Customer Reviews

Jonathan Edwards Lover of God (The Essential Edwards Collection)

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This 5-volume collection by O. Strachen and D. Sweeney serves as a helpful introduction to Jonathan Edwards' life and thought.

The first volume, Lover of God, is a nice summary of the life of "the greatest preacher America has ever known" (120).

Lover of God introduces you to Jonathan, fifth born son of Rev. Timothy and Esther Edwards and grandson to the legendary Rev. Solomon Stoddard. The reader moves from Jonathan's happy beginning in East Windsor, Connecticut, to his conversion at Yale through the ups and downs of the First Great Awakening to his untimely ejection as pastor of his grandfather's Congregationalist Church in Northampton at the age of 46.

Through this story the reader is introduced to important historical figures such as Esther Edwards (one of Jonathan's daughters, wife of Aaron Burr Sr., President of Princeton, and mother of Aaron Burr Jr., US Vice President) and the Rev. David Brainerd (missionary to the Stockbridge Indians of MA).

The sections of Jonathan's pastoral and family leadership are especially helpful as well as the short section on his relationship to the young evangelist Rev. George Whitefield.

The authors add a section on "Applying Edwards" at the end of every chapter. These sections feel a bit elementary and "preachy" and are not as useful.

This is a great introduction to Edwards' life. But if you are already familiar with this important figure, this is not likely the book for you.

Strachan and Sweeney's aim in "Lover of God" is to make Edwards more accessible so that the reader will "experience the joy of deepened theology and enlivened spirituality" (p. 21). They do not wish to supplant Edwards's original work but rather point us to them in order that "even a little effort in reading his original writings will yield a bountiful spiritual payoff" (p. 21). I have found "Lover of God" to do just those two things. By having a greater understanding of the greatest American Theologian/Pastor it has piqued my interest in his original works. In "Lover of God" Edwards is not written about as if he was free from sin or fault, but it is an honest attempt to display a man who struggled with sin, but also relied on Christ. Another aspect of "Lover of God" that I enjoyed was the "applying Edwards's life and ideas" sections at the end of each chapter. They helped me to think critically about Edwards and how I could learn from him. I am thankful that Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney took the time to create this work and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Jonathan Edwards, especially those who are intimidated by this great man.

Book Review
By
Jason Scott


The Essential Edwards Collection:
Jonathan Edwards Lover of God
By
Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeny

This is one volume in a five-volume set. These volumes are not numbered in any particular order, but this would be probably the best one to start with. The reason for this is that this is more biographical than the others. This book begins with the birth and early life of Edwards, including his educational background. Edwards formal education ended with him giving the valedictorian address at Yale, in Latin!

"Jonathan's master's work placed him
squarely in the camp of orthodox
Protestantism. Some in his day challenged
the idea that a sinner had to be saved by
divine grace, asserting that people, in effect,
completed their salvation by
good works." Pg 46

The main thrust of this book, is that Jonathan Edwards truly and deeply loved his God. This is evident in the life he lived. The glory of God was his concern as he led his family, both as a husband and father, shepherd his flock, and mentored young men to become faithful servants for Christ.

Edwards had his share of trials as well. He was not a very healthy man, often working himself so hard to the point of being bed ridden for long periods of time. Edwards also felt the deep pain of death, as his spiritual son( David Brainerd) and later daughter( Jerusha) succumbed to a young death. Edwards also had to face the humiliation of being a prominent pastor that was fired from his church after several years of faithful service.

"The fact that America's greatest
theologian was fired from his church
is a source of historical shame. Edwards
did not always make the right decision,
and he was not free from sin, but
his firing was a travesty."
Pg 128

After this firing Edwards spent some years as a missionary to Native Americans. It was during this time that he was able to write many of his important works. In 1757, Edwards received a surprising call from the board of trustees at Princeton University; they wanted him to become the next president. Edwards accepted this call, but a month after his instillation, he died of small pox.


Edwards life is one that is worth studying and this book helps in that study.

"We who love and worship Jesus Christ
will find Him just as satisfying
in our modern era as Edwards did in his
own day. May we learn from his
example, glean his wisdom, and
above all, devote ourselves to pursuing our
great God on a daily basis just as
Jonathan Edwards, lover of God,
did so many years ago. Pg 150.