A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (Library of Religious Biography

by George M. Marsden

Jonathan Edwards is one of the most extraordinary figures in American history. Arguably the most brilliant theologian ever born on American soil, Edwards (1703–1758) was also a pastor, a renowned preacher, a missionary to the Native Americans, a biographer, a college president, a philosopher, a loving husband, and the father of eleven children.

George M. Marsden -- widely acclaimed for his magisterial large study of Edwards -- has now written a new, shorter biography of this many-sided, remarkable man.  A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards  is not an abridgment of Marsden's earlier award-winning study but is instead a completely new narrative based on his extensive research. The result is a concise, fresh retelling of the Edwards story, rich in scholarship yet compelling and readable for a much wider audience, including students.

Known best for his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards is often viewed as a proponent of fire, brimstone, and the wrath of God. As Marsden shows, however, the focus of Edwards's preaching was not God's wrath but rather his overwhelming and all-encompassing love. Marsden also rescues Edwards from the high realms of intellectual history, revealing him more comprehensively through the lens of his everyday life and interactions. Further, Marsden shows how Edwards provides a window on the fascinating and often dangerous world of the American colonies in the decades before the American Revolution.

Marsden here gives us an Edwards who illumines both American history and Christian theology, an Edwards that will appeal to readers with little or no training in either field. This short life will contribute significantly to the widespread and growing interest in Jonathan Edwards.
 

Genres: Biography, History, Christian, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Theology, Church History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

George M. Marsden is the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. He has written extensively on the interaction between Christianity and the American culture and has published numerous books, including Jonathan Edwards: A Life, which won the prestigious Bancroft Prize given for the best work of history. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Marsden's excellent full-length work and was thinking that this was just going to be a condensed version. I was pleasantly surprised that it is, and it isn't. Marsden basically asks the question "why is Jonathan Edwards important to America and to Christians" and proceeds to answer why. He has an excellent grasp of both history and theology, Puritanism and Calvinism. One of the most interesting things in this book is his comparison and contrast of Benjamin Franklin and Edwards, two influential contemporaries with very different theological and political outlooks.

I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it as a primer to Edwards.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've listened to the whole unabridged audio book of this twice now. It's a very good "read" in the sense that it goes fairly quickly, only hitting the highlights of Edwards' overall life. Marsden does an interesting thing throughout in that he keeps making comparisons between the life of Ben Franklin and Edwards, both of whom were about the same age and whose lives took drastically different trajectories. Since both Franklin and Edwards shaped America with their respective lives and work, Marsden uses this contrasting method to give us a sort of biographical explanation of the somewhat paradoxical nature of American history: it's commitment to secularism and religiosity.

As the title suggests, Marsden's biography is quite short; but it's still interesting and informative focusing upon particular details in Edwards' life, ministry, and theology. I think there's enough detail within to spark someone's interest in tracking down other details of Edwards. Marsden ends the book with a list of suggested readings along with a guide for which books are good for which purposes.

Excellent biography! Highly recommend for all Edwards enthusiasts as well as those interested in early American history.

[Seth Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable and interesting account of Edward’s life! I didn’t know much about him until this book. I love how he frames Edward’s life alongside Benjamin Franklin’s, which showcases the similarities and differences of these pivotal American men. Very fascinating!

[Vinícius Pimentel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leitura cativante. O autor consegue condensar num texto agradável os muitos aspectos importantes da vida e ministério de Jonathan Edwards, além de sua influência sobre a história americana em geral. A frequente menção a Benjamin Franklin constitui um recurso interessante para contrastar o pensamento e as preocupações que marcaram a vida de Edwards com o secularismo, iluminismo e materialismo que cresciam na nascente sociedade norte-americana.

