Jeff Waddington reviews Jonathan Edwards and the Immediacy of God by John Carrick.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the outstanding figures in the history of the Christian church—he was, quite simply, a man of towering intellect and towering spirituality. But it has been noted, even by his friends and admirers, that his thought is also marked at times by certain idiosyncrasies which inevitably introduce certain complexities into his philosophical-theological system.

This study contends that the theme of divine immediacy is the controlling theme and the correlating principle within Edwards’s thought. It analyzes the theme of divine immediacy in the thought of Jonathan Edwards under four major heads: creation, the will, ecclesiology, and spiritual experience. Indeed, Dr. Carrick claims that the theme of the immediacy of God is the Ariadne’s thread, which runs with consistency through the multiple aspects of Edwards’s philosophical, theological, ecclesiological, experiential, and homiletical interests.

But sometimes a man’s strength is also his weakness, and it would appear that Edwards’s profound commitment to the concept and the reality of the immediacy of God entails significant problems for his entire philosophical-theological system. Edwards’s concept of divine immediacy finds its supreme expression, surely, in his doctrine of continuous creation; but is it not the case that this doctrine of continuous creation is in conflict with his determinism, that its tendency is to destroy the moral responsibility of man, and that it makes God both the author and the actor of sin? In short, is it not the case that Edwards’s Ariadne’s thread is, in fact, also his Achilles’ heel?

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
00:45 Jonathan Edwards and the Immediacy of God
04:32 Occasionalism and Continuous Creationism
10:30 The Context of Edwards’ Theology
13:52 The Ariadnes Thread of Edwards’ Thought
17:33 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

East of Eden considers Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Blessed Struggle,” which was delivered in 1735.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

East of Eden considers Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “The Sorrows of the Bereaved Spread before Jesus,” which was delivered in 1741.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

We ought not only to praise God for every thing that appears favourable to the interests of religion, and to pray earnestly for a general revival, but also to use means that are proper in order to it; and one proper means must be allowed to be, a due administration of Christ’s ordinances: one instance of which is that, which you and Mr. Randal have been striving for; viz. a restoring the primitive practice of frequent communicating. I should much wonder … how such arguments and persuasions, as Mr. Randal uses, could be withstood; but however they may be resisted for the present, yet I hope those who have begun will continue to plead the cause of Christ’s institutions; and whatever opposition is made, I should think it would be best for them to plead nothing at all short of Christ’s institutions, viz. the administration of the Lord’s supper every Lord’s day:—it must come to that at last; and why should Christ’s ministers and people, by resting in a partial reformation, lay a foundation for a new struggle, an uncomfortable labour and conflict, in some future generation, in order to a full restoration of the primitive practice.

Edwards finds the case for weekly Communion convincing and calls for the full reformation of the church, which, among other things, includes the “full restoration of the primitive practice” of weekly Communion. Edwards also said,

They were wont to have the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper in the primitive church very often, by all accounts of ecclesiastical history. And it seems by the account of holy Scripture that they were at first wont to celebrate this ordinance daily, as Acts 2:46, “and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and in breaking bread from house to house”; afterwards weekly, every sabbath day, Acts 20:7, “and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread.”[1]

In this episode of East of Eden, three Reformed scholars explain why Edwards was in favor of weekly Communion, despite the controversy at Northampton regarding the Lord’s Supper. I have reservations regarding Edwards’ interpretation of self-examination in 1 Corinthians 11, and I disagree with his understanding of the nature of the punishment of the unworthy communicant. But I agree with him regarding the apostolic practice of weekly Communion. I want to commend this episode to my readers. Endnotes 1. Jonathan Edwards, “Self-Examination and the Lord’s Supper,” in M. Valeri & H. S. Stout, eds., Sermons and Discourses, 1730–1733, vol. 17 (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1999) 264.

