Becoming divine
Subtitle: Jonathan Edwards's incarnational spirituality within the Christian tradition
By: Brandon G. Withrow
Publisher: Cascade Books
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Eugene
Language: eng
Number of pages: 234
ISBN-13: 9781610971997
Subjects: Identification (Religion); Incarnation; Mystical union; Theology
Description: Was Jonathan Edwards always--or ever--the stalwart and unquestioning Reformed theologian that he is often portrayed as being? In what ways did his own conversion fail to meet the standards of his Puritan ancestors? And how did this affect his understanding of the divine being and of the nature of justification? Becoming Divine investigates the early theological career of Edwards, finding him deep in a crisis of faith that drove him into an obsessive lifelong search for answers. Instead of a fear of God-which he had been taught to understand as proof of his conversion-he experienced a "surprising, amazing joy." Suddenly he saw the divine being in everything and felt himself transported into a heavenly world, becoming one with the divine family. What he developed, as he sought to make sense of this unexpected joy, is a theology that is both ancient and early modern-a theology of divine participation rooted in the incarnation of Christ.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 207-226) and index.
Table of contents: title: pt. 1. The Judeo-Christian tradition of Jonathan Edwards. The illuminating Word and spirituality fromantiquity to the early Reformation; title: Scripture and spirituality in early-modern biblical interpretation; title: pt. 2. Jonathan Edwards's spirituality in his New England world. The seeds of spirituality in the young Edwards, 1703-1723; title: The pursuit of divine excellencies, 1723-1730; title: The incarnational spirituality of the mature Edwards; title: pt. 3. Jonathan Edwards's spiritual reading of the sacred text. Unlocking the divine treasure chest; title: The lasting voice of Edwards.