The Surprising Work of God [Paperback]

Jonathan Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

Learn how a revival can start in one town and spread like wildfire to an entire country as Jonathan Edwards details the miraculous events of the Great Awakening. This is not just the history of one revival; it is a powerful account of how the Holy Spirit works in people's lives. Discover how you, too, can know the Source of true spiritual healing, witness the life–changing power of the Holy Spirit, and discern His leading.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Thousands of hearts transformed, daily miracles and revelations, an entire town experiencing insuppressible joy at the mention of Jesus' name.

Do you think it's impossible? It has happened before and it can happen again. Here, Jonathan Edwards outlines the miraculous events of the Great Awakening. Learn how revival can start in one town and spread like wildfire to an entire country. See, also, how people are convicted of sin and prompted to accept Christ, opening the way for glorious events in their lives.

This is not just the history of one revival. It is a powerful account of the Holy Spirit's working in people's lives. Is the Holy Spirit calling you to the same sort o f revival in your heart? Learn how you can...

* Find the source of truth spiritual healing
* Witness the untapped, life–changing power of the Holy Spirit
* Walk with confidence, assured of your salvation
* Surrender all your cares and lean on only God's provision
* Discern and understand the Spirit's leading

As you grow closer to God, anticipate His surprising work in your life.

Let God move in your life

About the Author

Born in East Windsor, Connecticut, in 1703, Edwards was the only son of the Reverend Timothy Edwards and Esther Stoddard Edwards. He was a dedicated student and scholar from his early youth, well before he entered Yale University at the age of thirteen. Despite his scholarly bent, however, he was also philosophical, and he had an appetite for the divine. In 1729, after earning a Master of Divinity from Yale, Edwards succeeded his grandfather, the famed Solomon Stoddard, as full pastor of the First Church of Northampton, Massachusetts. In the twenty–four years that he lived in Northampton, Edwards was deeply concerned with the nature of true religion. Edwards was keenly aware of the fact that true religion had to be lived out, and he set forth to transform his congregation, as well as congregations throughout New England, from believers who only understood Christian doctrine to converted Christians who were truly moved by their beliefs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House; Reprinted edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883682370
• ISBN-13: 978-0883682371
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,892,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, if difficult to relate..., October 31, 2006

By 

Chad Oberholtzer (Boalsburg, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Surprising Work of God (Paperback)

I have always wanted to read something from Jonathan Edwards besides his famous sermon, "Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God." Rather than jumping into his more substantial theological works, I decided to try "The Surprising Work of God."

This book is a historical and personal account of the Great Awakening in his town and his church in 1734-35. From a historical perspective, it is utterly fascinating to read how Edwards' articulates the things that he and his congregants observed in the lives of so many people in their community.

One thing that is striking is the weight that Edwards places on God's sovereignty, not surprising to those who are well-schooled in his theology. All of the events described in this book place complete control in the hands of God, who chooses those whom He will draw to Himself.

There are several specific stories about people that Edwards knew, including a 4-year-old girl who had a remarkable spiritual transformation. He concludes the book by describing how God removed Himself from the people and the aftermath of that change.

The biggest difficulty in reading this book is that it is so foreign to the 21st-century reader. Even those who appreciate Edwards' theology will surely find his stories to be hard to understand, as the experience of the 18th-century New Englander is so markedly different from today. It is hard to even conceive of some of the events that he describes, which he would surely attribute to the reality that God works in amazing and indescribable ways.

Ultimately, I was not drawn into this book as much as I had hoped. Several of the middle sections were hard to follow and impossible to relate to my own experiences. But I still found the exercise of reading Edwards and more fully understanding the Great Awakening to be richly rewarding. For anyone wanting a primer in contemporary church practices, you should look elsewhere. But if you'd like a touchpoint with the writing of Edwards and are interested in this period of incredible spiritual importance in the history of the American church, then this would be a solid resource.