It is safe to say that eighteenth-century New England was one of the more staunchly religious societies to ever make its way on the map. After all, a majority of Protestant Europeans were making their way to the British North American Colonies to escape the religious persecution apparent in the Old World. Such groups as the Pilgrims, who originally looked to escape English persecution in the safeguard of Holland, were one of the earliest groups to establish their Separatist ideas on the banks of the Southern Massachusetts Shore. Separatist theology was, in short, harmonized with the Calvinistic doctrine that such Puritans advocated, but different in the sense that Separatists wanted to formally separate themselves from the Church of England rather than trying to purify it. Regardless of these minor technicalities, the world in which Jonathan grew up in was intrinsically rooted in the staunch piety instilled by New England’s rich Reformation theology. Jonathan's introduction into Puritanistic theology would mostly take place amidst long hours wondering in his father’s vast study. Not to mention the extensive time that he spent studying the New England Primer which was the foundational text for teaching youngsters the basics of scripture, arithmetic, and theology. The New England Primer was the standardized means to which children could grasp the moral implications of life mostly through straightforward memorization and acronymical assistance. It mostly followed the theological convictions contained in the Westminster Confessions of Faith (1646) and sometimes included a short excerpt from John Cotton’s Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes. Surely before Jonathan was in his teens his early inklings towards Christianity would be heavily swayed upon stumbling upon The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion in his father’s mass collection of theological works. The work covered the heroism and terror apparent in the life of John Williams, who encountered physical and spiritual suffering at the expense of his pastorate position in Deerfield. Jonathan found himself wrapped up in Williams’ resilience to overcome severe loss at the hands of Indian raiders and was thoroughly inspired to investigate why Williams’ put so much at stake for the good of Christianity in the colonies. It remains important to note, Edwards’ enticement towards a wonderment in Christ was furthered at the exposure of literature. We will skip over the point at which Edwards found saving faith in Christ (see: Jonathan’s Boyish Rebellion and Journey to Faith in Christ). During the latter half of 1722, amidst his time living in New York City, Edwards devoted himself to a set of Resolutions. Written in his diary, Jonathan composed seventy statements (or Resolutions) that he intended to keep him away from worldly distractions and towards Godly activity. These statements were specifically aimed at the usage of time and greatly emulated the concept of “The Protestant Work Ethic”. In fact, the concept of time was a monumentally important framework in Puritan devotion and a notion that wholly ruled Edwards’ life. Time was, from Jonathan's perspective, a fading pleasure in the wake of eternity yet an opportunity to toil and work before the Lord. This is why New England undergoes the reputation for one of the most hardworking societies to exist. In a historically Calvinistic sense, time was to be used almost strictly for spiritual edification and the pleasure of implementing one’s spiritual convictions in work was an undeserved common grace. Furthermore, this is why we see Jonathan rising in the wee hours of the morning to write, read, and study up to twelve hours per day. Amidst all that time in his study, there are two foundational precepts that establish Edwards as one of the most formidable figures in the world of philosophical theology. Primarily, we can better see Edwards through his world of divine sovereignty. Jonathan sought to gaze upon the created order through the lens of occasionalism, which is the idea that objects are not merely just physical substances but meant to be grand reflections of God. Secondly, Jonathan’s sentiments regarding sovereignty intermix with his thoughts on natural beauty. Edwards, in his Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, insists that nature is essentially a divine impression of God’s beauty and when this beauty is understood by humanity, one’s affections might thoroughly be stirred for God. In short, one of God’s primary means of communicating with his people is through the created order and what has been created reflects God’s own likeness. Overall, Edwards’ theological ideas were infused with concepts of sovereignty, beauty, the use of time, and piety. AuthorFounder and Executive Contributor: Preston Blakeley - Age 18 - Denton, Texas.
