Product Description
The question of the afterlife is, for many today, one of preference. Christians trained to evangelize unsaved people with the query, "If you were to die today, do you know where you would go - heaven or hell'" have grown befuddled when met with the response, "I don't believe in heaven or hell." Something in our culture has changed. The ground has shifted beneath our feet. We did not feel it. But change has come, just the same.

We must reacquaint modern Christians with the eschatologically driven preaching and teaching of Edwards. This word "eschatological" may trip some readers up at first encounter, but it refers simply to "last things", things of eternity and ultimate significance. We exhume Edwards' scripturally fired material on the reality of the afterlife, the terror of hell, the glories of heaven, and the shape life must take in light of these realities.

If we accept the Word as our authority, and if we will allow Edwards to serve as our faithful and imaginative guide, we will find that God is alive. He is Lord of heaven and earth, the sovereign ruler of all Creation. He is not small. He can be found. He is not silent on the afterlife, and His testimony calls for our attention, our concern, and our whole-hearted worship and trust.

Easily accessible and readable, you do not need to be a scholar to enjoy these insights about Jonathan Edwards and his writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Review on Essential Edwards on Heaven and Hell
Book Review
By
Jason Scott


The Essential Edwards Collection: Jonathan Edwards
On Heaven and Hell
By Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeny


This is one volume of a five-volume set.This is a good introduction to some of the writings of Jonathan Edwards.Jonathan Edwards was one of America's greatest theologians who lived in the 1700's.His writings are voluminous and often difficult to read.Strachan and Sweeny have done a great service to 21-century readers by taking key writings from Edwards and helping the reader understand clearly what Edwards was saying.

This volume deals with the subjects of Heaven and Hell.Edwards lived with eternity in mind.Edwards strongly believed in a literal Heaven and Hell, and was unashamed to preach, teach and write about it.

"Why should not they be told as much of the truth
as can be? If I am in danger of going to hell, I
should be glad to know as much as possibly
I can of the dreadfulness of it." Pg. 62

Edwards most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God" has sometimes, unfortunately, painted Edwards as one whose sole focus was doom and gloom.To the contrary, Edwards also preached on the glories of Heaven as well.

"There shall be no remaining enmity,
distaste, coldness, and deadness of heart
towards God and Christ; not the least
remainder of any principle of envy
to be exercised towards any angels or saints
who are superior in glory, no contempt
or slight towards any who are inferior." Pg 108

"After they have had the
pleasures of beholding
the face of God millions of
ages, it won't grow a dull
story; the relish of this delight
will be as exquisite as ever." Pg95

This book is worth the read for those that have never heard of Jonathan Edwards, and for those very familiar with his works. ... Read more

Product Description
To read Jonathan Edwards is to meet a flood of pure and overwhelming passion--passion for Christ, for people's souls, for godliness, for revival, for truth. You may remember reading Jonathan Edwards's fiery sermons in school. Yet his challenge--and passion--goes well beyond mere rhetoric. In A Quest for Godliness J. I. Packer describes how Edwards "uncoils a length of reasoning with a slow, smooth exactness that is almost hypnotic in its power to rivet attention on the successive folds of truth sliding out into view."As you work through Dale and Sandy Larsen's Christian Classic Bible Study based on Edwards's thought and teaching, you'll have the opportunity to grapple with Scripture and rekindle your own passion for God. ... Read more

Product Description
Three hundred years after Edwards' birth, experts on Edwards examine the vision, theology, and legacy of this theological giant. Scholars contributing essays include Harry S. Stout, George M. Marsden, Gerald McDermott, and Douglas Sweeney. The first part of the book focuses on the vision of Jonathan Edwards, discussing how Edwards understood Native American mission, preaching, and Christian spirituality. A second section looks at Edwards' theology and its relevance for contemporary church issues, including the crisis of character and open theism. The third section examines how Edwards' legacy was carried on by later church leaders. And the final section offers personal reflections by long-time Edwards scholar George S. Claghorn and a survey of the best literature on Edwards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent Introduction to the Life and Thought of Jonathan Edwards
Perhaps best known for his fiery sermons evoking images of fire and brimstone, Jonathan Edwards was actually one of the most influential thinkers America has ever produced.Even today, philosophy is forced to contend with his carefully crafted responses to the Enlightenment, the leading intellectual movement of his day.Historians must acknowledge the influence he wielded in eighteenth century New England.Protestant theologians still wrestle and debate his ideas on God's sovereignty, revival, joy in the Christian life, and Heaven and Hell. American society is particularly indebted for his contributions toward dealing with Native Americans and black slaves, which in his time, were nothing short of revolutionary.Indeed, Jonathan Edwards was a man who left an enduring and imposing legacy.

