In this conversation, Kyle delves into the heart of Jonathan Edwards’s theological understanding, emphasizing the centrality of God and the Trinity in his thought. The discussion explores the distinction between speculative and affective theology, the nature of God as infinitely happy and loving, and the significance of the Trinity in Edwards’s work. Kyle highlights Edwards’s attack of anti-Trinitarian views and presents a vision of God as an infinite fountain of love, knowledge, and joy, which is foundational to Edwards’s theology.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Edwards’s Theology
02:54 The Nature of God in Edwards’s Thought
06:01 The Trinity: A Central Theme
08:55 God as an Infinite Fountain of Love
The Jonathan Edwards Project
I started something I call “The Jonathan Edwards Project” years ago as an attempt to make the writings of Jonathan Edwards more accessible. Edwards is an important figure in all sorts of ways, but he is often misread or commandeered to agendas that are foreign to his thinking. To understand evangelical theology, it is important to know Edwards’s thinking, but also critique it when needed. Here is a developmental list of resources I’ve published and edited for that end.
101 - Charity and Its Fruits: Living in the Light of God’s Love, edited and introduced by Kyle Strobel (Crossway, 2012). This is the best place to start reading Edwards.
Jonathan Edwards: Spiritual Writings Classics of Western Spirituality Series edited with Ken Minkema and Adriaan Neele (Paulist Press, 2019). This is a collection of key texts on Edwards’s spirituality. This is a great volume for key selections from across Edwards’s writings.
201 - Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards (IVP, 2013). This tries to capture the vision of early evangelical spirituality.
301 - I’m working on this right now, and I’m really excited about it. More to come.
401 - Jonathan Edwards: An Introduction to His Thoughtco-authored with Oliver Crisp (Eerdmans, 2018). This introduction to Edwards’s thought is used in graduate school courses on Edwards. It is an introduction, and so it does not assume knowledge of Edwards’s thought specifically, but it does assume an academic background.
501 - Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation (T&T Clark, 2013). This is a re-worked version of my dissertation on how to read Edwards’s theology. It serves as a methodological work on reading Edwards as a Reformed theologian.
Other works:
Reformed Dogmatics in Dialogue: The Theology of Karl Barth and Jonathan Edwards co-edited with Uche Anizor (Lexham Press, 2022).
Regeneration, Revival, & Creation: Religious Experience and the Purposes of God in the Thought of Jonathan Edwards with Chris Chun (Pickwick Publications, 2020).
The Ecumenical Edwards: Jonathan Edwards and the Theologians (Ashgate Publishing, 2015).