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Skirmishes between colonists and Native-American tribes near Jonathan’s hometown of East Windsor were far from uncommon. In fact, the town constructed a substantial amount of fortifications to protect its loyal citizens from Indian raids. White picket fences, which now ironically symbolize a rather tranquil middle-class status, proved one of the simplest implementations that colonial authorities decided to use to provide some sense of protection against the warring adversary. The reality is, that colonists, despite their rather staunch Protestant convictions, quite frequently found themselves in military conundrums. In fact, Jonathan’s father, Timothy Edwards, was appointed the head military chaplain over a battalion of Connecticotiansins during a Canadian expedition for a couple of weeks in 1711. The fact of the matter was that Jonathan's childhood reality was plagued with the possibility of frequent attacks upon him, his family, and his neighbors. But what should have seemed like terror to Edwards fueled his adventurous and rebellious childlike temperament. His rebellious nature would exhibit itself throughout various parts of his life, including, a confusing juxtaposition between searching for theological truth and yearning to live as he thought fit, which would haunt him during his undergraduate years at the Collegiate School of Connecticut (Yale College). One of the many ways in which Jonathan would exhibit his recalcitrant attitude towards authority would come through the means of his rather boyish neighborhood portrayal of combat with local Indian tribes. Essentially he was promoting “play-war” with his fellow youngsters. Although, this would seem somewhat socially acceptable today, pretending to go to battle with one another, in a strict Puritanistic context, did not live up to the standards of Jonathan’s disciplinarian father. Furthermore, throughout Jonathan’s young adulthood and emergence into the college atmosphere, he persistently found himself disgusted with New England’s Calvinist sentiments. In fact, he often associated these Genevan convictions with his parents’ idea of piety and personal holiness, which, at the time, he outrightly found as “a melancholy, morose, sour and unpleasant thing.” On the other hand, according to some of the initial writings we have from Edwards (specifically when he was twelve), he often commented on the spiritual revivals and upheavals towards piety in his day. Overall, Edwards never found himself personally satisfied with falling into the popular religious inclinations of his time but he rather wanted to understand the why behind the what. Edwards was, at the least, resentful of reconciling himself to his own heritage. His breakthrough would soon come during his time in New Haven in the midst of a deep spiritual crisis. His fellow nineteen classmates, the graduating class of 1720, would prove distracting beyond any point of true virtue. Broken bottles, loud disruptions at night, and hazing were events commonly associated with Jonathan’s graduating class. Caught up in the stress of managing his academic pursuits and university halfwits, Jonathan angrily commanded his roommate to fetch him cider one night tenfold. He was at a point of distress and was earnestly looking for answers. Yet, unlike many today, Jonathan would not sideline his intellect when looking to pursue spiritual truth. Rationalization and the ability to understand theological truth were inseparable traits that would serve him well during his pilgrimage to find Christ. The tide that would turn his religious sensibilities would be the realization that God had manifested his glory throughout all things. With God’s own glory the center of his own universe, all things looked to reflect his nature. Thus, the more God was present in our everyday reality the more mankind could delight in him. Edwards found this to be a stunning spiritual reality and one that would progressively free him from the grip of sin upon his life. He was surely “wrapped up in God.” AuthorFounder and Executive Contributor: Preston Blakeley - Age 18 - Denton, Texas. Widely coined as ‘America’s greatest philosopher and theologian’, Jonathan Edwards proved himself as one of the most remarkable figures in all of history. Whether one accepts his defining theological principals or not, Edwards objectively made a name for himself as one of the greatest minds to ever set foot on this earth. Although, the content of these publications regarding Edwards will not look to wholly glorify him, but to bring the reader into a more profound understanding of him through his moral failures and his many accomplishments. After all, any good biography must be objective. Known today for his dreadfully evocative portrayal of hellfire and damnation, it is not often that we find ourselves happily studying Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s discourse regarding God’s eternal wrath upon unregenerate sinners remains the only popular source through which our educational system likes to talk about Edwards. Furthermore, making assumptions concerning Edwards after solely reading “Sinners” is pretty easy and yet it never does history the justice it deserves. Jonathan contained a quite awkward temperament. He was quiet, most definitely introverted, and alarmingly tall. His lack of social awareness and inability