The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards consists of chapters written by different scholars and professors from around the country, each examining one aspect of Edwards' thought and life.The book includes scrutiny of Edwards' theology, apologetics, and philosophy.Specifically, some of the chapters deal with the eighteenth century Puritan's thoughts on open theism and God's sovereignty, experimental Calvinism and spiritual conversion, his intellectual response to the Enlightenment, slavery and Native Americans, church missions, apologetics, God's covenant with America, and the art of preaching.

The different authors involved in the book give each chapter a different flavor and make it difficult to accurately summarize and review the book in a concise manner.The idea for the book stemmed from a 2001 conference at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.The conference, entitled "Jonathan Edwards and the Future of Evangelicalism," was so well received that each of the keynote speakers eventually translated their lectures into a chapter for this joint effort.

Before reading this book I must confess of my general ignorance towards Edwardsian thought and theology beyond a general knowledge that he was one of the last Puritan preachers.This book served as an excellent introduction to his writings and thoughts.

I was most impressed by Stephen Nichols' chapter, "Last of the Mohican Missionaries." I had never known that Edwards chose to serve as a missionary to Native Americans for almost a decade at the height of his popularity in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, a rural outpost town, when he could have commanded a much larger congregational audience every Sunday.Edwards' dealings with the tribes in western Massachusetts set an early example for missionaries in North America concerning the preaching of the gospel to foreign cultures.Most interesting, Edwards adopted the Native Americans' ways of living, including their language and living accommodations.

Other noteworthy chapters include Sam Storms "Open Theism in the Hands of an Angry Puritan."It was fascinating to read Edwards' thoughts on what is still a contemporary theological debate and, of course, he essentially destroyed the notion that open theism could be founded upon Biblically-based arguments.

The two closing chapters also added a lot to the overall work.In "Transcribing a Difficult Hand" George Claghorn recounts his experiences while spending over three decades of studying Edwards and tirelessly working to collect and transcribe old letters and documents written by the Puritan pastor.As you might guess from the chapter's title, Edwards was infamous for bad handwriting.Reading about Claghorn's personal experiences sometimes makes it sound like deciphering Edwards hand-written material was something akin to translating hieroglyphics! In the last chapter, Sean Michael Lucas gives a guided tour of books about Edwards, making it easy for interested readers to know where to learn more on the eighteenth century Puritan preacher.

As I stated above, The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards is a great introduction to Edwardsian thought and theology.The only thing I would have liked to see added is a chapter or two dedicated to the life of Edwards.A couple of chapters more biographical in nature would have made it easier for those unfamiliar with Edwards' life to understand what influenced and shaped him.This was the only glaring omission in the book and made it difficult at times to understand what prompted Edwards to write about the subjects he did.

Outstanding and Thoughtful Book for Edwards' 300th Birthday
This book is a welcome addition to many introductory books on the life, thought, and theology of Jonathan Edwards.Drs. D. G. Hart, Sean Michael Lucas (please correct his name- -it is Sean Michael Lucas, not 'Edwards'), and Stephen Nichols have done an outstanding job of writing clear and informative essays that will be appreciated by both those who are new to Edwards' influence on American Religion, as well as those trained as scholars in this field.

