Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought

Jonathan's life was quite fascinating but he himself is a challenging read. Nichols, however, gives good details about his life and especially breaks down his theological thoughts based upon the writings and sermons he did. This was a manageable read and well done. I gave it a four instead of five because I probably would have liked the biography to be more of a chronological read, but some of that would have been difficult in the chapters that focus on his thoughts. This book may even deserve a five, but I should probably read it again to determine that. I read it in pieces while I was taking a course about him, so this review may be slanted. I have never even seen any other books about Edwards in which to compare this.

Over the years I have read almost all that Stephen J. Nichols writes. This book sat at the back of my book shelf for a long time because I wasn't into 18th Century thought and theology. Then Edward's "Religious Affections" hit me and that is when I turned to this book. It is not a Cliff Notes of his thoughts and writing. It is a brilliant and succinct journey through his life, character and family with insightful and crisp comments on some of his most important writings. I learned to appreciate Jonathan Edwards and his gift from God to the us in taking us into the heart of God as probably no other person since the Reformation. Stephen Nichols opened the gate into this rich and brilliant garden of thought and spiritual insight.

Wonderful book

This book is exactly what it sets out to be: a brief tour. It is very short, and the narrative part of it is even shorter. It is a fast forwarded overall history of Edwards. More like like a bullet point outline of Edwards life rather than giving insight on the life of Edwards. The strength of the book is its insight into the way that Edwards thinks. For that reason the second and more applicable half of the book focuses on some of Edwards writings and sermons. It is odd that the choices that Nichols makes about what works to include leaves out discussion on Edwards' Resolutions. The Resolutions would give great insight to how Edwards thought and the unity between his public and private life. The book is thoroughly enjoyable and relevant.

Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought by Stephen J. Nicholas was at the same time excellent and disappointing. The disappointment was my fault and in no way reflects upon the book or the author, for I had begun reading it with unfair expectations. I had not read the cover carefully and thus I thought I was buying a short biography of Edwards and that is not what this book is. After I came to realize what the book was intended to be, I enjoyed it thoroughly. And in this way it was excellent. Despite not being a biography it contained all sorts of great information about Edwards and about the events and writings that shaped his life. It is, as it says in the title, a guided tour to his life and thoughts more than a chronological ordering of the events of his life. More than a biography, this is a gateway into the thoughts, writings and theology of this great man of God.In the introduction Nichols writes that the book "is not an end in itself; it is not a substitute for reading Edwards. It is intended to help anyone who, like me, has wanted to read Edwards and even has tried to read him, but needs a little help." It might also be said that this book is not a substitute for reading a thorough biography of the man. Later Nicholas says "My hope is that this book will help you to see the relevance and importance of Edward's thought and that through these pages Edwards will help you, as he has helped so many others, to better understand God, his Word, his work in this world, and your place in it." In this regard, the book and the author succeed admirably.The format of the book is as follows. It is divided into four sections. The first section, comprising two chapters is dedicated to a short overview of his life, from his upbringing in a Christian home to his untimely death from a failed smallpox innoculation. The following three parts, each comprised of three or four chapters, examine his writings and sermons. Part two examines his writings on revival and church life, part three his writings on theology and philosophy and part four several of his sermons. Each is presented in the appropriate historical context and is examined in light of the impact it had in his day and in its ongoing relevance to the church today.This book is a solid entry-level introduction to Jonathan Edwards, and in particular, to his contribution to Christian thought and theology. I give it my recommendation, not as an alternative to his writings or biographies, but, as it was meant to be, a supplement.

I was reading this book in conjunction with a course entitled "Life and Thought of Jonathan Edwards" offered by the Ligonier Ministries. Dr. Nichols gave the following lessons along with optional readings of his book as follows:Lesson 1: His Early Life- Chapter 1 A Firm Foundation: A Brief Biography (1)- Chapter 2 A Singular Devotion: A Brief Biography (2)Lesson 2: A Minister of the Gospel- Chapter 8 Spiders and Rainbows: The Invisible God in the Visible World- Chapter 11 A High Privilege: "The Most High, A Prayer-Hearing God"Lesson 3: The Great Awakening- Chapter 4 The Surprising Work of God: A Faithful Narrative- Chapter 5 Of Meteors and Stars: A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections- Chapter 10 A Door of Mercy: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"Lesson 4: His Big Idea- Chapter 3 Absolutely Sovereign: "God Glorified in the Work of Redemption"- Chapter 7 God's Grand Scheme: History of the Work of RedemptionLesson 5: The Conflict at Northampton- Chapter 6 Visible Saints: An Humble InquiryLesson 6: The Missionary- Chapter 9 Understanding the Will: Freedom of the Will- Chapter 12 A Glorious Celebration: "Heaven is a World of Love"Having gained a birds-eye view of Jonathan Edwards's life and thought through this course and the accompanying tour guide, I am now ready to dive deeper into his monumental writings such as 'Freedom of the Will', 'Religious Affections', and 'Charity and Its Fruits'.