his thought Edwards made a remarkable sinthesis of reason and feeling, heart and intellect, which is today rarely seen in evangelical circles. Reacting against growing Arminianism and Rationalism in New England, he argued for a deep and responsible spirituality marked by intense devotion to God, utter dependence on divine grace, and a life of personal and social integrity. The central theme in Edwards thought is to be found in Gods beauty, glory and grace. The experiential and sensible knowledge of such a God leads to a changed inner life as well as transformed relationships and community life.____________________1 Jonathan Edwards passou a despertar grande interesse entre os estudiosos a partir da inicio da decada de 1930, gracas ao trabalho de pesquisadores como Perry Miller, que o caracterizou como "o maior filosofo-teologo que ja adornou o cenario americano." Ver Paul Helm, "Edwards, Jonathan," em The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, gen. ed. J.D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978).2 Benjamin B. Warfield, "Edwards and the New England Theology," Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, 1912. Tambem em The Works of B.B. Warfield, Vol. 9 (Studies in Theology), 515-538.3 Segundo Warfield, foi em seus sermoes que os estudos de Edwards produziram seus frutos mais ricos. Os sermoes de Jonathan Edwards constituem o maior conjunto de manuscritos originais desse autor ainda disponiveis.4 Uma excecao e o trabalho de Luiz Roberto Franca de Mattos, "Jonathan Edwards and the Criteria for Evaluating the Genuineness of the Brazilian Revival," Dissertacao de Mestrado, Sao Paulo, Centro Presbiteriano de Pos-Graduacao Andrew Jumper, 1997.5 Jonathan Edwards, Pecadores nas Maos de um Deus Irado, 3a ed. (Sao Paulo: Publicacoes Evangelicas Selecionadas, c.1993). Esse sermao foi pregado por Edwards na cidade de Enfield, Connecticut, em 1741.6 Obviamente, a literatura acerca de Edwards e seu pensamento e imensa. Alguns poucos exemplos sao os seguintes: Perry Miller, Jonathan Edwards (Westport: Greenwood, 1995 [1949] ); C. Cherry, The Theology of Jonathan Edwards: A Reappraisal (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990 [1966]); Iain H. Murray,Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography (Southampton, Inglaterra: Banner of Truth, 1987); John H. Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards: A Mini-Theology (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale, 1987); Gerald R. McDermott, One Holy and Happy Society: The Public Theology of Jonathan Edwards (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992); John E. Smith, Jonathan Edwards: Puritan, Preacher, Philosopher (South Bend: University of Notre Dame, 1992); John E. Smith et al., A Jonathan Edwards Reader (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995); Stephen Stein, ed., Jonathan Edwards Writings: Text, Context, Interpretation (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996); Michael J. McClymond, Encounters With God: An Approach to the Theology of Jonathan Edwards (Oxford University Press, 1997).7 "The Earliest Known Letter of Jonathan Edwards," Christian History 4:4, 34. Minha traducao. A carta tambem menciona as ultimas mortes que ocorreram na cidade e da informacoes sobre a saude dos membros da familia, inclusive a sua propria dor de dente.8 Elisabeth S. Dodds, "My Dear Companion," Church History 4:4, 15-17. George Whitefield narra em seu diario a profunda impressao que a vida familiar dos Edwards lhe causou e como isso o levou a renovar suas oracoes por uma boa esposa para