May Jonathan Edwards' life, thought, theology, and most of all his great devotion to God's glory and holiness recapture us all.This book will point those interested in the right direction and cause some to understand the evangelical tradition and theological stream in which we all live that flows from the influence of Dr. Edwards. Purchase this with the Marsden Volume on the life of Edwards, or Nichols' 'Guided Tour of Edwards' Life.
PS Please correct Dr. Lucas' name! ... Read more

Product Description
WHAT I here make public has, after a long and scrupulous inquiry, seemed to me evidently true and not unuseful to be known- particularly to those who are tainted with Scepticism, or want a demonstration of the existence and immateriality of God, or the natural immortality of the soul. Whether it be so or no I am content the reader should impartially examine; since I do not think myself any farther concerned for the success of what I have written than as it is agreeable to truth. But, to the end this may not suffer, I make it my request that the reader suspend his judgment till he has once at least read the whole through with that degree of attention and thought which the subject-matter shall seem to deserve. For, as there are some passages that, taken by themselves, are very liable (nor could it be remedied) to gross misinterpretation, and to be charged with most absurd consequences, which, nevertheless, upon an entire perusal will appear not to follow from them; so likewise, though the whole should be read over, yet, if this be done transiently, it is very probable my sense may be mistaken; but to a thinking reader, I flatter myself it will be throughout clear and obvious. As for the characters of novelty and singularity which some of the following notions may seem to bear, it is, I hope, needless to make any apology on that account. He must surely be either very weak, or very little acquainted with the sciences, who shall reject a truth that is capable of demonstration, for no other reason but because it is newly known, and contrary to the prejudices of mankind. Thus much I thought fit to premise, in order to prevent, if possible, the hasty censures of a sort of men who are too apt to condemn an opinion before they rightly comprehend it. ... Read more

Product Description

Jonathan Edwards's treatise Religious Affections iswidely considered the most important and accurate analysis ofreligious experience ever written.

Unfortunately, many well-intentioned readers sit down withReligious Affections, only to give up in frustrationover Edwards's lofty style and complex argumentation.

For this reason Sam Storms, one of evangelicalism's experts onEdwards, has attempted to bridge the gap between how Edwards saidwhat he did in the eighteenth century and how he might say ittoday. In Signs of the Spirit he articulates thesubstance of Edwards's arguments in a more understandable way. Thepoint is not to "dumb down" Jonathan Edwards but to make his workaccessible to a wider audience.

This volume serves those both in and outside the academic realmas valuable preparation for, or as a companion guide to, a readingof Edwards's Religious Affections.

"Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections remains oneof the most discerning works of spiritual psychology published inthe last several centuries. Dr. Samuel Storms' unpacking of thissignificant work reveals once again for a new generation why theold Puritan so much deserves the most careful study today."
Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor ofHistory, University of Notre Dame

"Storms' repackaging of this spiritual classic meets a seriousneed. His essay on Edwards' personal spirituality, introducing thePersonal Narrative, is almost worth the price of the book. Then hisrunning commentary, interspersed with direct selections from theNarrative, are exceedingly helpful."
Gerald R. McDermott, Professor of Religion,Roanoke College

"After nearly 300 years, these gems of Edwards' continue tosparkle. Sam Storms has done a superb job interpreting them fortwenty-first-century followers of Jesus. His vivid paraphrases areeasy to read and always edifying."
Douglas A. Sweeney, Associate Professor of ChurchHistory, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"These texts of Jonathan Edwards have nourished the church fornearly three centuries. In Sam Storms' capable hands they'll nowspeak clearly, plainly, and powerfully to the church today and forgenerations to come. If you've ever wanted to tackle Edwards buthave shied away, you no longer have an excuse."
Stephen J. Nichols, author of Heaven onEarth: Capturing Jonathan Edwards's Vision of Living inBetween

"In reading through this book, I feel like I am looking over SamStorms' shoulder, reading Edwards together with him. At times, hepauses to interpret Edwards for me; at other times, he placesEdwards' comments in their historical context. At all times, Sam'slove and respect for Edwards shines through clearly."
Glenn Kreider, Professor of Theological Studies,Dallas Theological Seminary

Customer Reviews (13)

Superb Evidence for Jonathan Edwards Greatness - Good Read, too
Sam Storms, Signs of the Spirit, An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections (Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books, 2007)

Even among books on theological subjects, this volume is just a bit odd. It is not a commentary on the work by Jonathan Edwards cited in the title. And, since Edwards' work was written in English, it is certainly not a translation. Like some renderings of the Bible, Storms' book is a paraphrase of Edwards' work, in modern English.

