Edwards on the Christian Life: Alive to the Beauty of God

By Dane Ortlund, Series edited by Stephen J. Nichols, Justin Taylor, Foreword by George M. Marsden

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Jonathan Edwards is widely hailed as the greatest theologian in American history. In Edwards on the Christian Life, Dane Ortlund invites us to explore the great eighteenth-century pastor’s central passion: God’s resplendent beauty. Whether the topic was the nature of love, the preeminence of Scripture, or the glory of the natural world, the concept of beauty stood at the heart of Edwards’s theology and permeated his portrait of the Christian life. Clear and engaging, this accessible volume will inspire you to embrace Edwards’s magnificent vision of what it means to be a Christian: enjoying and reflecting of the beauty of God in all things.

Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series. 


Author:

Dane Ortlund

Dane C. Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) serves as senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. He is the author of Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers and Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners. Dane and his wife, Stacey, have five children.

Product Details

Category: History & Biography
Christian Living
Theology
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 208
Size: 6.0 in x 9.0 in
Weight: 10.39 ounces
ISBN-10: 1-4335-3505-X
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-3505-5
ISBN-UPC: 9781433535055
Case Quantity: 52
Published: August 31, 2014

Table of Contents

  1. Beauty: The Organizing Theme of Edwards’s Theology of the Christian Life
  2. New Birth: The Ignition of the Christian Life
  3. Love: The Essence of the Christian Life
  4. Joy: The Fuel of the Christian Life
  5. Gentleness: The Aroma of the Christian Life
  6. Scripture: The Treasure of the Christian Life
  7. Prayer: The Communion of the Christian Life
  8. Pilgrimage: The Flavor of the Christian Life
  9. Obedience: The Fruit of the Christian Life
  10. Satan: The Enemy of the Christian Life
  11. The Soul: The Great Concern of the Christian Life
  12. Heaven: The Hope of the Christian Life
  13. Four Criticisms

Endorsements

“In his theological concern for the beautiful and the beauty of God, Jonathan Edwards stands at the end of a long theological tradition that reaches back to Augustine and beyond, even to the Scriptures themselves. In the last two centuries, however, this area of theological inquiry seems to have dropped off the radar for Christian theologians and practitioners, which may explain why students of Edwards’s corpus of writings have not tackled the subject. Ortlund’s study nicely fills this lacuna, for he rightly shows, from a multitude of angles, that beauty is the fulcrum of Edwards’s thinking. A joy to read and to ponder!”
Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Jonathan Edwards is widely known as a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher. Serious students, like Dane Ortlund, have long known he was much more. In this book Ortlund puts his careful research to good purpose as he demonstrates convincingly that the center of Edwards’s concern was always and supremely beauty—in God, from God, and for God. Grateful readers will find this book highly informative on Edwards and deeply encouraging for the Christian life today.”
Mark Noll, Research Professor of History, Regent College; author, America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911

“No one has taught me more about the dynamics of Christian living than has Jonathan Edwards. And no one has more clearly articulated the role of beauty in Edwards’s understanding of the Christian life than has Dane Ortlund. If you’re unfamiliar with Edwards, or if you wonder how beauty could possibly have any lasting effect in your growth as a Christian, this book is for you.”
Sam Storms, Founder and President, Enjoying God Ministries

“What a delight to see a book on Edwards’s conception of the Christian life. And how beautiful it is that it depicts the Christian life as ordered by and to the beauty of God. This book will help strengthen the fertilization of today’s churches by Edwards’s vision of God’s triune beauty.”
Gerald R. McDermott, Former Anglican Chair of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“‘The supreme value of reading Edwards is that we are ushered into a universe brimming with beauty,’ writes Ortlund. I couldn’t agree more. And one would be hard-pressed to find a more engaging introduction to this universe for the church. Even the final chapter, on ways in which we should not follow Edwards, offers crucial Christian wisdom. Ortlund’s criticisms of Edwards hit the mark—and deserve consideration by Edwards’s growing number of fans. I plan to use them with my seminary students in years to come. Please peruse this beautiful book. It’s good for the soul.”
Douglas A. Sweeney, Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

“Edwards is profound, and this book breaks down the complexity into manageable portions around the theme of beauty, thus engaging readers in a fresh vision of the importance of Edwards’s theology to contemporary living.”
Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, College Church, Wheaton, Illinois; President, God Centered Life Ministries