[Jeremy Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was oddly encouraged by Edwards’ discouragements. Here’s what I mean… Edwards was (still is) a theological and pastoral giant. He seems untouchable. Yet, in this up close biography from Marsden, we encounter the human Jonathan Edwards…one who made clear mistakes in handling congregational issues and who was eventually driven out of his first church in Northampton. Each of us are stewards of God’s grace relying on his wisdom to guide us each day. None of us is free from making mistakes or short-sighted decisions, which should be of encouragement to anyone engaged in Christian Ministry! You will fail. You will be disliked. And you will become discouraged, but at the end of your days, there is only one to whom you will give an account, and that’s God himself (1 Cor 4). Rely on God for his grace, pray without ceasing, and persevere with joy to that finish line where you will stand with both fear and admiration before God.

Aside from this personal reflection, I’d recommend this book for your reading pleasure because it helpfully situates Edwards’ life historically, culturally, and socially in the pre-revolutionary setting of the American colonies. The book left me curiously speculating on what, if any, influence Jonathan Edwards would have had on the founding of our nation had he not died so young and before the Revolutionary War. It is also interesting to consider whether Edwards would have evolved in his convictions on other issues had he lived longer (namely, the issue of slavery). This biography is detailed yet concise, personal yet polished, historical yet devotional, and most certainly worth your time!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

To echo the praise of Tim Keller, this book is a masterpiece. The author has mastered his subject: you'll learn not only about Jonathan's life, but also the cultural and historical background necessary to appreciate and critique the man. It's not a hagiography, but does what all the best biographies do -- you see the whole man, warts and all. I appreciated that this towering Reformed figure (perhaps America's greatest theologian) also had flaws -- for example, his ill-timed revolution in changing Solomon Stoddard's standards for communicant membership and infant baptism. The juxtaposition of Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin is especially illuminating.

I was first introduced to Jonathan Edwards through the ministry of John Piper and his book _Desiring God_. My wife and I then read _Marriage to a Difficult Man_, a biography of Sarah and Johnathan Edwards. I followed this with _Awakenings_, an updated collection of some of Jonathan Edwards' key writings. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as the best short biography I know of about Edwards.

[Starry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. Written by an expert who has also written the definitive (aka long!) work on Edwards. This book highlights interesting comparisons to Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield--these three men were among the most famous in Pre-Revolutionary America--and also explains how the spiritual revolution of the Great Awakening drastically impacted our nation's founding and lead to the political revolution (salvation not through church establishment but to each individual; revivals were outside church, both physically and organizationally).
Interesting fact learned: the sermon we most associate with Edwards--Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God--was not his typical fare and, in fact, was never fully preached due to the audience's terror at its message. Sadly, this means Edwards didn't reach the part about God's grace freely offered to undeserving sinners.
This book would also make a great pre-read before Edwards' sermons to help place them in the circumstances of their writing. I especially appreciated the last chapter on the spiritual legacy of Edwards' tragically short life.

[Jay Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few years ago I worked through Marsden's definitive biography of Edwards and enjoyed every bit of it. This "Short Life" is a perfect summary of Edward's life and should not be overlooked if one has read the larger bio. Brief, concise, and incredibly easy to read, Marsden adds some additional touches that keep the reader further engaged. I especially liked when Marsden paralleled and contrasted Edwards with his contemporary Benjamin Franklin and the Revolutionary generation. His summary at the end is especially good. This is a book that should be (and can be) read by evangelicals for the relevance it has today.

Listened to the audiobook offered by Christianaudio.com.

[Ben Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this short look at the life of Jonathan Edwards. I now, Lord willing, will be spending many years to come learning and knowing more of this great man of God. Highly recommend.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read an article by Marilynne Robinson in the NY Review of Books in which she (fairly successfully) continued her program of trying to rehabilitate the reputations of John Calvin and his successors. Among others she mentioned Jonathan Edwards, calling him "still the greatest American philosopher," and saying that nobody remembers anything about him except his (uncharacteristic) sermon describing our souls as spiders hanging by a thread over the pit of hell. I think she had me in mind. So I decided to learn more and came across this book. It's the best biography I've read since Walter Jackson Bate's Samuel Johnson. It's like that work in that it is the culmination of life-long study, the author intimately familiar with his subject, effortlessly summarizing complex chains of events and little-known controversies. Marsden won the Bancroft Prize for his REAL biography of Edwards--at 650 pages--of which, he assures us, this is not just an abridgement. He certainly lends support to Robinson's suggestion that modern American liberalism has its beginning in the Puritan insistence on charity and love for one's neighbor. I hope I have the stamina to read the longer biography.