This effort is, or should be, immensely appreciated by our modern Christian lay faithful (I'm assuming a seminary trained person would be held responsible for reading Edwards' original words) as it answers a question which has puzzled me ever since I began attending congregational and synod-wide meetings. As I've put it, the question is `How do you tell the difference between someone who is truly imbued with the Holy Spirit, and a loose cannon?' My personal experience is as that of a loose cannon, so I'm not sure I can answer that question from my own experience.

Storms, a pastor and part-time professor of theology at Wheaton College in Illinois, has done us the service of making available to us an important piece of evidence showing what made Jonathan Edwards the foremost American theologian, and on the short list of the most important American thinkers. Our problem with Edwards may be that he preached and advocated a form of Calvinism which was very close to the strict, conservative, pre-destination oriented doctrines of John Calvin and the other early Swiss reformers. He did this at a time when his own New England Congregationalist pastors, several of whom were his cousins, were tending toward the Armenian variety of Reformed theology, (softened the doctrine of predestination by claiming that humans could reject election, which was also conditional on faith in the sacrifice and Lordship of Jesus Christ).

Religious Affections was especially topical, as it was written in 1746, following the two great rounds of religious enthusiasm which sprang up in 1735 and 1741--42, sparked by the preaching of Edwards himself (See Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God) and George Whitefield, a travelling English Anglican revivalist preacher touring New England. The question at that time, amid the great number of people responding enthusiastically to this `fire and brimstone' preaching was, `who was really among the elect'? The question was especially acute in that Edwards' opponents were advocates of a very cerebral approach to belief.

While Edwards' theology was conservative Calvinism, he rebuilt the underpinning of predestination theology on the epistemology of John Locke (1632--1704) and the physics of Isaac Newton, both of which were radically new, totally beyond the ken of Calvin (1509--1564). This makes Edwards' theology far more modern than his Reformer antecedents. To the modern physics, Edwards adds an appreciation for the role of `affection' which went further than his contemporaries.

My first reaction to Edwards' discussion is that he seems to dismiss as not relevant virtually all the signs, twelve in all, we might take as symptoms of `affection' such as the fact that affections `are intense or are raised high in the heart of the person' or `when the affections of the heart have a great influence on the body'. The problem becomes more acute when we read his positive signs of `authentic affections'. Such as `The first objective ground of gracious affections is the transcendently excellent and amiable nature of divine things as they are in themselves, and not any conceived relation they bear to self, or self-interest.' Things get a lot clearer when we get to the later (of twelve) authentic signs, as `When genuine, gracious affections are experienced in high degree, it serves only to intensify one's longing for more. False affections, on the other hand, rest satisfied in themselves.'

In fact, I was less impressed with these criteria than I was with some of Edwards early comments on the very nature of worship, such as `We are not to pray as if our petitions inform God of what he doesn't know or change his mind or prevail on him to bestow mercy that he was otherwise disinclined to give. Rather we pray "to affect our own hearts with the things we express, and so prepare us to receive the blessings we ask." In fact, virtually all external expressions of worship "can be of no further use, than as they have some tendency to affect our own hearts, or the hearts of others."Consider, for example, the singing of praises to God, which seem to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned, why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music, but only that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections.' I have yet to see the nature and purpose of prayer so well stated as this.

The author has stated that this book, in spite of its difficulty in the original, has been a manual for many contemporary evangelical preachers, and I can hope that with this paraphrase, it will find even greater use. I compared parts of Storm's text to Edwards' original and I have come to be especially grateful for his contribution, as Edwards genius is not in great English prose. You may wish to read the original, but finish and digest the paraphrase before jumping into Edwards' fire with him. My experience is that it is not easy to locate Edwards' source for Storm's paraphrase.

Review of Kindle ebook purchase
I really love this ebook. It has great theological content and it is very readable. However, I found many spelling and formatting errors a bit distracting. Something happened while Amazon made this text into Kindle format...

For example: "The mere fact that certain religios affections are characterized byu love is no proof that the Holy Script is their author". That's 3 errors in one sentence alone! I'm wondering if this is common for Kindle books?

Maybe I should have just bought the book at Crossway's site which comes with the PDF-- which has perfect spelling. For this otherwise great ebook, minus a star for spelling.

Troubles the Mind, Comforts the Heart
I have heard exceedingly remarkable things of Jonathan Edwards.From grade school, I have heard people refer to Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and to Edwards' profound understanding of scripture, but I had never ventured to look into his teachings for myself.This book has made me understand why so many theologically learned people study and desire to emulate this man.Now, I share their sentiments.

