Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God

Theologians on the Christian Life

by Dane C. Ortlund, George M. Marsden

Jonathan Edwards is widely hailed as the greatest theologian in American history. However, despite the recent surge of scholarship related to his life and theology, few books offer an accessible introduction to his understanding of the Christian life. In the latest addition to the Theologians on the Christian Life series, readers are invited to explore Edwards's vision of what it means to be a Christian. Whether it's Edwards's understanding of love, Scripture, the soul, or the natural world, Dane Ortlund shows how the concept of beauty serves as the integrating motif underlying every aspect of his thinking. Clear, concise, and engaging, this book will help readers embrace the great eighteenth-century pastor's definition of authentic Christianity: the enjoyment and reflection of the beauty of God.

Genres: Theology, Biography, Christian, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Spirituality

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2014

About the author

Dane C. Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) is chief publishing officer and Bible publisher at Crossway. He serves as an editor for the Knowing the Bible series and the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, and is the author of several books, including Gentle and Lowly and Edwards on the Christian Life. He is an elder at Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. Dane lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five children in Wheaton, Illinois.

Reviews

[Drew Norwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Christian life is a life of beauty. This is Edwards's legacy. Love, joy, gentleness, prayer, obedience--all these Edwardsian emphases are spokes extending from the hub of a soul alive to beauty."

Crossway’s “Theologians on the Christian Life” series is a real gift. Every volume in this series that I have read so far has been a great encouragement. If you are unfamiliar with the theologian, these volumes are great introductions and they entice you into reading the person’s works for yourself. If you are already familiar with the theologian, these books serve as a means to unearth more of the theological riches in their writings. Either way, they are always edifying.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very devotional. I'll use Ortlund's bibliography for sure. One beef I have: in a book commending Edwards' majestic vision of the Christian life, Ortlund leveled 4 concluding critiques against Edwards' overall vision, and *none of these critiques had anything to do with the gaping "slave-owner" sized hole in Edwards' ethic.* We are reading about Edwards' conception of the Christian life--that's Edwards, the Christian-slave-owner. This isn't to say that this critique undermines his incredibly valuable insights, nor is it to say that Ortlund is wrong to be selective and minimal with his critiques (in fact, I wouldn't be complaining if this last critiquing chapter was absent altogether, to be honest), given how Edwards' overall influence is far more helpful than unhelpful. But if you *are* going to critique Edwards, should his slave-ownership be among the first things mentioned?

Aside from that, this book was dynamite. Worship-inducing, even. Not surprising, coming from an Ortlund.

[Michael Collings]

This was such a great book. My pastor jokingly calls Edwards the Jedi master of the Christian faith. The way that Edwards unfolds an idea is striking in its scientific precision, yet his heart, energy, and passion is captivated primarily by the beauty of Christ. Dane Ortlund does a great job drawing from Edwards’s major works, letters, and miscellanies to give a wide view of his theology and personal reflections. The chapter on prayer was really inspiring. Here is a nugget of pure gold: “Of the more excellent nature any blessing is that we stand in need of, the more ready God is to bestow it in answer to prayer.”

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched. Beautifully written. Deeply compelling. A wonderful book!

[Grant Blackmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be far more devotional than I ever imagined. I assumed I would be getting a simple chapter by chapter analysis of Edward's theology, and I did get that. But I also experienced soul searching truths, and essential principles for daily Christian life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I plan on reading it again.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know it's early but I predict that this book will end up on my top ten favorite list of 2015. Ortlund does an excellent job of showing how Edward's theology of Beauty (capitalization intentional) was the common thread and current of not only his prolific writing and preaching ministry but also the private life of Edward's soul. Many times I had to stop reading and put the book down to bask in the mind-expanding worship of Edward's insight into the beauty of God (and Ortland's just as skillful explanation of Edward's insight).

[Wes Van Fleet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so so refreshing. Every chapter was laced with beauty in a way that made me gaze more at Christ but also made me put the book down and want to live and apply the truths of each chapter. If you are lacking delight in God or loving your neighbor, get this book. It truly was medicine for the cynical soul.

[curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully incisive, clear-eyed introduction to Edwards’s thought. Ortlund does an admirable job of demonstrating beauty as the fundamental, unifying theme of Edwards’s perspectives on the Christian life. And because it’s so difficult for writers (and readers!) of a Reformed persuasion to avoid canonizing Edwards, Ortlund’s final chapter offering some measured critique of his theological emphases and tendencies as a whole is both well-taken and immensely helpful. Highly recommended for anyone wanting an accessible bird’s-eye view of the theology of Jonathan Edwards.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Edwards has given us the beauty of the Christian life."

As Ortlund points out early on in his book, most people associate Edwards with his most famous sermon: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Unfortunately, there are few who have even read that sermon in its entirety, much less who have read anything else penned by Jonathan Edwards, and usually assume that he is merely a fire and brimstone preacher from three hundred years ago. What Ortlund strives to show in his book is that it is beauty, not wrath, that is the central theme of the works of Jonathan Edwards. To this, I believe Ortlund does fantastic job walking through the various works of Edwards, illustrating from different vantage points just how beautiful not only God is, but the Christian life as well.

Recommended to those who wish to learn more about Jonathan Edwards or want to grow in their affections for God and his creation.

[David Bruyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful summary of Edwards. One quibble: Ortlund says Edwards defined beauty as holiness. This is partly true, but Edwards mostly defines it as "being's consent to being", which means God's union with Himself. Ortlund never refers to this. That's a pretty important piece of the puzzle, if the whole book's subtitle is "Alive to the Beauty of God".

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. Look for more material on Edwards’ theology and practice and less on Edwards’ life and history. Ortlund points out some of the more prevalent theological ideas that Edwards had and balances it with areas of Edwards’ theology that were likely dubious. Worthwhile.

[Hannah Ogburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful reflection on a great man; showing off the theologies of Jonathan Edwards in a compelling and encouraging fashion.

[Luke Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice flyover of Edwards’ teachings that was both educational and encouraging. I especially appreciated the chapters on gentleness and obedience.

[Joshua Reichard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book guiding readers on a journey only Edward’s could take them on. This book will stir you up to love scripture, to love God, and to glory in His Son Jesus.

[Alun Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best possible introduction to Edwards. Dane Ortland does the heavy lifting and guides us to the choice writing of Edwards. Beauty and love are well foregrounded. Reading this inspired me to find much delight in Ortland's "Gentle and Lowly" and Augustine's "Confessions". A real catalyst of a book. Highly recommended.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a historical figure in Protestant Christianity and American history, Jonathan Edwards looms large. However, far too many people have, in their minds, pigeon-holed him as a strident, one-dimensional "fire and brimstone" preacher. He was actually a brilliant philosopher and theologian, one of the most brilliant and innovative in the 18th century. He also has a lot to teach us about the Christian life, which is basically the central point of this book.

In the first 12 chapters, Ortlund takes the reader through central themes in Edward's sermons, such as: Beauty, New Birth, Love, Joy, Gentleness, Scripture, Prayer, Pilgrimage, Obedience. Satan, The Soul, and Heaven. The thirteenth chapter is devoted to four criticisms of Edward's approach to the Christian life. And then there is a concluding chapter.

Chapters 1 through 12 are wonderful and rich as devotional reading. Ortlund does a fine job in faithfully reflecting Edwards' emphasis and applying it to our day. I'm sure I had a quibble here or two in this section, but the vast majority of material in these twelve chapters is gold. Ortlund uses a lot of C. S. Lewis in connecting Edwards to today, a touch which--although perhaps slightly overwrought--is generally quite helpful. I found myself profiting greatly from these 12 chapters and can heartily recommend them. Perhaps they will stir up Christian readers to a more full and vibrant Christian life!

Chapter 13 was nowhere near as good as the previous twelve, in my opinion. It is this chapter that prevents this book from receiving a 5 star rating from me. I will not focus too much on this chapter, but I will give a brief idea of what I feel is wrong with it. The headings of his critiques are "Failure to Apply the Gospel", "Missed Opportunities to Bring the Gospel Home", "Unhealthy Introspection", "The Goodness of Creation", "Use of Scripture", and "View of the Regenerate and the Unregenerate". Let's just say that most of the major ideas in the chapter are hotly disputed. I'm not sure Ortlund provides enough evidence to support his conclusions. I think in some cases Ortlund seems, at least to a non Edwards scholar like me, to be quite wrong in his critique of Edwards. I found much of the"Failure to Apply the Gospel"and "Unhealthy Introspection" sections to be basically just plain-vanilla "Grace Lit" or "Liberate" blurbs. Maybe Edwards was too introspective. But, if so, I am equally sure that "gospel cliches" are not any sort of robust improvement in this matter. That Edwards is found wanting in the court of "Liberate" or "Grace Lit" theology only makes me respect him all the more. I feel like more substantial information would be required to demonstrate how Edwards is deficient in these points. I'd also say that, with a couple of exceptions, Ortlund generally fails in this chapter at satisfactorily "contextualizing" what he sees as Edwards' flaws. How did Edwards compare with his contemporaries? I'd be a bit more at ease with this chapter if Ortlund gave the reader more background information alongside his critique.

