Religious Affections: In Modern, Updated English

by Jonathan Edwards, Modern Puritans (Translator)

Religious Affections, written by Jonathan Edwards, is a treatise that explores the nature of true and false religious experiences and emotions, and their role in the Christian life. Published in 1746, the work is a response to the religious revival known as the Great Awakening, which swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. Edwards, a key figure in the movement, sought to address the concerns of critics who questioned the legitimacy of the revival and the emotional displays that accompanied it.

In the book, Edwards argues that religious affections, or emotions, are essential to genuine faith and spiritual life. He contends that true religion is not merely a matter of intellectual understanding or doctrinal orthodoxy but involves a deep, heartfelt love for God and a desire to live in accordance with His will. However, Edwards also acknowledges that not all religious emotions are genuine, and he sets forth twelve criteria to help discern the authenticity of one's religious affections.

Some of the key signs of true religious affections, according to Edwards, include a love for God that is rooted in His holiness and beauty, a genuine humility and self-abasement before God, a change in one's nature that leads to a life of holiness, and a willingness to suffer for the sake of Christ. On the other hand, false religious affections may be characterized by a focus on self-interest, a reliance on extraordinary experiences, or an emphasis on outward displays of piety.

Edwards' work has been influential in shaping Protestant theology and spirituality, particularly in the Reformed and Evangelical traditions. Religious Affections remains an important resource for understanding the nature of true and false religious experiences and for cultivating a genuine, heartfelt love for God.About Jonathan EdwardsJonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an American theologian, philosopher, and pastor who played a central role in the Great Awakening. Born in East Windsor, Connecticut, Edwards was a precocious child who entered Yale College at the age of thirteen. He later served as a pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts, and as a missionary to Native Americans in Stockbridge. Edwards is widely regarded as one of America's greatest theologians and has been called the "father of American evangelicalism." His works, including Religious Affections, continue to be studied and appreciated for their depth and insight into the Christian faith.

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Jonathan Edwards.

Jonathan Edwards was the most eminent American philosopher-theologian of his time, and a key figure in what has come to be called the First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s.

The only son in a family of eleven children, he entered Yale in September, 1716 when he was not yet thirteen and graduated four years later (1720) as valedictorian. He received his Masters three years later. As a youth, Edwards was unable to accept the Calvinist sovereignty of God. However, in 1721 he came to what he called a "delightful conviction" though meditation on 1 Timothy 1:17. From that point on, Edwards delighted in the sovereignty of God. Edwards later recognized this as his conversion to Christ.

In 1727 he was ordained minister at Northampton and assistant to his maternal grandfather, Solomon Stoddard. He was a student minister, not a visiting pastor, his rule being thirteen hours of study a day. In the same year, he married Sarah Pierpont, then age seventeen, daughter of Yale founder James Pierpont (1659–1714). In total, Jonathan and Sarah had eleven children.

Stoddard died on February 11th, 1729, leaving to his grandson the difficult task of the sole ministerial charge of one of the largest and wealthiest congregations in the colony. Throughout his time in Northampton his preaching brought remarkable religious revivals.

Yet, tensions flamed as Edwards would not continue his grandfather's practice of open communion. Stoddard believed that communion was a "converting ordinance." Surrounding congregations had been convinced of this, and as Edwards became more convinced that this was harmful, his public disagreement with the idea caused his dismissal in 1750.

Edwards then moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, then a frontier settlement, where he ministered to a small congregation and served as missionary to the Housatonic Indians. There, having more time for study and writing, he completed his celebrated work, The Freedom of the Will (1754).

Edwards was elected president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in early 1758. He was a popular choice, for he had been a friend of the College since its inception. He died of fever at the age of fifty-four following experimental inoculation for smallpox and was buried in the President's Lot in the Princeton cemetery beside his son-in-law, Aaron Burr.

Reviews

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with a group called the Dead Theologians Society. This is a group of serious followers of Christ. Most are older than me and true giants of the faith. Some are local legends. One manifests his OCD by comparing this modern re-write with the original and communicating to the group where this book leaves parts out, where this book changes terms. The original is hard to read, granted. But something is lost in this modern re-write. That said, there were many beautiful passages even though mush seemed to be repeated. Edwards writes this in response to a revival starting to wane. His main question is what constitutes true affection for God in the light of all the manifestation surrounding the revival.

[Deric Koop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life changing book! A must read for anyone who is seeking God and his intimacy towards them.