Theologian Research Paper
Autor: wesn7727 • April 26, 2016 • Research Paper • 730 Words (3 Pages) • 755 Views
Alyssa Wesner
Professor Gifford
Christian Narrative
22 November 2014
Theologian Research Paper
Jonathan Edwards was a philosopher, theologian and Christian preacher. He was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor Connecticut. In 1716 at the age of 13 he went to study at Yale. In 1725, he married Sarah Pierrepont who he met at Yale. Elisabeth Dodd notes, “In 1900 a reporter tracked down 1,400 descendants of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. He found that they included 13 college presidents, 65 professors, two graduate school deans, 100 lawyers, 66 physicians, 80 holders of public office, including three senators and three governors of states. Members of his this clan had written 135 published books, and the women were repeatedly described as 'great readers' or 'highly intelligent'.” His grandson, Aaron Burr, was the third Vice President of the United States. As you can see his family had long lines of being intelligent scholars and holding high positions in society. In January of 1758, Edwards became the President of Princeton. There he caught the smallpox and grew deathly ill. He passed away on March 22, 1758.
He is thought to be America’s most important philosophical theologian. He was also one of America’s greatest intellectuals. Most of his time was spent on Reformed theology. He was also a puritan and studied the Puritan heritage. He wrote numerous books and delivered hundreds of sermons. One of his most popular sermons was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This sermon was an appeal to sinners to help them see that God will judge them, and that this judgment will be more fearful and painful than they can ever understand. There were three main themes: corrupt sinners face a fearful judgment, time is short for the unrepentant, and it is only God’s free choice that provides us with another opportunity to respond to his call. Edwards was different from other pastors because he used vivid metaphors and emotional appeal. People who were listening were scared sitting in the pews. He graphically described God’s wrath.
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