Major Works

Some Thoughts Concerning the Revival (1743)

The revivals of the early 1740s divided New England’s populous, clergy, and political leaders into supporters and critics of varying degrees. Most disturbing to “Old Light” opposers of the revivals were the irrational behavior, challenges leveled against “unconverted” ministers, and exhorting by laity, male and female, black and white. In 1742, Old Lights, led by Charles Chauncy of Boston, attacked the revivals and their supporters in the pulpit and in print. Some Thoughts was Edwards’s reply to these attacks. In his lengthiest book to date, he defended the “work” as one of God’s Spirit and gave reasons why all, even “diabolical opposers,” were obliged to promote it. Acknowledging abuses, he nonetheless maintained that the essential cause was God, and even provided an account of his wife’s spiritual experience as an example of evangelical piety. But, in the longest section, he chastised “pious zealots” who had done much to damage the cause of the revivals and true religion through spiritual pride, wrong principles, and ignorance. Quite simply, Edwards was trying to find common ground on which the two sides could come together.

We are in the process of preparing this text for publication in the Works of Jonathan Edwards Online, which currently features some 25,000 pages of Edwards manuscripts. Until the text is ready for digital publication, it can be found in Volume 4 of the Yale Works of Jonathan Edwards.