to communicate adeptly around others made it difficult for one to converse with him. He was altogether not known for any sense of natural eloquence and this was also true in his preaching and teaching ministry. Unlike the booming voices of the evangelical world, such as Whitefield and Spurgeon, Edwards found himself capturing his audience with sharp imagery. Jonathan's deep aptitude for theological imagery illuminated his teaching. His preaching was marked by acute descriptions of light, water, nature, wind, insects, and of course, hellfire and brimstone. Consider this excerpt from Sermons and Discourses, 1730-1733, “To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows, but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.” It was through this beautiful imagery that Edward’s so profoundly enlightened the dark souls of his audience. Jonathan’s lack of eloquence would also translate into how he would prepare for his sermons. Unlike most preachers today who formalize an outline for their sermons, Edwards would essentially go to another extreme. Edwards would formally memorize his complete sermons, writing them down on paper and preaching from memory. For Edwards, contrary to popular belief, public speaking did not come easily. So, in conclusion, we may affirm the notion that Jonathan contained various qualities that were suitable for a lot of things besides preaching and leading revivals (the irony). It is fair to say that Jonathan’s timid temperament contrasts drastically from the disposition of the pipesmoking Spurgeon. The question remains, how could such an apprehensive figure find himself leading one of the most important revivals in all of New England? AuthorFounder and Executive Contributor: Preston Blakeley - Age 18 - Denton, Texas. As an increasingly technological and inventive society, holding fast to the promises and circumstances of yesterday seem less and less significant. Without a doubt, finding one’s vocation in the engineering world has progressively become far more popular than studying the liberal arts. Simply, as developments in scientific professions continue to rise, the demand for such occupations will steadily increase as well. A vast and abundant job market, financial security, and innovative technological improvements that make a difference are characteristics that closely relate with studying scientific inquiry. With such positive outcomes resulting from an education in the STEM fields, why do our American educational systems continue to teach the liberal-arts, much less encourage students to pursue them with their lives? After all, the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point plans to do away with thirteen of their humanities-based majors, according to the Wall Street Journal. So, why even study history? Mark Zuckerberg, Harvard dropout and CEO of Facebook, found one of his many motivations in the all-encompassing world of history. In high school, Mark found himself happily investing his spare time in studying the Classical Period. On his college applications, he noted that he was near proficient in reading and writing the classical languages, such as Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Yet, Zuckerberg would especially find his inspiration in the form of Augustus Caesar. Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, previously known as Octavian, proved somewhat of a dark-horse candidate for accomplishing what would be known as the Pax Romana. The Pax Romana marked a two-hundred-year period of social and economic stability, a record increase in population, and the Republic reached its peak in term of land mass. Zuckerberg found this especially inspiring, as anyone probably should, and committed himself to overcome a seemingly impossible task as well. Zuckerberg looked to wholly model Augustus’s temperament (although hopefully not inheriting his dictatorial side) in attitude, disposition, and governance over his employees at Facebook. Upon visiting Rome for his honeymoon, Mark tirelessly went on and on about the prodigiousness of the Holy Roman Empire. According to his wife, he would not shut up. It is through these types of mannerisms that history decides to thoroughly prick us. Many will argue that the sole reason we study history today is so that humanity does not repeat the past. Although this might be true it is surely not the entire truth. History is inspiring, stimulating, and enthralling and Zuckerberg’s example takes us beyond just the notion that historians do what they do to avoid making the same mistakes. Many will claim that history is valued out of fear so that these mistakes are not repeated, but rather, it is valued out of a keen admiration for the past. Like Christians reading the greatest theological minds, we cultivate in ourselves an inspiration to take the good and implement it into our everyday lives. History should not merely be restricted to historians alone, but to the common man, so that he too, might find the inspiration to overcome what seems like the impossible. AuthorFounder and Executive Contributor: Preston Blakeley - Age 18 - Denton, Texas. |