Interest in Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards has increased markedly over the last several decades. As more and more people become interested in Edwards as a theologian, exegete, and even political theorist, there is a major lacuna in both the primary and secondary literature. Edwards’s spirituality, a central facet of his life and work, remains unexplored. Jonathan Edwards: Spiritual Writings addresses this neglect by compiling material from across Edwards’s corpus that outlines the breadth of his spiritual thought. Drawing primarily from sermons, letters, and notes, this volume showcases Edwards’s spiritual theology.
In addition to works with which those interested in Edwards will be familiar, such as an excerpt from A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, the book includes several key texts that are either out of print or as yet unpublished. The result is the first primary-source reader of Edwards’s work to focus on his spirituality. The volume is organized along broad themes so that abstract and practical matters are addressed side by side. A general introduction orients the reader to Edwards’s background, context, theology, and spirituality, and brief introductions to each thematic section provides further orientation.
As evangelicals continue to explore spirituality and attempt to retrieve spiritual theology from the tradition, there is an increasing interest in the history of evangelical spirituality, the Puritans, and most specifically Edwards. Jonathan Edwards: Spiritual Writings fills the need for an emphasis on the spiritual nature of his work.
