The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 9

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Volume 9: A History of the Work of Redemption

Jonathan Edwards; Edited by John F. Wilson

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In 1739 Jonathan Edwards preached a series of thirty sermons in his church at Northampton, Massachusetts—sermons based on one scriptural passage, Isaiah 51:8. Apparently Edwards later intended to develop this discourse into a major treatise construing God’s redemption of the world as the most basic doctrine of theology. Unfortunately, he died before he could undertake this project. The sermon series, however, was later transcribed and then published in Edinburgh in 1774. There were numerous editions in Britain and the United States, and it was enormously influential in popular evangelical circles of the nineteenth century. This edition presents a modern, authoritative text that firmly establishes the place of Work of Redemption in the literary and historical tradition of puritan New England.
The text is based upon a new transcription of the original preaching booklets in which Edwards wrote out his sermons. In this sense, it restores an earlier and more authentic, if less polished, version of the work than the one that was edited and issued after Edwards’ death. As a critical edition it presents Edwards’ Redemption Discourse for the modern reader with appropriate annotations and references.
This volume includes a substantial introduction that places the composition of the sermons in the context of the period and discusses the reception and influence of the many editions of the published version. The introduction also interprets the place of this particular work in Edwards’ thought more generally, de-emphasizing the historical interests he has been alleged to have shown in it and emphasizing instead the ambitious theological program which it represented. Accordingly, this volume presents this major treatise in a fresh light and suggests new lines of inter-connection with other elements of his work.
John F. Wilson is Agate Brown and George L. Collord Professor of Religion at Princeton University.

"The Jonathan Edwards Project is the first of its kind—a comprehensive, exhaustive effort to produce an online archive of all of Edwards' sermons, treatises, letters and musings to serve the needs of anyone who cares to know the man. To date, no other university or institute has attempted to transcribe, computerize and then post online the complete works of any one historical figure. . . . Though he may never attain the rock-star status of George Washington, with the Yale project, Edwards will live forever.—Adrian Brune, Hartford Courant

"In reading the discourses we not only learn of [Edwards’] theology of redemption, but also his use of Scripture, the structure of his sermons, and his concern for virtue. Like all the books in this fine series, this new edition of The Work of Redemption is an outstanding contribution to studies in Puritan theology, homiletics and history."—Bill J. Leonard, Review and Expositor

"John F. Wilson has joined a distinguished company of editors with this transcription of a series. . . . Once readers enter the Edwardean labyrinth, they will find wonders on every page."—Christian Century

"Unlike previous publications, the sermons are here preserved in their original unedited form; for the first time, readers have secondary access to the booklets Edwards carried into the pulpit, photographs of which are included in the volume. . . . Like previous volumes in Yale’s Edwards’ Works, this volume earns its rightful place as the standard scholarly source for students of Edwards and eighteenth-century religious history."—John R. Fitzmier, Religious Studies Review

ISBN: 9780300041552
Publication Date: September 10, 1989

602 pages, 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

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