East of Eden considers the Theology and experiential application of Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Self-Examination and the Lord’s Supper” from 1 Corinthians 11:28–29 and delivered first March 21, 1731.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

The panel discusses Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “A Divine and Supernatural Light” delivered at Northampton and subsequently published in 1734.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Christ the Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Dane Ortlund to speak about Jonathan Edwards’s views of the Christian life. Ortlund is Senior Vice President of Bible Publishing at Crossway and the author of the book Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God. This book is in the Theologians on the Christian Life series edited by Stephen J. Nichols and Justin Taylor and published by Crossway. Join us for a fascinating discussion of a brilliant theological mind considering what it means to live before the beauty of Christ.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dane Ortlund, David Filson, Jeff Waddington

Nick Batzig, Jeff Waddington, and David Filson discuss a sermon by Jonathan Edwards circa 1747.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Jeff Waddington compares Alvin Plantinga and Jonathan Edwards on the perennial anthropological question regarding the relationship between the intellect and the will. In 2000, distinguished Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga offered an account of how Christian belief squares with warrant in the culmination of his warrant series, Warranted Christian Belief. Key to this analysis is Plantinga’s version of the sensus divinitatus, which is then extended to include explicitly Christian belief with three elements: The Bible, the internal instigation of the Holy Spirit, and faith. Faith, for Plantinga, involves both the intellect and the will. In the book, Plantinga discusses the relationship between the intellect and the will and assesses the view of Jonathan Edwards. In this episode, Jeff Waddington argues his case that Plantinga has misconstrued Edwards. Instead of prioritizing the intellect, Waddington believes Edwards rejects a hierarchical faculty psychology.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

• Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics
• Finding God in Solitude by Donald Whitney
• Jonathan Edwards and the Psalms: A Redemptive-Historical Vision of Scripture by David Barshinger
• Jonathan Edwards and the Life of God by R. Ross Hastings
• A Treatise on True Theology by Franciscus Junius
• The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox: An Interpretation and Refinement of the Theological Apologetic of Cornelius Van Til by B.A. Bosserman

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

In this episode, Nick, Jeff and Dave sit down to discuss Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, “Joseph’s Great Temptation and Glorious Deliverance” based on Genesis 39:12. In this sermon Edwards unpacks the theology drawn from the narrative of the temptation of Joseph by Potiphar’s wife while in his house. It explores the greatness of the temptation, the inner life of Joseph in the midst of the temptation and the way in which he overcame it. You can find a copy of the sermon at http://www.biblebb.com/files/edwards/temptation.htm

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Reformed Forum contributor Nick Batzig speaks about Jonathan Edwards: “Preaching Christ in the Song of Songs.” This talk was given at the 2014 Jonathan Edwards for the Church conference. http://www.edwardsconference.org/media

Participants: Camden Bucey, Nick Batzig

Dr. William Schweitzer speaks about Jonathan Edwards: “Faithful Ministers are Conduits of the Means of Grace.” This talk was given at the 2014 “Jonathan Edwards for the Church Conference.” http://www.edwardsconference.org/media

Participants: Camden Bucey, Nick Batzig, William Schweitzer

Dr. Douglas Sweeney speaks about Jonathan Edwards on the Divinity, Necessity, and Power of the Word of God in the World, from the 2014 “Jonathan Edwards for the Church Conference.” http://www.edwardsconference.org/media

Participants: Camden Bucey, Douglas Sweeney, Nick Batzig

As promised, I now offer a list of several scholarly works on Jonathan Edwards that I think are must reads. Please remember that there are now over 4,000 items of secondary literature and I am offering here my opinion. That means these are books that have struck me as significant.

