Jonathan Edwards is probably best known to many students because of his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." The truth about Jonathan Edward’s theology, however, is that it is most distinctive in talking about God’s beauty and glory and the ways in which we are invited to participate in that beauty and glory.

Edwards was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, the son of a pastor. He became a pastor himself in 1728, serving a church in Massachusetts which his grandfather had also served. At first, his preaching gave rise to revival, but in 1750 his congregation dismissed him because they were upset with his desire to "fence the table" at communion. He left eastern Massachusetts for the wilds of Stockbridge, near the western end of the state, where he had a rewarding ministry among members of the Housatonic tribe. In 1757, he was elected president of Princeton Seminary, and in January of 1758 he moved to Princeton, New Jersey, to begin his duties. That winter, health officials in New Jersey were eager to inoculate as many members of the population as possible against smallpox. The concept of inoculation was still quite new, and many people were skeptical. Edwards traveled all around New Jersey, trying to convince people to be inoculated, and as part of his proof that the process was safe he would be inoculated at each stop. He died of these accumulated inoculations in March of 1758.

Bibliography:

Works by Edwards:

Freedom of the Willand Treatise Concerning Religious Affections are two of his most important works. Many of his sermons also survive.

Yale University Press is in the process of releasing the complete works of Jonathan Edwards, which now includes 19 volumes.

Works about Edwards:

John Piper’s book God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards is an extremely accessible introduction to a key theme in Edwards’ thought and also includes an edited version of a text by Edwards.

Links: http://www.jonathanedwards.com

http://members.aol.com/jonathanedw/Edwards.html (texts of some of Edwards’ sermons)

http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/edwards.html (several of Edwards’ works online)