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

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Key Phrases: religious affections, revival fires, New England, Solomon Stoddard, Holy Spirit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The author of the magisterial Jonathan Edwards (2003) has written an entirely new book for Eerdmans’ Library of Religious Biography. It’s a work of grace, lit by affection for the great clergyman and understanding of his place and time: prerevolutionary New England, considering itself more British than colonial, still an ecclesiastical regime, in which a parson held as much or more authority than any secular officeholder. A scion of ministers, Edwards was upper crust, yet he became the chief apologist of the Great Awakening, which challenged local pastors and encouraged democracy among church members. Astonishingly busy and productive, he had 11 children, wrote voluminously, directed missions to the Indians, and faithfully attended church conventicles. A rigorous Calvinist and a keen student of nature, he believed in a personal God whose love required reciprocal love from the believer, not least because of the glorious gift of Creation. Marsen calls him “a towering figure . . . of the first American revolution, the spiritual revolution of the awakening.” Reading his lovely précis of Edwards is believing that assessment. --Ray Olson

From AudioFile

Marsden's biography of Jonathan Edwards (most famous for the sermon "Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God") is not intended as an abridgment of his lengthier JONATHAN EDWARDS: A LIFE. Instead, it's meant to provide insight into Edwards's life and influence to a wider audience. Marsden places particular emphasis on the profound cultural and social shifts that were occurring during Edwards's life and how those shifts influenced his development as a man, scholar, and clergyman. Grover Gardner narrates with a crisp, businesslike attitude, which only works part of the time. He moves along swiftly, the prose buoying him up with clever anecdotes of Edwards's life. But at times Gardner sounds like he's simply reading the text, rather than narrating, a choice that sometimes makes Marsden's insightful, sensitive biography sound like a brittle history textbook. A.A. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802802206
• ISBN-13: 978-0802802200
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #470,675 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absoutely Wonderful, an Ideal Short Biography, November 24, 2008

By	Joel S. Frady (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This work by eminent scholar George Marsden is not an abridged version of his larger biography of Edwards but is a new work intended to provide access to Edwards' story for everyone. Marsden does a masterful job of showing how Edwards' life flowed into the larger story of America. The often forgotten truth that this nation was founded not only in the midst of Revolution but also Revivalism helps us see how America can be simultaneously so religious and materialistic. The final chapter of the book, where Marsden uncovers the significance of Edwards today, is well worth the price of the whole book. Marsden's premise that Edwards is the Jefferson of America's religious awakening and Whitefield its Washington is compelling. Edwards' impact on our culture continues today in the movement of Reformed evangelicalism characterized by humble God-centeredness and intellectual rigor. 5 Stars without a doubt.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful introduction to or refresher on Jonathan Edwards, January 9, 2009

By	Brandon Cozart (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Five years after publishing his definitive biography on Jonathan Edwards, Jonathan Edwards: A Life, George Marsden is back with a shorter volume on Edwards's life, aptly titled A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards. However, this is not simply an abridgment of the larger work. Rather, Marsden has constructed a new narrative in hopes of making the study of Edwards attractive to "church study groups and to students in college courses in American history or American religious history" (x). The result is a wonderful, engaging introduction to the life and work of Jonathan Edwards.

The majority of the new material in this volume is found through the juxtaposition of Edwards's life with the life of Benjamin Franklin, in which Franklin serves as a sort of contemporary foil to Edwards. He forsook the religion of his Puritan forebears, viewed the pursuit and accumulation of wealth as the primary goal of human life, and was thoroughly entrenched in Enlightenment science and thought. Edwards, on the other hand, fervently defended the old religion, saw the glorification of God as man's highest and chief end, and was also abreast and interested in the new thinking and ideologies that were making their way to the American colonies. Unlike Franklin, however, Edwards does not elevate the Enlightenment emphasis on human reason to preeminent status. Instead, he uses reason and scientific method to confirm what God teaches through Scripture and in nature.

With the details and minutiae of Edwards's life and thought left to his larger work, Marsden here sweeps through the grand drama of his subject's life, painting Edwards as a man who tirelessly held on to the old Puritan religion he inherited, despite new ideas and trends in religion coming over from Britain and the European continent. Edwards's resolve would inevitably lead to strife with his extended family, other clergy, and his own congregation, although he would experience times of great joy and sweetness as in the awakenings of 1734-35 and 1740-42, and in seeing the piety and devotion of his wife and eleven children.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this shorter biography, other than the parallels between Franklin and Edwards, is the way in which Marsden uses events in Edwards's life to talk about the larger social and cultural issues of eighteenth century New England. These issues are certainly addressed at great length in the larger work, but here the rise of American individualism, relationships with Native Americans, the issue of slavery, in addition to the various religious issues-these are all covered in a bite-sized, yet revealing manner. These then lead to the crescendo of the work, the ever-important "so what?" question.

The last chapter of the book, "What Should We Learn from Edwards?", well-worth the small price of the book on its own, explores both the American cultural significance of Edwards, as well as the the religious impact of Edwards's influence on later evangelicalism. Before the revolution of 1776, Marsden argues that Edwards was deeply involved in an earlier revolution that would shape the future of American Christianity, a revolution we are still seeing the effects of today. Marsden concludes this work by examining the lasting theological insights that Edwards pursued and which are shared and treasured by a number of religious traditions today.

Jonathan Edwards was truly a remarkable figure in American history, and a figure that we would do well not to forget. Though a Puritan preacher from the pre-American republic days may seem distant and passé to us today, Marsden presents an Edwards that has much yet to say. Succeeding in the goal he had for this book, this volume is a wonderful jumping off point for those who have never read anything on Edwards, especially church groups and American history students. In addition, this book can serve as an excellent refresher and short reference volume for those who are involved in scholarly pursuits. Very highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short and Sweet, February 4, 2009

By	A. S. Green - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Enjoyable to read, as well as informational. Not as long as Madson's other book on Edwards which is nice. The only complaint is that we sure hear an awful lot about Benjamin Franklin even though he never met Edwards.