The book is, as the title says, and interpretation.The first section of the book consists of Sam Storms paraphrasing and dumbing down The Religious Affections.Storms' language is in no way simple.I have come to appreciate Storms' rewriting of Edwards after seeing that 18th Century English was not as fluid as the language is today.Despite the attempt to simplify the language, the teachings are still dense and, in my opinion, revolutionary for the unlearned Christian.I found myself often spending upwards of ten minutes on some pages to contemplate the presented arguments, comparing the characteristics of true and false believers to the evidences which I have seen in my own life (an activity that was both humbling and encouraging).

Reading the first section without reading the walkthrough of Edwards' Personal Narrative will leave readers judgmental and overly critical of their fellow Christians.The personal narratives speaks of Edwards' journey to faith.The very first chapters recount Edwards' life before he displayed gracious affections and what Edwards thought of this time.The first section of the book will mess with the reader's head, but the latter section will deal with his heart.Edwards is portrayed as a humble man who is incredibly learned and seeks to know God, a God who Edwards claims he knows infinitely nothing about considering how infinitely much there is to know.

I am no theologian.In fact, I used to think that those who knew as much about theology as Storms and Edwards do were missing the true point of Christianity.This book helped me to break this paradigm and to understand that these great men of faith were no more than that: mere men.The language is understandable but worldview shattering.The message is troubling to the mind but comforting for the heart.The message in this book is terribly practical and essential for believers today.Please do read it.

Honest scholarly attempt, does justice to Edwards
Sam Storms has provided us with a true gift: an honest scholarly attempt and interpretation of Jonathan Edwards' classic work "Religious Affections". For me, Religious Affections seemed too much to chew. Here, Storms, with great humility and care to maintain the original intent and depth of "Affections", provides an honest and useful interpretation of the original work in modern colloquial English. I am confident I still have much to gain by reading Edwards' work, just as I am confident that Storms' faithful work here has helped whet my appetite for it.

Finally - something by Edwards that I can understand!
"Signs of The Spirit - an interepretation of Jonathan Edwards' Religous Affections" by Sam Storms is basically a paraphrase of Jonathan Edwards' "Religous Affections." A very good one.

Counting this book - this will be the third time in a year that I've read this work by Edwards in one version or another. I'm not sure why I keep being drawn back to this particular work. This time around is primarily because I am becoming a big fan of Sam Storms and this is his latest book - but there is still something about it that is incredibly realistic when approaching the sincerity of one's faith. Like Edwards I struggle with my own sincerity and genuiness - constantly fighting against personal hypocracy and self-centeredness. When I measure my faith and personal walk with God by using this stuff - I see how far off from Him I am - and am greatly humbled by it. This is necessary for a true understanding of how sin needs to be dealt with - through Christ.

A lot of people aren't in favor of paraphrasing Edwards' works into modern day language - but I for one am all for it. Sam Storm does a great job of breaking this book down so that I could completely understand it. Before reading this book - I could only understand about 50% of the origonal.

Edwards lays out about 12 "signs" that a person can use to determine the sincerity of his own faith - and I think it is important to differentiate between one's OWN vice someone else's. I just don't think its a productive thing to do to go around trying to judge the sincerity of a brother's faith. I also don't think that is the intent of Edwards either. There are also some signs Edwards lists that MAY be fruits of a sincere faith but not necessarily. Its a very powerful book to read and without the hard edge of Shepard's "Parable of The Ten Virgins."

Storms also includes all of Edwards' "Personal Narrative" in the second section of the book. This part of Edwards' writings were left in their original with Storms commenting extensively on them. Its a great addition to the work because when you read Edwards' narrative you really get the sense that he applied the principals in the "Religous Affections" to his own life.

One thing missing from the book is the constant and continuous references to Thomas Shepard's "Parable of The Ten Virgins" which you will see in the original text outright. I'm not sure why Storms left this out - probably because it wasn't necessary to the point - but I think it really is a great idea to read that book to see how it incredibly influenced Edwards.