[J. Alfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good strong interesting little work on Edwards, who Marsden does a good job of showing is one of the really important figures in Colonial America. The intersections between Edwards, Ben Franklin, and George Whitefield are illuminating and super interesting. The link between individualist spirituality and democratic politics are startling:

The Great Awakening saw people like Whitefield "moving toward a truly revolutionary pattern": "he would appeal to the people against their pastors. That encouraged a dramatic reversal of roles.... So it was that one principle of democracy-- the authority of the common people-- came to be realized in popular religion before it had widely emerged in the later politics of the American Revolution."

[Connor Weyant · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Marsden’s shortened account of the great 18th-century theologian, Jonathan Edwards, perfectly encapsulates the major events and beliefs of one of America’s most significant spiritual founders. He also weaves valuable information about the evolving nature of pre-Colonial Puritan society that is so vital to understanding Edwards’ impact—something that goes far beyond the standard content in a public education history classroom. A thoughtful and informative read well worth my time.

[Shane Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb.

[Ben Adkison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards by George M. Marsden is exactly what it sounds like: a short biography on the life of Jonathan Edwards. I was initially attracted to this book because of its cover. What I mean is that the cover looked, well, "cool" for lack of a better term. It had a modern, minimalistic style, which led me to believe that it was most likely a newer book. Not that an older biography on Edwards would have been a bad thing, but I'm typically intrigued by new books. And it so happens that this was in fact a new book, just as the cover had subtly suggested, so I bought it. Side note: I actually went into my local Christian bookstore (which shall for the time being remain nameless) to look for a biography on Charles Spurgeon. And while I found biographies about Chuck Norris, Sarah Palin, and even Ladainian Tomlinson - none of whom happen to be Baptist (the denomination of the aforementioned bookstore) - I failed to find even one biography about the great Baptist preacher. Sad, I know. But Edwards - whom was also not a Baptist (but honestly who cares) - was a worthwhile substitute for the time being.

In 2003, Marsden wrote what I believe is THE definitive biography on Jonathan Edwards, entitled Jonathan Edwards: A Life. In A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards he took the information from that longer treatment, shortened it, added some new research, and wrote in a style that reads more like a short novel. As far as I can tell (since I am no Edwards expert), this is a wonderful introduction into the life of a man whom was at the helm of the First Great Awakening and who probably is America's greatest theologian.

The last third of the book, which goes into some of the trouble that Edwards faced as a pastor in the latter parts of his life, was especially encouraging to me. Edwards faced hardship at the end of his pastorate at Northampton, suffering at the hands of his people. Pastoring is simply not easy, and Edwards knew this firsthand. It's nice to know that one of the greatest men in the history of Christendom dealt with crazy church people too. The other facet of this book that I really appreciate is the comparison that Marsden makes between Edwards and his contemporary, Benjamin Franklin. Both men had similar Puritanical upbringings, but each responded in very different ways to the changing American climate. Franklin embraced the ideals of the Enlightenment and lived long enough to see the American Revolution. Edwards on the other hand, held fast to his reformed upbringing, fighting to critique unbiblical Enlightenment ideas, and died before the American Revolution began. In the twenty-first century, where it's very en vogue to critique modern Enlightenment-influenced church forms, Edwards is a sure guide to lead us back to the Bible. He can do this not because he saw beyond modernism to postmodernistic ideas, but rather because he is in many ways pre-modern and wisely ignored many of modernism's pitfalls altogether. As Marsden says in the end of his book, "Maybe the best way to sum up Edwards's character is to say that he had God-centered integrity. Having integrity suggests not only honesty, firmness of principle, and soundness of will, but also that the various elements of one's life and thought are integrated 26I can simply testify to the remarkable consistency of his life and thought" (141).

