An authoritative selection of the writings of one of the most important early American writers   “A brilliant collection that reveals the extraordinary range of Cotton Mather’s interests and contributions—by far the best introduction to the mind of the Puritan divine.�—Francis J. Bremer, author of Lay Empowerment and the Development of Puritanism   Cotton Mather (1663–1728) has a wide presence in American culture, and longtime scholarly interest in him is increasing as more of his previously unpublished writings are made available. This reader serves as an introduction to the man and to his huge body of published and unpublished works.  

Jonathan Edwards, widely considered America's most important Christian thinker, was first and foremost a preacher and pastor who guided souls and interpreted religious experiences. His primary tool in achieving these goals was the sermon, out of which grew many of his famous treatises. This selection of Edwards' sermons recognizes their crucial role in his life and art.

The fifteen sermons, four of which have never been published before, reflect a life dedicated to experiencing and understanding spiritual truth. Chosen to represent a typical cycle of Edwards' preaching, the sermons address a wide range of occasions, situations, and states, corporate as well as personal. The book also contains an introduction that discusses Edwards' contribution to the sermon as a literary form, places his sermons within their social and cultural contexts, and considers his theological aims as a way of familiarizing the reader with the "order of salvation" as Edwards conceived of it. Together, the sermons and the editors' introduction offer a rounded picture of Edwards the preacher, the sermon writer, and the pastoral theologian.

Synopsis: This third volume of Sermons by Jonathan Edwards on the Matthean Parables contains a previously unpublished series of sermons by Edwards on Jesus' Parable of the Net, as found in Matthew 13. Edwards preached these sermons in 1746, after the major phase of the Great Awakening had passed in New England and during the very months he was completing and publishing A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, his masterful statement on the true and false signs of true grace. Therefore, this series is significant for its place in Edwards' rich and evolving view of the nature of religious experience. To assist the reader, preceding the series are two introductions that describe Edwards' preaching style and method, and provide an historical context. Prepared from the original manuscripts by the staff of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, this series represents a significant addition to the available Edwards corpus that will be of interest to scholars, religious leaders, and general readers. Endorsements: "These sermons give us a window into a crucial moment in Edwards's career and theological development. Written just as the fervor of the Great Awakening was receding, and as he was composing his study of true and false Christianity--Religious Affections--these searching studies on the Matthean parable of the Net provide scholar and pastor with much theological meat upon which to chew. Minkema and Neele have placed us in their debt." --Oliver Crisp, coeditor of After Jonathan Edwards "This volume is another contribution to the wonderful project of making the sermons of Edwards, previously virtually unknown, available for a general audience. Edwards's reflections on the parable of the Net are especially revealing of one lesson he learned from the now-past awakenings--it was almost impossible to distinguish between the truly converted and the seemingly converted." --George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards "It is well known that Edwards experimented with his sermon style, and this collection represents a rich and evocative stage in his work. The various introductions will ensure the reader is in and not out of his or her element. This is a fascinating addition to the published works." --Michael McClenahan, author of Jonathan Edwards and Justification by Faith "Scholars and lay people alike will find these previously unpublished sermons on the parable of the Net, delivered towards the end of the Great Awakening, a rich resource for learning more about Edwards's mature view on true religious experience. The introductions help the reader appreciate the historical context and Edwards's unique style. While this series has been overshadowed in the past by Religious Affections, the reader will value their simplicity, beauty, and enduring biblical truths." --Karin Spiecker Stetina, author of Jonathan Edwards' Early Understanding of Religious Experience Author Biography: Wilson H. Kimnach is the Presidential Professor in the Humanities (Emeritus), Bridgeport University, and General Sermon Editor of The Works of Jonathan Edwards. Kenneth P. Minkema is the Executive Editor and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, and Research Scholar at Yale Divinity School. Rev. Dr. Adriaan C. Neele is the Associate Editor and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University, Research Scholar at Yale Divinity School, and Professor Extraordinary at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Long dismissed as conventional and antiquarian, church records are actually unparalleled sources for historians offering information on a wide range of topics, such as the founding and evolution of churches, popular involvement in religious institutions and practices, modes of church governance, deviance, and resistance, and the interactions of churches--not to mention revealing information on significant moments in the lives of laity and ministers alike. This volume includes two of the finest sets of church records from the colonial era of Massachusetts history thus far unpublished. The Reading church records, in particular, are unique because they cover the entire period prior to the American Revolution, while the Rumney Marsh records cast light on the often-neglected period of 1715 through 1757. In addition, these records illuminate the otherwise unknown lives and activities of common folk, white and black, men and women, who debate, bicker, admonish, exhort, and uplift each other.

An authoritative selection of the writings of one of the most important early American writers "A brilliant collection that reveals the extraordinary range of Cotton Mather's interests and contributions-by far the best introduction to the mind of the Puritan divine."-Francis J. Bremer, author of Lay Empowerment and the Development of Puritanism Cotton Mather (1663-1728) has a wide presence in American culture, and longtime scholarly interest in him is increasing as more of his previously unpublished writings are made available. This reader serves as an introduction to the man and to his huge body of published and unpublished works.

Including the authoritative edition of the famous sermon Designed specifically for the classroom, this volume presents the accurate and definitive version of Sinners, accompanied by the tools necessary to study and teach this famous American sermon. With an introduction aimed at students and teachers and commentary that draws on fifty years of team editorial experience of Yale's Works of Jonathan Edwards, it provides both context and interpretation, and addresses the concerns and questions of a twenty-first century audience. The book contains questions for in-class discussion, a chronology of Edwards's life, and a glossary. In addition, curricular materials and video mini-presentations are available on a dedicated Web site. This casebook represents a innovative contribution to the art of teaching Edwards to a new generation of readers.

The year 2003 marked the tercentenary of the birth of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), the man perpetually hailed as "America's most original religious thinker." Edwards's impact, both on colonial religious life and on the Anglo-American world of his day, was internationally acknowledged, and his legacy for the century and a half and more after his death in 1758 has been profound. Even to this day, Edwards's life is studied and his writings consulted on a global basis more than any other American theologian. The most significant scholarly conference marking the Edwards tercentenary took place in October 2003 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The papers from that gathering are presented in this volume. They represent much of the best and most recent work being done on Edwards and reflect the wide diversity of approaches to his life, thought, and legacy.