Jonathan Edwards
1703-1758
Beginnings…
Born in East Windsor, Connecticut to a
devoutly Puritan family.
As a boy, he preached sermons to his friends
from a makeshift pulpit he built behind his
home.
Learned to speak Latin, Greek, and Hebrew
by his 12th birthday.
Wrote many philosophical and scientific
essays as a young boy.
Education
Entered Yale at 13 and graduated 4 years
later as the valedictorian.
Went on to earn a Master’s degree in
theology.
The Rise…
Edwards became pastor of the
Congregational Church in Northampton,
Massachusetts in 1729, after his grandfather,
Soloman Stoddard, died. Edwards had been
assisting his grandfather for two years.
Became one of the leaders of the Great
Awakening, a religious revival that swept the
colonies in the 1730’s and 1740’s.
…And Fall
Edwards was dismissed from his position as
Pastor in Northampton in 1750 after members
of his church grew displeased with his
extreme conservative beliefs and calling out
of church members.
Moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts and
preached to the Native Americans.
New beginning and the end
Became president of the college of New
Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1757,
but died shortly after taking office of a small
pox innoculation.
Works…
Edwards was known for his powerful
sermons. Most of his works appealed to
reason and logic, except “Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry God,” which is highly
emotional.
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was
delivered in 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut.
The sermon was said to have caused
listeners to rise up in fits of hysteria.
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