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I listened to this on audiobook.)

Marsden clearly has a gift at detailing the life of someone. I’ll be honest: I have not read/listened to many biographies in my life. But this was probably the first one where I was impressed with how it was delivered and organized. It was clear, compelling, concise, and sufficient.

He did a great job not only covering the details of Edwards’ life, but also explaining well the context of 18th century colonial America. I learned just as much about that setting as I did about Edwards.

Moreover, I have read most of Edwards’ major works now, and I thought Marsden did a surprisingly good job summarizing them. He not only put them in context, but he explained them pretty well (except for one, see below…)

So why only 4 stars? I really hesitate to not rate it 5. But for two main reasons. First, a smaller reason, is that the first chapter where he contrasts Edwards and Franklin was interesting, but seemed a little dragged out about Franklin. Marsden said in the introduction that this is not an abridgment of his larger work on Edwards—that it was something fresh, especially with the insights about Franklin. Then when you get into the first chapter, it seemed that so much about Franklin probably wasn’t in the original because it wasn’t necessary.

But the main reason why it was only 4 stars is because of something Marsden did that I thought was inexcusable. Throughout the book, and especially when he was summarizing Edwards’ The End for Which God Crated the World, Marsden replaced Edwards’ central focus on ‘God’s glory’ with the idea of ‘God’s love’. This was appalling, not on theological grounds per se, but because as a biographer, why would he take such license to change Edwards’ main point of his theology and even life?

To say it another way, Edwards argued that the universe exists as a display of the glory of God. Meaning, that it has a personal beginning and that everything in it—from nature to humanity and all in between—exists as an emanation of God’s glory/beauty. Edwards talks about this all the time. It dominated his life, sermons, treatises. And Marsden gets it right and explains it so well place after place. Except, Marsden substitutes ‘God’s love’ where Edwards would talk about ‘God’s glory’—and this can be seen most clearly in Marsen’s summary of The End for Which God Created the World, where Edwards talks about God’s glory over and over, and Marsden only says God’s love. This to me is not only terrible biography, but it is taking Edwards brilliant idea of glory (which of course includes his love, but is a more theologically accurate and biblical term) and trying to soften it for modern readers with the idea of love. Very unfortunate. So if Marsden didn’t take such license there, I would’ve given it 5 stars.

But I would definitely recommend it as a summary of Edwards life, with fantastic context about 18th century America and the setting of his major works.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listen to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. A great biography of Edwards and also an enjoying way to learn more history.

[Josh G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does 3 things very well:
1. It gives you a glimpse into the historical situation of America in the early-mid 1700s.
2. It provides a very clear insight into the life and thought of Johnathan Edwards.
3. By implication, it shows how different our political, social, moral, communal, and national life has become since the days of founding.

American History + Spiritual Biography? Yes, please :)

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice foray into the life and thought of Edwards.

[Chungsoo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shorter version of Marsden's "Jonathan Edwards: A Life" with added texts regarding Benjamin Franklin as the contemporary and the comparison. Both were sons of a pastor with strict puritan upbringing; but one became the famous (though reluctant at first) political revolutionary and the other, according to Marsden, the important and lesser known religious revolutionary. Jonathan Edwards became a religious revolutionary (in 1740's and 50's in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he pastored a congregation) as he caused, defended and maintained what is later known as the Great Awakenings--the religious revival meetings that spread from there to other states and even to England and Scotland. To be sure, George Whitefield, the visiting Anglican preacher, sparked the second and the wider Awakenings; but it was Jonathan Edwards who provided the intellectual defense and guidance for the Great Awakenings. The phenomena were revolutionary in religious terms because they emphasized personal conversion experience at the heart of one's faith; and the phenomena spread directly from the preacher to the people without the intermediary of the pastors and the religious establishment. Although God's love was at the heart of Edwards' preaching and theology, the judgment of God was the pivotal message that galvanized the crowds and brought them to emotional and sometimes hysterical conversion experiences--very much like Billy Graham's preaching in the 20 century. The Indian invasions and diseases were constant threat to the colonial New England, the fact Marsden summarily dismisses as the important background of the Great Awakening. (The disease claimed several of Edward's 11 children; and he himself fell ill and died shortly after being installed as President of Princeton College.) In such background where one's security is at peril all the time, the question regarding death and one's life thereafter played the pivotal role in people's sentiment. This point is never mentioned by Marsden as an explanation of the wide spread of the Great Awakenings. But Marsden does mention the role of printing as one of the important instrument which help the Awakenings to spread in America and in England and Scotland. At the heart of the printing materials that contributed to the spread is Jonathan Edwards' own account of the first Great Awakening, which was edited by the newspapers and publishers.