I really enjoyed this book - and hope that folks like Storms will step up to the plate and put some more writings of Edwards and others like him into a modern day readable format for average joe's like me.
... Read more

Product Description
In Two Volumes. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Jonathan Edwards, a leader in the Great Awakening during the eighteenth century, still has much to teach the church. Evangelicals are rediscovering him through the efforts of several authors (John Gerstner, Iain Murray, Harry Stout, and others) and publishers (Banner of Truth, Soli Deo Gloria, and Crossway). Stephen Nichols offers Jonathan Edwards "as an introduction, a gateway into the vast and rewarding life, thought, and writings of Jonathan Edwards." He intends it for anyone who wants to read Edwards but who needs a little help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Entry-Level Introduction
Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought by Stephen J. Nicholas was at the same time excellent and disappointing. The disappointment was my fault and in no way reflects upon the book or the author, for I had begun reading it with unfair expectations. I had not read the cover carefully and thus I thought I was buying a short biography of Edwards and that is not what this book is. After I came to realize what the book was intended to be, I enjoyed it thoroughly. And in this way it was excellent. Despite not being a biography it contained all sorts of great information about Edwards and about the events and writings that shaped his life. It is, as it says in the title, a guided tour to his life and thoughts more than a chronological ordering of the events of his life. More than a biography, this is a gateway into the thoughts, writings and theology of this great man of God.

In the introduction Nichols writes that the book "is not an end in itself; it is not a substitute for reading Edwards. It is intended to help anyone who, like me, has wanted to read Edwards and even has tried to read him, but needs a little help." It might also be said that this book is not a substitute for reading a thorough biography of the man. Later Nicholas says "My hope is that this book will help you to see the relevance and importance of Edward's thought and that through these pages Edwards will help you, as he has helped so many others, to better understand God, his Word, his work in this world, and your place in it." In this regard, the book and the author succeed admirably.

The format of the book is as follows. It is divided into four sections. The first section, comprising two chapters is dedicated to a short overview of his life, from his upbringing in a Christian home to his untimely death from a failed smallpox innoculation. The following three parts, each comprised of three or four chapters, examine his writings and sermons. Part two examines his writings on revival and church life, part three his writings on theology and philosophy and part four several of his sermons. Each is presented in the appropriate historical context and is examined in light of the impact it had in his day and in its ongoing relevance to the church today.

This book is a solid entry-level introduction to Jonathan Edwards, and in particular, to his contribution to Christian thought and theology. I give it my recommendation, not as an alternative to his writings or biographies, but, as it was meant to be, a supplement.

Excellent Book on a Great Man of God!
Nichols has written an excellent book on the ministry of Jonathan Edwards and will enlighten the reader on how a godly many Edwards really was.

While the book delves somewhat into his personal life, the majority of the text involves his writings on revival, church life, theology, and philosophy.

While I would recommend Iain Murray's book on Edwards for more personal information on the man, I still recommend Nichols' book on what Edwards thought.

An excellent read for knowing more about one of America's greatest theologians!

Highly recommended!

A First...
This is an excellent book on the life of Jonathan Edwards. Dr. Nichols did an incredible job of depicting his life and thought...reflecting on what it was to be one of the most influential theologians ever! ... Read more

Product Description
The Jonathan Edwards trilogy includes three of the most important sermons ever preached on American soil. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is maybe the most important and well-known sermon of his, but also included is A Divine and Supernatural Light describing and illuminating what Edwards describes as a supernatural light imparted by God. His farewell sermon was given in June of 1750 and is a commendation to those who are in the Lord's service, a plea to maintain unity, avoid dissension and false doctrine, and a call to devote themselves to prayer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A light introduction to some heavy books.
I was stuck in the middle of "Freedom of the Will" and was looking for some guidance. This book did help a little, but it was more of a breezy, highly readable, introduction to Edward's life and thought. The book covered his life and discussed his most important works. The final chapter gave some interesting views on his legacy. Some of the cartoons work and some did not. The book could have done without them.

The single idea the book brings out that I like best is Edwards was an artistic genius and his medium was ideas. I fully agree. His style is not very easy to read. However, his arguments are precise and thorough. One may disagree with him, but I think it would be on his premises rather than the quality of his arguements. I think many of his arguments still stand today.

