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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rob Boss, (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is engaged in writing and editing books, alongside developing software aimed at visualizing the writings of Jonathan Edwards and other significant historical and theological texts. In October 2017, he initiated the Visual Edwards Project, designed to creatively visualize Edwards' complex theology in a manner conducive to exploration and study. This project began with a focus on Edwards' natural typology but has since expanded to encompass all of Yale's 73 volumes of the Works of Jonathan Edwards, leveraging the contemporary demand for visual and technology-enhanced learning.
The project first emerged as a prototype using the Processing programming language, showcased at Gateway Seminary, Yale Divinity School, and Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest during 2019. By December 2019, Boss began translating this work into Python, merging coding with historical theology—a fascinating interdisciplinary process. Calvin Theological Journal praised his “JEViewer,” a visual mapping tool that is revolutionizing the study of Edwards’ intricate typological theology.
Boss has authored several recent publications including Theology & the Art of Temptation (JESociety Press, 2026), Bright Shadows of Divine Things, Second Edition, (JESociety Press, 2026) and Jonathan Edwards Commentaries on the New Testament (Reformation Heritage Books, forthcoming). He expresses enthusiasm for future collaborative projects that aim to illustrate the lasting impact of Edwards' theology.
From the Preface
“This book comes from years of contemplating Jonathan Edwards’ private notebooks, especially his “Miscellanies” and “Images of Divine Things.” While working on my PhD, I concluded that his “Images” notebook fits into the genre of emblem books from the early modern period. This led me to study other emblem books, and eventually, I became interested in using computer programming and visualizations to explore Edwards’ theology.
“I also sensed that the idea of chiaroscuro—contrasting light and darkness—was an important quality of Edwards’ work. Around this time, I read C.S. Lewis’ thoughts on his book The Screwtape Letters. Lewis wished his book could have included advice from an angel to balance the devil’s advice, but he felt no one could write such a thing.
“This made me think of Edwards’ notebooks as a kind of heavenly answer to a devilish character I invented, Doctor Freefall, and his book Theology & the Art of Temptation. Mixing these ideas with the emblem book style, I created a unique book: a “children’s book for adults,” fully illustrated, deep in meaning, but short enough to read easily.”
Additionally, readers can enjoy listening to the author narrate the book. The fully-illustrated hardcover edition includes a complimentary audio player (no installation required) via a QR code on the back of the book. Simply scan the code to listen along on your device!