Marsden rightly traces the present day Evangelical Christianity in America to the Great Awakenings that Jonathan Edwards began and guided. Accordingly, the same problems which the Great Awakening created are still present in the present day Evangelicalism such as the problem of backsliding, knowing or accusing and separating (as Whitefield often did to dismay of Edwards) the true Christians from the false ones; the dubious role of the itinerant preacher to the existing pastors at the church; the emphasis of the spiritual solutions to social, political, and economic problems.

Noteworthy is the fact that some of Jonathan Edwards' older relatives were abducted by the Indians. When they were "redeemed' and returned back to the New England after few years, one refused to return, having been used to the Indian ways; and when she was eventually returned, she became a Catholic, much to the family's great consternation. Being a literal interpreter of the Bible and a Post-Millennialist, Jonathan Edwards speculated that the Millennium will begin in the year 2000 after which Christ will come to reign forever. He was revered in his North Hampton congregation until he revised and rejected his grandfather, Rev. Solomon Stoddard's rule of church membership/communicant -- misjudging the congregant's even deeper reverence for the deceased Stoddard, who played the role of the minister, judge, and military leader in the small colonial town. He was fired from his church (for standing firmly in his principle regarding the small issue such as the communicant's membership) and took a small post at the Indian mission school in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where he was able to write and develop his mature theology. When he was invited to be the President of Princeton College, he was reluctant to leave the secluded setting of the Stockbridge where he could devote his time to writing. He took the position nonetheless while prophetically citing his disease prone health and while lamenting the fact that he could not work on the ambitious project of a grand history of redemption from the Creation to Christ's Second Coming. His treatise on freedom (a soft determinism along the line of Aristotle, noting the role of disposition, habits, and character) and cosmology based on God's love are noteworthy intellectual works. He authored a biography of a young missionary to the Indians, "The Life and Diary of David Brainerd," who could have married one of Edward's daughters, had he survived the illness, and who was known for spiritual purity and sacrifice and his love for the daughter who cared for him at the sickbed. The biography became a well known seller along with and in contrast to Ben Franklin's autobiography as presentation of the two very different American ideal of life.

Two notes on Edwards theology. Edwards often speaks of the "beauty" of God's love and God's creation. By beauty, I think he means the dis-interested aesthetic delight as in Kant. We are to be attracted to and by this beauty, which is present in nature. (Edwards ofter took delight in contemplation of nature seen as God's work and expression of God's love.) But the divine beauty is most brilliantly exhibited in God's own sacrifice of his Son on the cross. Attracted by this beauty (of love), we are to live in and practice God's love.

Second note is about Edwards' cosmology, which provides an alternative and direct contrast to the contemporary deism maintained by the founding fathers such as Ben Franklin: That at the heart of the creation is the personal God who by his love created the world. The whole creation is expression of God's love, which is exhibited most brilliantly at the Cross. One might even say, along the line of Plotinus, that the universe is emanation of God's love.