The book does paint Edwards as a God-glorifying man. Edwards's enjoyment of God is contagious in his books. I think this book is worth buying, but I think it could have been more inclusive of the Edwards corpus.

good, easy to read overview of Edward's life and thought
Have you heard of Jonathan Edwards?

Perhaps you've heard of his famous sermon "Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God?"

Sadly, many people have only heard of that one sermon and think of Edwards as a very depressing sort of person to think of.

Not so.

Edwards knew his heaven as well as hell.

Edwards was the foremost philosopher of his day in colonial America.

Edwards is probably the greatest theologian in American history.

He was a leader in the Great Awakening and his writings on revival and religious affections are classics.

Edwards was mightily used of God in his ministry, and his legacy continues today.

One can read Edwards and learn much of the goodness and greatness of God.

This book in the Armchair series gives us these facts and more.

The book is well written and not hard to read.It will suit the armchair theologian who wants to learn more of Edwards.

This book is worth the reader's time and money.

A fun, easy to read survey of Edwards's life and thought
Presenting a fresh view of Jonathan Edwards to the "average Joe" (current American political connotations of that phrase notwithstanding) is always a bit of a trick. For those who have heard of Edwards, all they really know about him is that he was a Puritan (strike 1!) and that he preached a sermon called "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," which most read in high school (strikes 2 and 3 combined!). Attuned to the odds he is up against, James Byrd, professor at Vanderbilt, takes on this difficult task in his book, Jonathan Edwards for Armchair Theologians.

The Armchair Theologians series is a delightful little series that is described by the publisher as "Written by experts but designed for the novice, the Armchair series provides accurate, concise, and witty overviews of some of the most profound moments and theologians in Christian history." Byrd's volume is no exception. Surveying the broad scope of Edwards's life and work, the author carefully interweaves both, letting Edwards's big ideas frame the overall structure of the book.

Giving them roughly a chapter a piece, topics included in this volume include, in order, Edwards's exploration of divine beauty in particular reference to the "Spider Letter," Revival and Religious Affections, the dismissal from Northampton, Edwards on the Will, Edwards on Original Sin, his two dissertations, and his ever-expanding legacy.

The great value of this book is twofold. First is the skill by which the author eschews the confusing, complex philosophical language often employed by Edwards (esp. on the Will and Original Sin) in order to explain the concepts in plain language. This is not to say that Edwards's works have been dumbed down. Far from it! The complexity of the arguments are retained and key philosophical terms are still defined and used, but the material is presented and illustrated in such a way that one can begin to grasp what Edwards was driving at and responding to without having to have previous experience in Enlightenment philosophy, particularly of the Lockean flavor.

Second, the last chapter on Edwards's legacy is especially helpful in demonstrating the "so what" of Edwards's continued importance today. The author quickly traces Edwards's influence from the abolitionist movement, to 19th century revivalism, to the crusades of 20th century evangelists, finally ending up in the resurgence of traditional Calvinism that has been observed among many modern evangelicals, especially in the younger groups. This chapter proves that the study of Edwards is vital to understanding the unfolding of American history from its pre-Revolution days to the post-9/11 situation that exists today, though there is still much work that needs to be done in this area of Edwards's legacy, both at home in America and abroad.

In short, this book is a wonderful survey of the life and work of Jonathan Edwards and is recommended to a wide variety of readers, whether you've been deeply immersed in Edwards studies for decades, have been away for a while and need a refresher, or if you need that extra nudge to begin wading through the inestimable richness of America's greatest theologian.


p.s. Did i mention that this is a THEOLOGY book with CARTOONS?? While, as George Marsden states in his endorsement, "[Edwards] would have been unhappy about some of the cartoons," the drawings do provide some levity and illustration to the deep concepts being read about. My personal favorite is found on page 162.

