Description
For too long, scholars have published new research on Edwards without paying due attention to the work he took most seriously: biblical exegesis. Edwards is recognized as an innovative theologian who wielded tremendous influence on revivalism, evangelicalism, and New England theology. What is often missed is how much time he devoted to studying and understanding the Bible. He kept voluminous notebooks on Scripture and died with unrealized plans for major treatises on the Bible. More and more experts now recognize the importance of this aspect of his life; this book brings together the insights of leading Edwards scholars on this topic. The essays in Jonathan Edwards and Scripture set Edwards' engagement with Scripture in the context of seventeenth-century Protestant exegesis and eighteenth-century colonial interpretation. They provide case studies of Edwards' exegesis in varying genres of the Bible and probe his use of Scripture to develop theology. The authors also set his biblical interpretation in perspective by comparing it with that of other exegetes. This book advances our understanding of the nature and significance of Edwards' work with Scripture and opens new lines of inquiry for students of early modern Western history.
Table of Contents
IntroductionDavid P. Barshinger1 - Jonathan Edwards' Scriptural PracticesKenneth P. Minkema 2 - Jonathan Edwards' Principles of Interpreting ScriptureStephen R. C. Nichols 3 - Early Modern Biblical Commentary and Jonathan EdwardsAdriaan C. Neele4 - Language of the Heart: The Bible in Jonathan Edwards' Personal Life and Spiritual PracticeCharles E. Hambrick-Stowe 5 - Spiritual Meaning and Experimental Piety in the Exegesis of Cotton Mather and Jonathan EdwardsJan Stievermann and Ryan P. Hoselton6 - Jacob Wrestling with "a Man": Jonathan Edwards and Contemporaries on Genesis 32:22-32Mark A. Noll7 - Jonathan Edwards' French Connection: The Pentateuch and the Practices of Public HistoryRobert E. Brown8 - A Fish Tale: Jonathan Edwards and Cotton Mather on Jonah's WhaleAva Chamberlain9 - "Of His Fullness Have All We Received": Johannine Themes in Jonathan Edwards' Interpretation of ScriptureMichael J. McClymond10 - Jonathan Edwards' Reflections on the Virgin MaryStephen J. Stein11 - Jonathan Edwards, War, and the BibleJames P. Byrd12 - Jonathan Edwards, the Bible, and ConversionDavid W. Kling13 - Was Jonathan Edwards an Evangelical? Scripture and Tradition in America's TheologianGerald R. McDermottConclusionDouglas A. SweeneyGeneral IndexScripture Index
