Introduction to Jonathan Edwards by Abigail Thornton
Introduction to Jonathan Edwards by Abigail Thornton
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
by Abigail Thornton
The spiritualist, Christian philosopher, and revivalist preacher, Jonathan Edwards is both a proverbial figure in literature predating the American Revolution and the Great Awakening. Born to Puritan roots in East Windsor, Connecticut, Edwards background is mirrored throughout his work as a preacher and Congregationalist theologian. He delivered powerful and raw sermons such as “Sinners in The Hands of An Angry God” which played a critical role in the spiritual revivalist movement of 1741 and he is often credited as one of the first “fire and brimstone” preachers of the colonial era. When looking at the passionate language used in Edwards’s sermons, it is notably one of the first occurrences of American romanticism in literature and shifts away from the Puritan plain style texts of the era. It is Edwards depraved interpretation of spirituality and knowledge of divinity in his sermons that separate him from other well-respected theologians. And although he died a British colonist, Edwards to this day is named one of the greatest American theologians of all time.
In this introduction, we take a brief look at the total depravity in Edwards’s sense of spirituality and writings. The objective is to provide an overview of Edwards’s spiritual interpretation and give the reader the key to a better understanding of Edwards’s preachings. Edwards believed in the total depravity of human beings, inclusive of children and saints, he preached that all men are born infected with the original sin and therefore all men deserve to suffer an eternity in hell. This belief asserts that humans are unable to wholly worship God and are naturally inclined to serve their own interests and desires, and so forth, they will reject His Almighty’s rule. Edwards frequently denounces human beings and compares their likeness to that of an insect in the hand of God; easily cast to Hell. Edwards states, “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it…” (Edwards). This deplorable view of humans as being inherently driven towards sin and having thus already committed sin through birth alone is crucial to understanding how Edwards viewed true spirituality, which is to accept and acknowledge that we are all sinners, and why his sermons had a great effect on converting wicked men to Christianity in the First Great Awakening of spiritualism.
We can see how Edwards believed that God owed no natural man the promise of heavenly salvation, and is not obligated to save men from the depths of hell. That men, unconverted or otherwise deemed wicked, cannot do anything in their natural lives to save themselves from God’s wrath should they anger him and not atone for their sins by returning to the path of Christ. Edwards claims, “That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stand