Last note: Jonathan Edwards' famous or infamous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," could not be delivered in its entirety because in the midway to his sermon, before he could get to the section on God's mercy, people were already wailing and crying: "How can I be saved?" etc. He had the congregation in his hands before he finished his sermon. Influenced by George Whitefield's fiery preaching, Edwards employed more than usual metaphors and vivid images in this particular sermon, to its poignant effect. (His sermons were carefully written but mostly delivered by memory.)

Witherspoon was the only signer of the Declaration of Independence who followed Jonathan Edwards' theology and religious conviction. Marsden wonders what would have happened had Edwards lived through the days of American Independence. Nonetheless, the legacy of the Great Awakening Jonathan Edwards began is still alive and strong, making American both secular and extremely religious at the same time, according to Marsden. His theology and legacy is also revered among Korean Evangelicals today.

Edwards was not successful as the head of the Indian boarding school/Indian mission in Stockbridge, MA. The mission was plagued with the internal squabbles between Edwards and his nephew (?) who purchased and usurped the Indian lands, as many did. In addition, the trusted Indian leader he relied on was killed by other Indian attack. Even though Edwards believed in equality between the White and the Indians, he nonetheless believed that in order for the Indians to be converted, they must also be Europeanized. Hence the boarding school where Indian children were boarded and educated. Toward the end of his tenure there in Stockbridge, there were less than 5 Indian children in the boarding school. While in Northampton, MA, when Indians were converted (as few did), they were treated as spiritual equals but not as social equals. His church, as well as other Puritan churches at the time, sat the congregation according to social rank. Edwards was annoyed when people quibbled about the seating at the church but he did not ban the social classification at all. He belonged to the older generation who still believed in the social hierarchy and respected authorities. He did not opposed slavery and did have one female slave who was well treated. The next generation of the Edwards would later actively oppose slavery.

[Isaiah Durant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the overview, but a very helpful introduction to those ignorant to many essential aspects of Edward’s life. I think it did a great job of highlighting his strengths and fairly addressing his weaknesses. I find it quite enjoyable with a good mix of historical context, biographical story and theological anthology.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

TGC summer reading list. I appreciate these shortened versions bios. To see the imperfection of a godly man/pastor is humbling and helpful. A reminder to know history and not to succumb to chronological snobery.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short biography of Jonathan Edwards

[Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the highlights of Edwards's life and ministry, interestingly contrasted with Benjamin Franklin for context. I enjoyed it.

[Mel Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Marsden describes the Great Awakening as the sociospiritual revolution prefatory and analogous to the American Revolution. He sketches the parallels between the lives of Edwards & Franklin and Whitefield & Franklin.
Be aware that Marsden has a lengthier work on the same subject.

[Joey Tomlinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good short biography by perhaps the leading Edwardian scholar.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Edwards is best known, perhaps, for his somewhat frightening sermon -- Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God -- but this is only part of his legacy. Considered by scholars of American religion one of America's most influential theologians and philosophers, he helped form an evolving Puritanism during the middle part of the 18th century. Though he died prior to the Revolution he was a contemporary of Benjamin Franklin and George Whitfield. While a fully loyal British citizen, he was one of the principle theological influencers of the Great Awakening that ultimately helped undermine loyalty to the crown.

While extremely influential on the broader stage, he found it difficult to pastor his own congregation. In part this was due to his desire to see a permanent awakening in his congregation, where lives exhibited the transformation he expected. In addition, he sought to role back some of his Grandfather's reforms that loosened membership expectations. Although at first on good relations with younger members, he began to lose them as he aged and became more hardened in his views.

He dies relatively young -- mid 50s -- soon after taking up the post of President of Princeton, a post he took on after his son-in-law Aaron Burr, Sr. died. Yes, Edwards was the grandfather of the infamous Aaron Burr who shot Alexander Hamilton. In addition he was a fountainhead of what became the New Divinity Movement exemplified by Samuel Hopkins and his own son Jonathan Edwards, Jr.

Having written an expansive biography of Edwards for Yale University press, George Marsden offers us a much shorter account that is both readable and accessible. Highly recommended!

