The Wrath of Almighty God: (Jonathan Edwards on God's Judgment Against Sinners) (Great Awakening Writings (1725-1760))

Rating:
Summary: If we could only have another Edwards...
Review: Edwards is the greatest mind America has every produced and his stuning logic, acumen, and biblical knowledge are on display here. Edwards, unforetunatly, is only known today for hellfire and brimstone sermons. This is unfortunate because this does not represent the totality of what he talked about. His 'hellfire' sermons are in here. Unfortunately for humanity, he was correct. If you do not understand God's holiness and justice, these sermons will seem cruel and sadistic to you. (I would suggest you read R.C. Sproul's Holiness of God.) However, if you are willing to be challenged with the extent of your own sin, read on. Jonathan Edwards is a giant among men. I wish we could have another like him for today.

This book is not for those who want a light read. Edwards doesn't write like that. Bring your thinking cap. You must also remember he was speaking and writing in the 1700's. The style of the prose reflects that. But his genious still comes through. I thank God for Edwards and I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: The "Fear Based" Spirituality of Puritan Jonathan Edwards
Review: _The Wrath of Almighty God: Jonathan Edwards on God's Judgement Against Sinners_ is a collection of fire-and-brimstone sermons and writings by early America's formost Puritan theologian. The object of these, as the title explicitly indicates, is God's Wrath. Very few books go into this uncomfortable subject the way Edwards does. "Natural Men in a Dreadful Condition," "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," "The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners," "The Final Judgement," "The Portion of the Wicked," "Wicked Men Useful in Their Destruction Only," "The Future Punishment of the Wicked," "Wrath to the Uttermost," "Concerning Endless Punishment," "The Eternity of Hell Torments" and "The End of the Wicked" make up the pantheon of sermon titles in this volume. Of these, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is by far the most well-known. The view of God expressed by Edwards (at least in this collection) is that of a God of Vengeance, who will punish the most minute sin with an eternity of Fire, Wrath and of course good old-fashioned Righteous Indignation. Consider the interpretation of the God Who speaks in Isiah 63:3, "I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled on My garments, and I will stain all My rainment": "It is perhaps impossible to concieve of words that carry in them greater manifestations of these three things: contempt, hatred, and fierceness of indignation..." _Wrath of Almighty God_ is very different from the implied threats of Hell in other branches of Christendom today. As I align myself with Eastern Orthodox theology, I find this Purtitan view to be moving away from (but NOT totally) the Orthodox doctrine of God as "philanthropos" or "Friend of Man." If you want to read a treatise on God's justice for sheer shock value, than look no further, and hopefully you will feel how insignificant human beings are in the Splendor of the Divine.

Rating:
Summary: A Wrath and Fear based spirituality.
Review: _The Wrath of Almighty God_ is a collection of sermons and writings by the 18th century American Puritan theologian Jonathan Edwards. The topic of them, obviously, is that of God's Wrath, which was heavily stressed by the Puritans. The most famous sermon contained in this anthology is "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Although Edwards was the greatest Puritan theologian and some would argue that he was the greatest American theologian as well, he arrived on the New England religious scene too late, after the heyday of Puritanism. Otherwise, Edwards would have been much more influential than he in fact was. The outlook of Edwards' God is that of the Great Misanthrope in the Sky, inflicting eternal pain and suffering and sending some good old-fashioned fire and brimestone for even the least of sins. The topic of God's vengeance and righteous indignation is one little touched upon in contemporary Christianity, and is pure anathema to PC liberals, but it is very evident in the Bible that God judges the world. Although the Puritans were steadfast Calvinists, the predestination and Divine election themes are not very dominant in these sermons. Edwards does indeed go overboard, however, and God is robbed to an extent of His transcendent mystique of the "Friend of Man" in Eastern Orthodox theology.