1. Reading Jonathan Edwards: An Annotated Bibliography in Three Parts, 1729-2005 – M. X. Lesser. Lesser is the dean of Edwards bibliographers and this is the source to turn to if you intend to study Edwards in depth. Annotations provide a synopsis of the articles or books in question.
2. The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards – John Gerstner. Dr. Gerstner produced this three volume set shortly before his death and it is a virtual encyclopedia of Edwardsiana. I produced my PhD dissertation critiquing one point of Gerstner’s understanding of Edwards, but I want it on the record that in most things, Gerstner was right on target. Gerstner was one of the original sermon volume editors for the Yale University edition of Edwards’ Works.
3. The Infinite Merit of Christ: The Glory of Christ’s Obedience in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards – Craig Biehl. When my friend Craig asked me to read through his dissertation on Edwards’ understanding of God’s unchanging rule of righteousness, I was more than happy to do so. In fact, as I read it I was led to wonder at and worship our great Triune God anew. Edwards has a way of capturing us up into the glory of God and Craig caught the essence of that.
4. Jonathan Edwards and the Covenant of Grace – Carl Bogue. The doyen of Edwards scholars Perry Miller significantly misunderstand Edwards at a most basic point. He argued that Edwards was not a Reformed covenant theologian. Carl Bogue, student of John Gerstner, wrote the seminal study that overturned Miller’s thesis. I should like to note that the recent publication of Edwards’ biblical notebooks has confirmed Bogue’s argument.
5. Jonathan Edwards’ Moral Thought and Its British Context – Norman Fiering. Fiering wrote a groundbreaking study on Edwards’ Christian ethics in the context of transatlantic theological influences. Edwards has often been portrayed as a lone prodigy in the colonial wilderness. Fiering shows that he was an active participant in the republic of letters involving theology, philosophy, history, and natural science.
6. God of Grace and God of Glory: An Account of the Theology of Jonathan Edwards – Stephen R. Holmes. Holmes is a bright light in historical theological circles from the UK and his account of Edwards is spot on for the most part. Holmes has what strike me as Barthian leanings. But what I appreciate about Holmes is that he is up front about that. He does not try to attribute his own views to Edwards. This is refreshing. Holmes also offered one of the first serious considerations of Edwards’ contribution to Trinitarian theological formulations.
7. The Philosophical Theology of Jonathan Edwards – Sang Hyun Lee. It cannot be said of every Edwards scholar that he sets the agenda for future studies. But this is certainly true of Lee. Lee discusses his understanding of Edwards’ dispositional ontology involving virtual and actual habits or dispositions. Lee has even established what is typically called the Korean American school of Edwards studies. I had the privilege of studying with Dr. Lee in his Edwards seminar at Princeton Theological Seminary. It was also my honor to assist him with the editing of The Princeton Companion to Jonathan Edwards.
8. The Young Jonathan Edwards: A Reconstruction – William Sparkes Morris. This is the book to read about Edwards’ education at what later came to be called Yale University. It is a big tome, but worth the read.
9. An Absolute Sort of Certainty: The Holy Spirit and the Apologetics of Jonathan Edwards – Stephen J. Nichols. Nichols has provided a thorough discussion of the role of the Holy Spirit in the apologetic encounter, with a significant emphasis on the new sense.
10. Tragedy in Eden: Original Sin in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards – C. Samuel Storms. Storms has produced the seminal work on Edwards’ treatment of the fall of Adam and the doctrine of original sin. It would be great if this could be brought back into print or perhaps Sam Storms could write an updated and expanded edition. Hint, hint.
11. Jonathan Edwards and Justification by Faith – Michael McClenahan. If you wonder what the application of the Richard Muller method of church history/historical theology to Edwards would look like, this is the work. Superb scholarship.
12. Jonathan Edwards’ Social Augustinian Trinitarianism in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives – Stephen Studebaker. Studebaker has written one of the best studies of Edwards’ Trinitarian theology and in the process challenges an inappropriate pitting of the eastern church against the western church.
13. Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation – Kyle Strobel. Strobel offers an intriguing new assessment of Edwards. Strobel was interviewed on the East of Eden podcast last year. You can find that at Reformed Forum.
14. God is a Communicative Being: Divine Communicativeness and Harmony in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards – William Schweitzer. Schweitzer provides a solid treatment of God as inherently communicative and he shows how the three arenas of communication in Scripture, history, and nature cohere.

This is not a complete list of the many excellent studies of Edwards. For instance, I have not included any journal articles. Also note that I do not necessarily agree with everything in each of these books. But all of them have contributed to my understanding of and appreciation for Jonathan Edwards. More importantly, they have helped me to appreciate the Triune God of Jonathan Edwards and that is much more important.