The first 12 chapters were so good and profitable that I still gave this book 4 stars even through Chapter 13 brought the book down considerably. A less brilliant first twelve chapters would resulted in a worse rating. I hope that some day the publisher revises the book with a rewritten or revised Chapter 13. That book may very well worth 5 stars!

Insofar as Ortlund sticks to what he has done best, presenting a useful, practical introduction to a brilliant 18th century theologian's teachings on the Christian life in Chapters 1-12, he has done a great service to the church! I hope many people will read these chapters and be helped and inspired by them! I certainly was encouraged and blessed by them.

Note: I received a review copy from Crossway.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very good and probably my second favorite of the series so far. (Thus far, Trueman's Luther has been in a class of its own.) It's a teeny bit uneven, primarily because a few chapters are simply so good (gentleness, prayer, pilgrimage, obedience come to mind). I appreciated the last chapter, which is a rather detailed (15 page) chapter critiquing Edwards in some rather significant ways. (The other books I've read in the series don't have developed critiques.) My only nit is I wish Ortlund would have incorporated the critiques a bit more into the rest of the book in light of how serious a few of them are. But that's, as I said, a nit. Hoping to now read Charity & Its Fruits in the not-to-distant future.

[Camryn Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a reason why Dane Ortlund is one of my favorite authors. He brings to light the beauty of Christ in every sentence, and the message of every sentence is rooted in Scripture. Also, he explains the theology of the Puritan age in a transformative, applicable-to-today manner. I loved this intro into the teachings of Jonathan Edwards and will now be seeking to read some of his sermons in their entirety.

[Peter Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Edwards, and a great read for pondering the nature of the Christian life. I am thankful for this book and will be recommending it to many!

[Nathan Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ortlund's book was well researched and enlightening to Edward's theology. I gained insight into what Edwards believed/wrote and was challenged in my own walk as a Christian.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle is accurate. Do not read this as a biography, it supposes general knowledge about Edwards. It does however examine his views on beauty as exhibited by the work of God.

[Shawn Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING! I have nothing bad to say. It IS NOT a biography of his life, rather a summary of his beliefs on certain topics!

[Stephen Lay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book, since I know that Edwards is a titan of Christian history, and that his ideas have influenced many many things. However, I didn't find this book *all* that compelling. I think Ortlund did a good job of clearly explaining Edwards' mind and heart and theology (and faults), but I just didn't find his mind *as* engaging as that of Martyn Lloyd Jones.

That aside, I *love* that a mind as brilliant as Edwards' was not transfixed on any one divine attribute as much as the 'beauty' or 'excellence' of God. This is wonderful. God IS beautiful. His beauty is not only the terrifying manifestation of Holy splendour that we see recounted in Scripture, but his beauty is also a moral quality, it is his lovely excellence. This is a warm ember that I gladly received from Edwards thanks to brother Ortlund, and it is this focus and passion for the beauty of God that I will take away from this book.

In particular, his chapter on Gentleness ('The aroma of the Christian life') really struck me, and showed me a virtue that I have not intentionally stewarded. I sincerely recommend this book to any Christian, or to any student of history who wants to meet the man that was so pivotal in one of America's most significant revivals.

I own The Religious Affections, and now having been introduced to him, I feel that I am better prepared to read it.

