David Kling, Edwards and the Edwardseans: Jonathan Edwards, the New Divinity, and the Making of a Theological Culture (Pickwick Publications, 2024).
Many have wondered at the reason for the abiding interest in Jonathan Edwards. Whether it was his hell-fire preaching, Calvinistic theology, heart religion, intellectual dynamism, or a combination of all, Edwards has always inspired a following. Scholarly interest in Jonathan Edwards can be traced back to Harvard historian Perry Miller’s post-World War II studies. Miller’s interest in recovering Edwards prompted Yale University Press to launch a critical version of his works, which contained some of his early philosophical works as well as his voluminous notebooks of miscellanies.[1] This eventually led to the creation of an extensive, fully searchable database of materials related to Edwards, encompassing his works. The Yale edition took nearly forty years to appear. The development of the Yale edition from the early 1950s to its transformation in the late 1980s led to the tercentenary of Edwards’ birth in 2003, the completion of the letterpress edition in 2008, and the seventy-three-volume online edition, which includes the complete corpus of Edwards’ works, including unreleased digitized drafts.
Edwards’ reputation has since grown significantly, with his influence spreading worldwide. Despite initial setbacks and disappointments during his lifetime, Edwards’ theological writings and teachings continue to resonate with a global audience. Scholarly interest in Edwards has surged, with numerous publications and conferences dedicated to exploring his life and legacy. Notably, scholars have delved into Edwards’ engagement with biblical criticism, his philosophy of history, and his trinitarian theology, shedding new light on his complex and multifaceted intellectual contributions.[2]
David Kling has contributed wonderfully to this light with Edwards and the Edwardseans: Jonathan Edwards, the New Divinity, and the Making of a Theological Culture.
Kling’s book is a valuable, accessible, and affordable introduction to theological subjects that were most important to Edwards and his disciples, including spiritual revival, conversion, the Bible, prayer, international revivals, and missionary outreach. The chapters in this book, previously published in books and journals, are now presented in an approachable manner for laypeople, graduate students, and seminarians studying Edwards and Edwardseans. According to Kling, the book is more than the sum of its parts because it traces a clear theological development from Edwards (part one) to his second- and third-generation followers.[Preface]
Kling has set before the reader a delicious feast of Edwardsean topics in Part One including conversions and the Great Awakening, an excursus on Religious Affections, its publication history and John Wesley’s assessment of it, cognitive science and theologically correct prayers, revival, missions, and the history of redemption. In Part Two Kling addresses the Second Great Awakening and revivalists, the development of a missionary theology, the schools of the prophets and the ideal pastor, and the New Divinity movement.
Why is it essential to continue engaging with the works of Jonathan Edwards, an 18th-century theologian? By going deeper into Edwards’ works, the reader will gain a better grasp of the continuity and relationships between Edwards and his followers. Edwards offers significant theological insights for today’s church, particularly for pastors and church leaders who are students of theology, philosophy, and redemption history. As Edwards’ legacy develops and his influence continues to grow, it is important for scholars to engage with his writings in a way that explores the enduring relevance of his ideas for contemporary society. Edwards’ sophisticated approach to theology, his contemplative spirituality, and his commitment to the church as a pastor-theologian make him a compelling figure for contemporary theological discourse. David Kling’s Edwards and the Edwardseans is a must-have volume for those interested in learning more of Edwards, his followers, and their ministerial and social legacy.
[1] Stephen Crocco, Reviving Jonathan Edwards: Perry Miller’s Mid-Century Mission (University of Massachusetts Press, forthcoming 2026).
[2] Douglas Sweeney, “Edwards Studies Today,” in The Oxford Handbook of Jonathan Edwards (OUP, 2021), 574–79.