive history, ethics, and revival. His complex ideas have won the attention of historians, theologians, literary critics, psychologists, and philosophers working across universities all over the world. It is a remarkable legacy for a humble pastor and a Gospel preacher who sought to guide lost sinners to Christ and to help Christians to make sense of the work of the Spirit of God.

Reading his published writings may appear daunting to the uninitiated. With 73 volumes, where should the reader even begin? And that’s not to mention the vast corpus of secondary literature relating to Edwards and early evangelicalism. In terms of biography, George Marsden’s Jonathan Edwards: A Life (2003) is second to none – an outstanding scholarly biography setting Edwards within the cultural and religious context of the eighteenth century. When it comes to reading Edwards himself, knowing where to begin is a little more difficult. John Smith, Harry S. Stout, and Kenneth P. Minkema (eds) have put together a fine selection of readings from Edwards’ writings in A Jonathan Edwards Reader (1995), with a critical scholarly introduction. The various selections should give the reader a taste for Edwards’ writings and a sense of where to progress in terms of reading. A similar collection, The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader (1999) edited by Wilson H. Kimnach, Kenneth P. Minkema, and Douglas A. Sweeney, contains a selection of his finest sermons with a scholarly introduction by the editors. Those new to Edwards should certainly consider reading ‘A Divine and Supernatural Light’ (1734), ‘Heaven is a World of Love’ (1738), and ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’ (1741) first of all for a sense Edwards’ style and a feel for his theological substance as a preacher.

Once you’ve gained some light from reading these selections, you may want to delve a little deeper into some of Edwards’ major works. The Distinguishing Marks (1741) is arguably the best place to begin for a sense of Edwards’ theology of revival and religious experience – offering the reader insight into Edwards’ method for distinguishing an authentic work of Holy Spirit in religious awakening. The End for which God Created the World (1765) is perhaps the next port of call. Here Edwards considers the glory of God as the ultimate end creation, and subsidiary to this end is human happiness which Edwards believes is intimately tied up with the glory of God. For Edwards, true happiness is found in God himself – a sense of His beauty and glory. Those interested in Edwards’ view of revival should consider reading A Faithful Narrative (1737), a work describing and almost clinically analysing the religious awakenings during his ministry in Northampton, Massachusetts. And if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you may want to dive into The Religious Affections (1746) and get to grips with Edwards’ psychology of religion. With some 73 volumes made freely available to read online by the Jonathan Edwards centre at Yale University, there really is no shortage of choice.

However, if reading online is not your cup of tea, you might consider investing in some of the published volumes by Yale University Press. The first few volumes are available at a reasonable price in paperback, but some volumes are eye wateringly expensive – you’ll almost need a mortgage to buy the set. Each volume is prefaced with a critical scholarly introduction of outstanding quality by leading experts in the field of early evangelicalism, specifically in the scholarly literature relating to Edwards. However, if you are looking to keep costs low, the two hardback volumes published by the Banner of Truth contain most of Edwards’ major works and sermons, and are worth every penny (see The Works of Jonathan Edwards – an affordable set for preachers and pastors). Those reading for scholarly purposes should consult the Yale editions of Edwards works and make use of the fully searchable corpus online at http://edwards.yale.edu.

Secondary literature on Edwards has become something of a cottage industry among scholars with new books coming out every year – even as the writer of Ecclesiastes once said, ‘Of the making of books, there is no end’ (Ecclesiastes 12:12). The Cambridge Companion to Edwards (2007) edited by Stephen J. Stein is a useful place to begin and contains valuable suggestions for further reading on specific subjects. There are myriads of books on Edwards’ theology and knowing where to begin can be something of a headache. The most comprehensive single volume introduction I have read is The Theology of Jonathan Edwards (2012) by Michael J. McClymond and Gerald R. McDermott. This volume contains chapters on subjects as various as beauty and aesthetics, metaphysics, typology, apologetics, exegesis, the doctrine of the Trinity, theological anthropology, soteriology, the Church, ethics, eschatology, and society, as well as useful chapters on historiography and the various scholarly and theological interpretations of Edwards. The footnotes throughout offer useful suggestions for further reading on specific subjects. In terms of Edwards’ influence and legacy, Jonathan Edwards at Home and Abroad: Historical Memories, Cultural Movements, Global Horizons (2003) edited David W. Kling and Douglas A. Sweeney contains some outstanding essays relating to Edwards’ ministry, his relevance to American culture, and the international scope of his legacy.

The quality of scholarship on Edwards is truly remarkable – something all historians of early evangelicalism should aim to emulate. On a personal note, reading Edwards and the scholarly literature has done my soul and mind a world of good. Edwards expands the heart and the head at once – something of a rarity in modern scholarship. ‘Men [may] have a great deal of pleasure in human knowledge, in studies of natural things; but this is nothing to that joy which arises from … divine light shining in the soul … this spiritual light is the dawning of the light of glory in the heart. There is nothing so powerful as this to support persons in affliction, and to give the mind peace and brightness, in this stormy and dark world’ (Edwards, 1734).