[Pedro Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edwards is a highly respected theologian and considered America’s greatest theologian. His works and writings have had such large impacts upon believers and the church even years and centuries after his life. I personally have learned much from Edwards of God, Christ, Scripture and the Christian life. As with many puritans, reformers or past theologians Edwards wrote a lot. This book is a great introduction or a concise look at Edwards theology on the Christian life and his works. Dane Ortlund does a fantastic job of stringing together several of Edwards’ works and displays Edwards theology as he draws it out each chapter. The final chapter is a criticism of four areas of Edwards’ theology which I greatly appreciated and found very insightful. This book brought Christ much to my mind and stirred my affections deeply for Christ as I read through essentially a testimony of the gospel and the grace of Christ at work and displayed in another believers life, Edwards. May we all continually be made alive to the beauty of God and turn our eyes upon Christ.

[Julianna E Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part of the book:
"One notable contribution Edwards makes to our understanding of Satan's defeat is the sheer irony and beauty of how Satan was defeated: through shame and weakness. Christ took up the fight against Satan not with outright strength but with the 'glory and beauty' of choosing 'to become weak, take upon him the nature of a poor, feeble, mortal man, a worm of the dust, that in this nature and state he might overcome Satan.' Thus 'the weapons that Christ made use of in fighting with the hellish giant were his poverty, afflictions, reproaches, and death.' And Christ's supreme weapon was the cross itself. At the very moment, when Satan appeared most decisively victorious, Satan was securing his own demise. In these ways, Christ 'overthrew all the power and baffled all the craft of hell.'"

The subtitle captures the impact this book had on me: "Alive to the Beauty of God." I had much to learn from Edwards. Ortlund gives a comprehensive and well researched study of Edwards theology that was just what I needed!

[Bradley Endsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dane Ortlund here shows how the driving theme in Edward’s life - the beauty of God, really is what should be where we ground our self in being alive to the beauty of God and that is what the true regenerate heart does. Ortlund offers four areas where we should bring caution when approaching Edward and is helpful in not just accepting all Edward’s says. When talking of his typological reading which is some ways is in the same mould of James B Jordan Interpretative Maximalism, I feel the author did a better job than most in not dismissing Edward’s typology and in showing why we must bring all these things to the text and as someone who thinks a healthy typological reading of scripture is good I appreciated that.

[Tanner]

This book took me a lot longer to finish than I originally thought. Some of that had to do with holidays and my schedule. Some of it had to do with the fact that as much as I want to, I can’t really get into Edwards.

I read this book for mainly one reason: Ortlund wrote it.

The biggest take away I got from this book was Edwards view of sanctification. Sanctification is an inside-out process that happens as we behold glory and savor beauty. I believe in that. What is odd about Edwards is his own introspection. This is one of Ortlund’s critics of Edwards. His theology was inside-out, but sometimes his practice didn’t line up.

No doubt Edwards was a man of God. I hope that at another season of life will afford me the opportunity to really enjoy Edwards’ life.

[Pat Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought “Edwards on the Christian Life” was well done. The author did a very nice job of outlining 12 subjects in 12 short chapters. The subjects were: Beauty, New Birth, Love, Joy, Gentleness, Scripture, Prayer, Pilgrimage, Obedience, Satan, The Soul, and Heaven. There is a lot of good content on Edwards beliefs around these various subjects.

I really appreciated Ortlund including the last chapter, which was a critique of Edwards on certain Theological thoughts or doctrines. The author is gracious, yet honest, about the issues with Edwards thinking in certain issues.

All and all this is worth the read. It is not a long book and can be read in a week, or two. Highly recommend “Edwards on the Christian Life”.

“Take up and Read” - Saint Augustine

[Sebastian Wittwer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dieses Buch aus der Reihe "Theologians on the Christian Life" von Crossway bietet eine sehr gute Einführung in die "Ethik" von Jonathan Edwards. Dieses Buch macht definitiv Spaß, mehr von Edwards zu lesen. Gleichzeitig liefert Ortlund auch im letzten Kapitel eine kritische Würdigung und zeigt Schwachstellen in der "Ethik" von Edwards auf, z.B. ein gewisser Blick nach "innen" anstatt auf Christus. Ein sehr gutes und zusammenfassendes Zitat: "The Christian Life, he says, is to enjoy and reflect the beauty of God."

[David Cowpar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read two biographies on Edwards this year and this was certainly the superior. The way Ortlund brings out the theology of a life lived in service to our Saviour is inspiring and informative. Beauty as the centerpiece of the Christian life is honestly not something I’ve considered much, and not something I saw in the other biography that focused more on Edward’s Resolutions, a much legalistic sounding approach to Christian life.