1. Jonathan Edwards: A Life — George Marsden. This is the standard biography of Edwards and I expect it will remain so for many years to come. My East of Eden colleague David Owen Filson agrees with me so it must be so.
2. Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought — Stephen J. Nichols. This book is the first book I would read if I have never read Edwards or anything about him. It is clearly written, easily understood, and covers all the essentials. Stephen is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, so it has to be good, right?!
3. A God-Entranced Vision of All Things: The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards — John Piper and Justin Taylor, editors. This book is the result of one of the Desiring God Ministries pastor’s conferences and the various essays are critically appreciative of Edwards.
4. God’s Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards — John Piper and Jonathan Edwards. This is one excellent book! Really. I mean it. Nick Batzig, my compadre, thinks this is top notch. John Piper offers a biographical account of how he came to appreciate Edwards and then provides extremely helpful annotated notes to Edwards’ The End for Which God Created the World.
5. The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards — John Carrick. This is a very helpful analysis of Edwards’ Puritan plain style preaching.
6. Charity and Its Fruits: Living in the Light of God’s Love — Kyle Strobel, editor. This is an annotated version of Edwards’ series of sermons on 1st Corinthians 13 which culminated in his “Heaven is a World of Love” sermon. Kyle Strobel is a new and up and coming Edwards scholar.
7. The Theology of Jonathan Edwards — Michael McClymond and Gerlad McDermott. This is now the standard treatment of Edwards’ thought. It is, frankly, a mixed bag. It gets Edwards right on some things and wrong on others. The authors take me to task in a few footnotes, so I am not unbiased.

There are many other excellent books I could recommend. Many of them are the more heavy academic type and if there is interest, let me know and I will be happy to plug some of those.    

In “The Peace Which Christ Gives His True Followers,” Edwards calls us to listen in on the most affectionate and affecting discourse Christ gave (Jn 14:27), in which he promised to give his disciples, not just peace, in the sense of a generic feeling of well-being, but his very own peace. This peace he secured for us by his own fulfilling of the covenant. It is a peace that is given to us as a gift to be enjoyed with the Giver – Christ, himself! In this sermon, we are invited to leave aside the idols that cannot satisfy, and seek our “better portion” in Jesus.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Jonathan Edwards preached “What Is Believing in Christ?” to his congregation of three hundred Native Americans in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The sermon on Mark 16:15-16 is characteristic of Edwards’ pastoral sensitivity to his Stockbridge congregation. The sermon is divided into two parts, 1. What it means to believe in Jesus Christ, and 2. How believing in Jesus Christ will save you.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

East of Eden continues a discussion of the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards. See here for part 1 of this discussion. Biographies of Edwards: Jonathan Edwards: A Life, and A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, by George Marsden; Life of Jonathan Edwards, by Samuel Miller

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

East of Eden discusses the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards, including a survey of biographies of Jonathan Edwards. Follow up in a couple weeks for Part 2. Biographies of Edwards: Jonathan Edwards: A Life, and A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards, by George Marsden; Life of Jonathan Edwards, by Samuel Miller

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

In this episode, Jeff Waddington covers God Is a Communicative Being: Divine Communicativeness and Harmony in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards by William M. Schweitzer and published by T&T Clark. The book explores Edwards’s statement, “The great and universal end of God’s creating the world was to communicate himself. God is a communicative being.” Listen as Jeff provides an overview of the issues, but if you’d like to go deeper, read Jeff’s review in the Spring 2013 issue of The Westminster Theological Journal.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Jeff Waddington

An interview with Kyle Strobel regarding his recently released Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation.

Participants: Jeff Waddington, Kyle Strobel, Nick Batzig

Jonathan Edwards preached “Christ the Spiritual Sun” in May 1739. It was based on Malachi 4:1-2. The doctrine of the sermon was “that the same spiritual Sun, whose beams are most comfortable and beneficial to believers, will burn and destroy unbelievers.” Edwards unpacked the sermon in four heads, showing that Christ was the spiritual Sun of the world; showing what might be represented by the beams of the Sun; showing how the beams of the Sun will be most pleasant and profitable to believers; and how these same beams will destroy the wicked.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Originally preached in April 1738, Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Jesus Christ: The Same Yesterday, To-day, and Forever” expounds Hebrews 13:6. Edwards draws out the doctrine that Jesus Christ is the same now that he ever has been and ever will be. Specifically, Christ is unchangeable in his divinity, in his office as Mediator, and his blood is as sufficient now as when it ran warm from his wounds, and so the covenants of redemption and grace stand forever. In light of the stability of Christ’s person and work for us, he is therefore fit to be our surety. While our profession of faith may wax and wane, Christ has not changed. The Jesus who invites you to come to him is he who accepts you. In the end Christ’s love is as strong now as it was when he went to the cross.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

