Religious Affections (1746) — Jonathan Edwards

April 29, 2007

A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections stands as Edwards’s most penetrating interpretation of the awakenings of his time, not to mention one of the most penetrating of any time. As in Some Thoughts, he argued against the extremes of emotionalism on the one hand and intellectualism on the other. Affections were essential to true religion, but they had to be tested. First, Edwards lays out his religious psychology of affections, which encompassed both understanding and will and involved the total range of human faculties. Answering critics of the revival, Edwards then discusses at length a series of “negative” signs, or unreliable criteria for judging the graciousness of affections. Finally, and most famously, he provided twelve “positive” signs for self-examination. The twelfth sign, which Edwards gave the fullest treatment, was the importance of Christian practice as evidence of the state of the heart. Here, for Edwards, was the ultimate standard for visible sainthood.

Pulpit Magazine has a three part series on Religion Affections and you can get to the series with these links:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Disclaimer: As you read any information I may reference or write myself, consider it in the light of God’s Word. I will surely make mistakes and others have and will. I may reference or point you to Edwards, Wesley, Luther, Newton, Piper, etc. This in no way should be understood as an acceptance of all they have written or said. Please read these men and take what you can from them and always be on guard. Men are that, merely men and most definitely fallible.

Posted in Bible, Church History, Doctrine, Jonathan Edwards, Preaching