Edwards for Everybody
James Byrd has written a fun, non-technical introduction to a theologian most Americans think of as NO FUN and VERY technical.Students of American studies, literature, history, theology, and philosophy all have some kind of "brush" with Edwards, and if he comes across as better than expected, most teachers count it a victory and move on to Ben Franklin or John Wesley before the magic wears off.He deserves much better.George Marsden's wonderful biography, which earned great acclaim a few years ago, has reintroduced Edwards to a new generation, and gives the most nuanced portrait yet of this profoundly influential thinker.Sadly, "Edwards for Armchair Theologians" will probably be compared to that work, rather than appreciated for its own merits, which are considerable. It seems a little insulting to say that Byrd's book is more modest in scope -- that seems like an indirect way of calling it "fluff," which it isn't.Rather, Byrd takes on the challenge of meeting the "average readers" of Edwards where they are, and guiding them into the wide-ranging interests and fierce theological debates that animated one of the world's great minds.If you are looking to stick your toe cautiously into the deep pool that is Jonathan Edwards, this is the place to begin, whether you are a true "armchair theologian" or a student with a paper due tomorrow at 8 a.m. It's great. ... Read more

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Jonathan Edwards lived in an age in which the doctrine of the Trinity was sometimes openly repudiated and more often quietly ignored. But as this important book shows, Edwards in fact took care to creatively fashion the Trinity into the centerpiece of his Christian life and work.Through her pursuit of Edwards's writings, especially his lifelong intellectual diary, Amy Plantinga Pauw traces the way Edwards established the basic outlines of his trinitarian thought when he was only twenty years old, and how the doctrine continued to run like a subterranean river throughout his famed career as a pastor and teacher. Recognizing the centrality of the Trinity in Edwards's thought both nuances our understanding of his Puritan inheritance and challenges the narrowness of Edwards's enduring legacy as the preacher of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." ... Read more

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This volume includes four documents by Jonathan Edwards on the nature of the church, documents that reveal his views on ecclesiology, congregational autonomy, ordination, and admission to church membership and to the sacraments. ... Read more

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from the book cover
This volume includes four documents by Jonathan Edwards on the nature of the church, documents that reveal his views on ecclesiology, congregational autonomy, ordination, and admission to church membership and to the sacraments. The first document, reprinted here for the first time since the eighteenth century, is Edwards' defense of his fellow Hampshire Country ministers in the Robert Breck controversy of 1735-36. The other three documents related to Edwards' efforts to restrict admission to the sacraments at Northampton in 1749-50, actions that ultimately led to his dismissal as pastor: An Humble Inquiry explicates his reasons for refuting his grandfather and predecessor Solomon Stoddard's open admission policy; Misrepresentations Corrected is Edwards' response to his cousin Solomon Williams' criticisms of the Humble Inquiry; and Edwards' untitled narrative, available before only in Sereno Dwight's 1829 edition and here newly re-edited, gives details of his final conflict with his Northampton congregation.

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This is a complete edition of the private biblical notebook that Jonathan Edwards compiled over a period of nearly 35 years. This volume confirms the centrality of the Bible in his thought and provides balance to the scientific and philosophical aspects of his work. ... Read more

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from the book cover
This volume contains the first complete edition of Jonathan Edwards' private biblical notebook known as "Notes on Scripture," drawn from his own manuscripts. Compiled by Edwards over a period of nearly thirty-five years, this text confirms the centrality of the Bible in his thought. ... Read more

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An annotated text of the key typological notebooks of Jonathan Edwards: "Images of Divine Things", "Types Notebook" and Miscellany 1069, "Types of the Messiah". These three works illustrate the way this 18th-century theologian developed his theory of typological exegesis. ... Read more

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from Yale University Press
This volume presents for the first time a comprehensive, readable, and annotated text of the key typological notebooks of Jonathan Edwards: "Images of Divine Things," "Types Notebook," and"Types of the Messiah." These three works illustrate the way the eminent eighteenth-century theologian developed his theory of typological exegesis, a theory that helped him to understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and to comprehend the correspondence between the natural and the spiritual worlds. Edwards' theories of typology have long fascinated scholars from a variety of fields and have dominated literary studies of his work. These documents illuminate Edwards' epistemology and show clearly his involvement in contemporary philosophical and exegetical trends. Introductions to the documents place Edwards' typology within the context of his period, describe his typological practices, clarify some of the complex problems posed by his ambiguous use of the types throughout his career, and discuss his philosophical defenses of typologizing against the claims of materialists, deists, and rationalists.

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Product Description
The book may have numerous typos or missing text. It is not illustrated or indexed. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website. You can also preview the book there.Purchasers are also entitled to a trial membership in the publisher's book club where they can select from more than a million books for free.Volume: 1 Original Publisher: G. ... Read more