Jonathan Edwards is the great American theologian. He was pastor in Puritan New England and a key player in the first Great Awakening (c.a. 1730’s-40s). Yet outside of the ‘Reformed crowd,’ Edwards is no longer a household name. Reformed Heritage Books’ Christian Biographies For Young Readers series has released a new book to introduce the Edwards legacy to children.
Jonathan Edwards
by Simonetta Carr covers the whole of Edwards life. It tells the story of: his childhood, his education and marriage to Sarah Pierpont, his early days as a pastor, his pastorate at North Hampton, his friendship with Whitefield and his part in the revival, his dismissal from North Hampton and his Stockbridge years, his last days and death at Princeton. This is a children’s book, and short, so not a comprehensive treatment of Edwards. Carr points to episodes that would be of interest to young readers. She is an award winning biographer and has written quite a few biographies for young readers.
Carr’s Jonathan Edwards is beautifully illustrated by Matt Abraxas as well as maps, photos and Library of Congress stock images. There is even a portrait of Edwards from my favorite über-Calvinist theologian/portrait artist with a philosophical bent, Oliver Crisp. Crisp, who is a noted authority on Edwards, also read through Carr’s manuscript and helped answer some of Carr’s questions regarding Edwards.
The cover of the book, one of Abraxas’s illustrations, depicts the teenage Edwards dangling a spider from a stick. A sketch from Edwards’ journal (12) reveals that Edwards once dangled a spider from a stick and made several illustrations of it dangling from it’s web. Carr comments on the time that Edwards devoted to observing the natural world, which is one of the aspects I most appreciate about his writings. Readers of his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, will also recognize the image of the dangling spider.
This is a good biography and presents Edwards in a way that is accessible for chidren. Because this book is written for young readers, Carr does not wrestle with the ambiquities of Edwards legacy (i.e. he like many in Puritian New England, was a slave holder). It also doesn’t explore the nature of Edwards struggle with the difficult youth of his church (such as his strong words against ‘bundling‘). This is a favorable presentation of Edwards and I think a good introduction for youth.
My seven-year-old stalled on reading this somewhere in Edwards college years. I think this book is probably best for readers slightly beyond her level. Perhaps children in the 8-11 range. I especially think kids will like the ‘Did you Know?’ section at the end of the book that shares trivia about the Edwardes and their time period. I give this book four stars.
Thank you to Reformation Heritage Books and Cross Focused Reviews for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!