Abstract

This paper attempts to show, contrary to some contemporary interpretations, that it was the Puritan and Reformed view of the orthodox Christian faith that guided and molded the thought of Jonathan Edwards. His view of God and man follow the Biblical patterns of these two traditions without hesitation. Moreover, Edwards was concerned to bring the thinking of his own day back In line with the Reformed faith, as was evidenced by his first public lecture in Boston where such a challenge was brought before his fellow clergy. This paper submits that, on the basis of his view of God and man, Edwards saw that man must be dependent upon revelation as the foundation of all knowledge. Without revelation man would not know God, and without an accurate knowledge of God as Creator man could not know the creation in its true context. ;It is affirmed that Edwards pushed the limits of language at times. It is also noted that he interacted deeply with the thought of his own day, and attempted to express the Christian faith in terms appropriate to the thinking of his day. This paper evaluates some of the areas where Edwards pushed the limits of such language and thinking and concludes that, at times, he may have clouded and obscured his own position. When taken as a whole, however, the published works of Edwards display a man who was thoroughly committed to the idea that we must challenge the world to understand that there is no foundation upon which to build a life and world view except the foundation of the revelation of the God of the Bible. Edwards says that the history of man shows that as long as man cuts himself off from this revelation he will, even in the midst of great learning, wander off in many directions, and will never core to a knowledge of the truth. Man's reason is important, and man's will brings the joy and sorrow of great affections, but the foundation of all knowledge rests in the revelation of God