Jonathan Edwards

1703-1758

Life

Family

Father: the Rev. Timothy Edwards
Mother: Esther Stoddard Edwards
Maternal grandfather: the Rev. Solomon Stoddard

Homes

New Haven, Connecticut (1716-1722, 1724-1726)
New York (1722-1724)
Northampton, Massachusetts (1726-1750)
Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1750-1757)
Princeton, New Jersey (1758)

Occupation

minister
administrator
author

Religion

Puritan

Chronology

1703: born in East Windsor, Connecticut
1716-1720: attends Yale College, graduating in 1720
1720-1722: studies theology at Yale
1722: becomes pastor of Presbyterian Church in New York
1724-1726: serves as a tutor at Yale
1726-1729: assists his grandfather, the Rev. Solomon Stoddard, at a church in Northampton, Massachusetts
1727: marries
1729: succeeds his grandfather as pastor of the church after Stoddard's death
1734: "A Divine and Supernatural Light"
1735: A leader in the Great Awakening, Edwards achieves several conversions.
1737: "A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God"
1741: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"
1746: "A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections"
1748: requires formal profession of salvation for admission to his church
1750: dismissed by congregation
1751-1757: works in administrative position at a Congregational mission in western Massachusetts
1754: "The Freedom of the Will"
1758: serves as president of College of New Jersey, now called Princeton
1758: dies of smallpox

Issues and themes

One of the most important American writers and thinkers of the 18th century, Jonathan Edwards embodied the spirit of his time. Like Benjamin Franklin, he was a voice of the Enlightenment, particularly in his emphasis on experience and his belief in the power of the human will. Unlike Franklin, however, Edwards also spoke for the Puritans, whose membership and influence had all but disappeared by the time he was preaching in Northampton, Massachusetts. As evidence of his Puritan theology, many people point to his "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," perhaps the most famous sermon ever delivered in America. As a jeremiad and a tribute to God's sovereignty, this sermon indeed expresses Puritan belief and resembles the writings of Michael Wigglesworth and other early Puritans. Perhaps even more important and characteristic than this fiery sermon, however, are other writings, such as "Personal Narrative" and "A Divine and Supernatural Light," in which Edwards describes his personal, emotional faith.

Work

Personal Narrative

Composition: c. 1740
Publication: 1765 in Samuel Hopkins's The Life and Character of the Late Rev. Mr. Jonathan Edwards
Analyze the various stages of Edwards's religious evolution. How and why does he change between stages? How would you characterize his faith at the time he composed this narrative? Cite evidence to support your characterization.
Analyze this statement from the first paragraph: "And I am ready to think, many are deceived with such affections and such a kind of delight, as I then had in religion, and mistake it for grace" (177). What do you think was the source of this early excitement about religion? How, in Edwards's mind, were his early "affections" different from those of grace?
What aspect of God appeals most to Edwards? Why?
Look up the word "awful" in the dictionary. What sense is Edwards using when he refers to "awful sweetness" (179)?
After he went to preach in New York, Edwards writes, he pursued his faith with greater enthusiasm. "It was my continual strife day and night, and constant inquiry," he says, "how I should be more holy, and live more holily, and more becoming a child of God, and disciple of Christ" (180). What does Edwards do to make himself more holier? What do these efforts suggest about his outlook on life?
What metaphors does Edwards use to convey a sense of his relationship with God? Why do you think he used them instead of simply describing this relationship? Are they effective? What do they suggest?
Analyze Edwards's description of his own sinfulness. What do you think is the purpose of this passage? Why does Edwards believe he is so sinful?
As the experiences of Galileo Galelei and Charles Darwin testify, religion and science often have been at odds. Edwards, a leading theologian and minister, however, read the work of the period's greatest scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, and embraced the notion of knowledge gleaned through experience. How does Edwards tolerate science and even make it a part of his faith?

Bibliography

"Jonathan Edwards." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Fourth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995. 175-176.
Edwards, Jonathan. "Personal Narrative." Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter Fourth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, 1995. 177-187.

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