This week the East of Eden crew examine Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Safety, Fullness, and Sweet Refreshment, to be Found in Christ” based upon Isaiah 32:2. In this sermon Edwards unpacks the types of a man who provides cover from the wind, of a river in a dry land, and a great rock that casts a shadow in a weary land. Each of these point to some facet of Christ’s person and work of redemption. Christ Jesus provides a foundation of peace and safety for those who live in fear and danger. He provides satisfaction and full contentment for the needy and thirsty soul. Our Lord also provides quiet and sweet refreshment for him who is weary. All in all this is a deeply comforting sermon.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

In 1730 Jonathan Edward preached a sermon on Matthew 5:8 in which he gave consideration to the redemptive blessing which God bestows upon the pure in heart, namely, an all satisfying sight of God Himself. In this typical substantive fashion, Jonathan Edwards undergirds his sermon on Matthew 5:8, “The Pure in Heart Blessed,” with a rich array of biblical, systematic and experiential theological elements. He deals specifically with what theologians have called the “beatific vision” and the great reward that the believer receives in a sight of God Himself. Edwards distinguishes between the natural and the spiritual sight. This sermon has a strong eschatological focus to it, placing it among the best of Edwards’ sermons on glory.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

In February 1740, at the heat of the first Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards preached The Character of Paul an Example to Christians. In this sermon on Philippians 3:11 Edwards unpacked Paul’s exhortation to “Follow my example.” Edwards set the apostle’s words in the redemptive context of Philippians 3 and called his hearers to be steadfast in pursuing Christ, His righteousness and the final salvation of their souls in the same manner as that of the apostle Paul.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

In 1739, at the brink of the Great Awakening in Northampton, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon in which he challenged his congregation with regard to their own commitment to a careful and thorough study of divine truth. Appealing to the words of the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews (Heb. 5:12), Edwards’ develops his exhortation on the foundation of the biblical and systematic theological truth of this text. In addition to the theological foundation Edwards gives a careful philosophical discussion of the difference between speculative and spiritual knowledge. In this episode, the panelists give consideration to Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “The Importance and Advantage of a Thorough Knowledge of Divine Truth,” also known as “Christian Knowledge.”

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Originally preached sometime in 1739, Jonathan Edwards’ sermon Christ’s Agony provides a deep analysis of Luke 22:44 and Christ’s agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Edwards notes that Christ could not suffer in his divine nature, but most assuredly did so in his human nature. There is profound theological and pastoral insight as well as practical application in this moving message. Christ’s saw what was coming with regard to his crucifixion and wrestled with the taking on himself of sin and the consequent break in fellowship with the Father. Christ went to the cross with eyes wide open.

Participants: David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

In this episode we interview Dr. Ken Minkema, the executive editor at the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, with regard to the formation of the Center and the resources available there. We also briefly spoke with Dr. Minkema about his doctoral dissertation on the history of the Edwards’ family, The Edwardses: A Ministerial Family in 18th Century New England. We hope that this will wet our listeners’ appetite with regard to pursuing further studies in Edwards’ history and corpus of writings.

Participants: Jeff Waddington, Kenneth Minkema, Nick Batzig

Originally preached in Northampton in 1735, and then preached again in 1752, The Most High, a Prayer Hearing God was preached on a fast appointed on the account of epidemical sickness at the eastward of Boston. In this sermon, Edwards focuses on the benefit of prayer as a blessing of the redemption that we have in Christ. Edwards develops the idea that God delights to hear and answer prayer.

