Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word - by Douglas a Sweeney (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Historian Douglas Sweeney examines the enduring life and work of Jonathan Edwards, opening us to understand how Edwards' profound and meticulous study of the Bible securely anchored his powerful preaching, lively theological passions and discerning pastoral work.

Review Quotes

"A lively, intimate portrait of a man many have found distant and intimidating. Douglas Sweeney reveals Jonathan Edwards to be the flesh-and-blood Christian we should have suspected he was, in a way that neither patronizes nor idealizes him. As importantly, we have here for the first time an account of Edwards' life that rightly places the Bible at the center of his intellectual and pastoral genius."

"Doug Sweeney gives us a nourishing and tasty introduction to the real Edwards, and focuses in this brief but substantial volume on Edwards'ministry of the Word. He provides a fascinating entrée to the life and career of Edwards, and then zeroes in on Edwards' multifaceted understanding of Scripture. Sweeney gives us enough detail to stimulate new insights into Edwards, Scripture and its Author. But his writing is not so technical that the general reader would not be abundantly rewarded by perusing this slim but informative and illuminating volume."

"Doug Sweeney has written a fine introduction to Jonathan Edwards' life and theology. Accessible and accurate, this introduction is a good place tostart in trying to understand Edwards as a man, a Christian, a theologian and a pastor."

"Douglas Sweeney has written an admirable 'Jonathan Edwards for Christians.' It is at once authoritative and addressed to the practical concerns of evangelicals in the pews."

"I love this book! Doug Sweeney not only demonstrates the central role of Scripture in the theology and pastoral ministry of Jonathan Edwards but also provides us with a vibrant portrayal of his life and the many brilliant insights that have rightly contributed to his global reputation. Combiningclarity and ease of style with a remarkable breadth of research, Sweeney has given us a treatment of Edwards that may well prove to be the standardagainst which all future contributions are judged. I highly recommend it!"

"Strangely, it has taken nearly three centuries for us to realize the obvious: that Jonathan Edwards had a lifelong love affair with the Bible. Doug Sweeney has been at the forefront of elucidating Edwards the exegete and the biblical foundations of his theology. In this new work, Sweeney shows the vital, reflective and informed connections between Edwards' Biblicism and his calling as a 'faithful minister ofthe Word.' Even more, Sweeney points out the extent to which Edwards' more formal theological formulations arose directly out of his local pastoral experience. This study will be a blessing to pastors, preachers and spiritual leaders, who can learn from Edwards' faith, thought and experience."

"Sweeney deftly weaves considerations of Edwards's spiritual development, his study and preaching of Scripture, and his intellectual efforts into an elegant telling of Edwards's life. . . This book will not disappoint the non-Christian or Christian reader who wants an authoritative and spiritually oriented reflection on an enduring figure in American religious history."

"Sweeney hits an unmitigated home run. If I had only one recent book to give to seminarians to read about Edwards' work, it would be this one."

"Sweeney presents an image of Edwards as a boldly evangelical and pious Protestant intellectual who fruitfully combined powerful preaching and intellectual rigor that changed his world and continues to influence the world today. Highly recommended."

"Writing in clear and nontechnical language, Sweeney makes the story of Edwards's life an engrossing one."

About the Author

Douglas A. Sweeney is professor of church history and the history of Christian thought and director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is coeditor of The Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Reader (Yale University Press) and author of Nathaniel Taylor, New Haven Theology, and the Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (Oxford University Press).