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 2025 — Edwards has a reputation for dourness verging on harshness. But his dealings with James Davenport and Bathsheba* Kingsley, in particular, reveal a kind and compassionate shepherd's heart.

*You might be a little wacky, too, if your parents named you Bathsheba. The New England Puritans and their early descendants really weren't all that big on Bible names. So...Bathsheba??? Were her parents eighteenth-century flower children or something?

*****

November 2021 — Jonathan Edwards died at 54. I am 54. Outliving him is pretty much the only hope I've got of out-accomplishing him on any front.

This biography is, true to its title, short. And kind of impersonal. Marsden respects Edwards, but I didn't get the sense that he loves him. And I kinda wanna read a biography from someone who does. That's kinda why I wanna read any biography. I want an author to be saying, "I love him! Come join me in appreciating him!" And even more, I want the author to be saying, "I love Him! And I love him because he loves Him! Come join me in adoring Him!" Is there a biography of Edwards whose author feels that way? That's the one I want to read.

One thing I do when copyediting is to tame URLs as much as possible. So when I hear an audiobook narrator read "http://edwards.yale.edu/" including all of the punctuation, I just cringe. Yes, keeping all of that in a citation is standard, but it is completely unnecessary in the main text. The narrator sounded ridiculous, and some editor along the way should have spared him (and us) the indignity.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful, concise biography of the life of possibly one of the most influential theologians to come from the North American continent. A the title indicates, this is a short biography and at only 176 pages, the work doesn't feel like it has cheated the reader on any details that one may want to know regarding the life of Jonathan Edwards. The author does mention in the preface that, while this is a stand alone work, he does have a longer, more definitive work simply titled "Jonathan Edwards: A Life".

An interesting thing that the author does for this work is that he compares the trajectory of Edwards' life with that of his contemporary, Benjamin Franklin. I think for those who are unfamiliar with Jonathan Edwards, will appreciate this simply because it helps to put Edwards into the historical context of pre-Revolutionary America. While Edwards died long before Revolution broke out, this comparison allows the reader to see the early shaping of the contrasting American ideology of secularism (Franklin) and a religious life (Edwards).

Overall, this is a great resource for anyone looking to learn about Jonathan Edwards and his influential ministry during the First Great Awakening, his friendship with George Whitefield, and the formation of American Evangelicalism (which takes a drastic shift during the Second Great Awakening and the ministry of Finney, but that's another review for another work).

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone who wants on overview of the life of Jonathan Edwards, and he interacted with and how his beliefs compared to his contemporaries, such as; George Whitfield, Benjamin Franklin, and the Wesley brothers.

It is also a revealing look at the formation of American Evangelicalism and the way that God has moved in revealing his word to us.

Get your copy here:
A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (Library of Religious Biography Series) [Kindle Edition]

A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards (Library of Religious Biography) Paperback

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was a helpful guide for getting a brief glimpse into the character and context of Jonathan Edwards. Obviously, if one wants a deeper look into Edwards and his world then one should go to Marsden's highly-acclaimed longer biography of the man. The biggest drawback to this book is that its brevity and intended approachability limit the very things that are likely to draw readers into Edwards--his mind and theology. Marsden here can only say that Edwards' writing and broader thinking is clear, logical, and sensitive to boldness of some of Edwards' theological positions (e.g. his view of God's Sovereignty, foreknowledge, etc.), but Marsden does not have the space or the medium more broadly to really show that this is the case. Plus, Marsden's Edwards was a rather staid and bookish person, not given to great adventures beyond what Edwards crafted in the many hours in his study. I say this this is not to complain, of course, but rather give the inquiring reader an idea of what is accomplished and what isn't. It did seem to me that Marsden did well at showing some of the theological and political complexities of the Great Awakening, and if one were relatively unfamiliar with Edwards and/or that movement I think this work would encourage one to dig a bit deeper, an outcome with which, I take it, Marsden would be pleased.