Participants: Craig Biehl, David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Originally preached in Northampton in the fall of 1730, and later preached at Boston for the Harvard convocation week Thursday lecture on 8 July 1731, God Glorified in Man’s Dependence was Jonathan Edwards’ first published writing. In it, Edwards issued a clarion call for a biblical and Calvinistic understanding of redemption. Specifically Edwards shows the Trinitarian basis of salvation. Man depends upon God the Father for the initiation of redemption, on the Son for the accomplishment of redemption, and on the Holy Spirit as the one who works faith in him, thereby uniting him to Christ. In other words, believers have all their salvific good from God, through God, and in God.

Participants: Craig Biehl, David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Participants: Craig Biehl, David Filson, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

The Christ the Center panel discusses a forthcoming new podcast entitled East of Eden: Discussions in the Biblical and Systematic Theology of Jonathan Edwards, which should appear, Lord willing, this summer. The panel for this podcast will include Rev. Nick Batzig, Rev. David Filson, and Rev. Jeff Waddington, along with an occasional visit from Dr. Craig Biehl. The goal of this new venture is to delve into the sermons as well as the other parts of Edwards’ voluminous literary corpus. Specifically we seek to demonstrate the interrelated nature of Edwards’ biblical and systematic theology, his use of the Puritan plain style sermon form, his development of typology, and his practical application. The CTC panel briefly discusses Edwards’ Trinitarian theology to round out the discussion.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

The Christ the Center panel had the privilege of interviewing Rev. Dr. Robert Davis Smart, senior minister of Christ Church (PCA) in Bloomington, IL, and author of the recently released Jonathan Edwards’s Apologetic for the Great Awakening. This is an excellent study of Edwards’s moderate defense of the First Great Awakening over against the criticisms of the “Old Brick” and future quasi-Unitarian Charles Chauncy. Smart points out that the big question was: Was the awakening a work of the Holy Spirit? Dr. Smart also discusses the relevance of Edwards and revival for today.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Robert Davis Smart

Participants: Camden Bucey, Craig Biehl, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Jeff Waddington speaks about Jonathan Edwards’ theological anthropology. He distinguishes Edwards’ approach from that of Thomas Aquinas and explains its significance for apologetics.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

Nick Batzig, Josh Walker and Michael Dewalt talked with Dr. Steve Lawson, senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, about his book The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards. Dr. Lawson is the author of several books including Famine in the Land, Foundations of Grace, and The Expository Genius of John Calvin. Several of these works are published in Reformation Trust’s Long Line Profiles series. In The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards, Dr. Lawson gives consideration to the way in which Edwards’ zeal for the glory of God guided his intellectual attainments. The greatness of Edwards did not ultimately lie in his intellectual genius, rather it was the spiritual and eternal mindedness with which he pursued.

Related Books

• Steve Lawson Foundations of Grace: a Long Line of Glody Men
• Steve Lawson The Expository Genius of John Calvin
• John Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion
• John Piper A God Entranced Vision of All Things

Participants: Josh Walker, Michael DeWalt, Nick Batzig, Steve Lawson

The Christ the Center panelists interact with Dr. John Carrick, associate professor of applied and doctrinal theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, about his latest volume The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards published by Banner of Truth within the last few months. Dr. Carrick is also the author of another banner of Truth title, The Imperative of Preaching. Dr. Carrick discusses Edwards’ God-centered and Christ-centered preaching. Particularly noteworthy was Edwards’ ability to paint with vivid imagery so that when he pointed to Christ, he did not merely mention him but made him vivid as he sought to make an impression on his hearers at the time of the sermon delivery. Dr. Carrick also dispenses with certain caricatures of Edwards the preacher, such as the idea that all he ever preached were hellfire and damnation sermons. It is true that he did preach searching sermons that warned unbelievers of their destiny, but he also preached sermons that extolled the beauties of Christ and heaven. The CTC panel was also informed that Edwards was not a monotonous preacher who stared at the church bell rope. He was sincere, earnest, and affectionate in his preaching. At the end of the day, there are many lessons to learn from Jonathan Edwards even if he was not infallible. Edwards would be pleased if we would glorify the Triune God who created this universe in which we live.

Panel

• John Carrick
• Nick Batzig
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, John Carrick, Nick Batzig

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington