Jonathan Edwards (theologian)

Lore & Background

He was interested in natural history and, as an 11-year-old, observed and wrote an essay detailing the ballooning behavior of spiders, later edited as 'The Flying Spider'. Edwards was fascinated by the discoveries of Isaac Newton and other scientists, and considered the laws of nature to be derived from God. He married Sarah Pierpont that same year. Edwards died from a smallpox inoculation shortly after beginning the presidency at the College of New Jersey in Princeton.

Reader's Guide

Jonathan Edwards's significance lies in his role as a central figure in the First Great Awakening and his development of New England theology. His sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' remains a classic of early American literature. Edwards's theological work is broad in scope but rooted in the Puritan heritage, and recent studies have emphasized how thoroughly he grounded his life's work on conceptions of beauty, harmony, and ethical aptness, and how central the Age of Enlightenment was to his mindset. His books, such as The End for Which God Created the World, The Life of David Brainerd, and Religious Affections, have had lasting influence: The Life of David Brainerd inspired thousands of missionaries throughout the 19th century, and Religious Affections is still read by many Calvinist Evangelicals today. Edwards is thought to anticipate a 20th-century current of theological aesthetics, represented by figures such as Hans Urs von Balthasar. His legacy includes his influence on American religious thought and his integration of Enlightenment science with Christian theology.

Did You Know?

• As an 11-year-old, he wrote an essay detailing the ballooning behavior of spiders, later edited as 'The Flying Spider'.
• He died from a smallpox inoculation shortly after beginning the presidency at the College of New Jersey in Princeton.
• His sister Esther wrote a semi-humorous tract on the immateriality of the soul often mistakenly attributed to Jonathan.