RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS – BY JONATHAN EDWARDS

Alwyn York, CCCC Historian

By 1746 Jonathan Edwards had seen the excitement and inspiration of religious revivals, but he had also witnessed some of the controversy and negative effects they could produce. Many lives had been changed and churches were filled with new converts, but the revivals had also been subjected to severe criticism. Some prominent pastors had emerged as opponents of the revivals, arguing that they showed an unhealthy focus on emotion and experience and were causing conflict and division in the churches. The revivals had produced some effects that were dismaying even to friends of revival. Some ministers promoting revivals had succumbed to fanaticism, condemning other ministers they saw as unconverted, and even burning books. Some converts displayed strange and erratic behavior, claiming they were following leadings they had received from visions and voices. A distressing fact that leaders of the revival had to contend with was that some who had professed a dramatic conversion during that revival did not persevere in their faith,  returning to old sins and lapsing back into indifference or unbelief. Jonathan Edwards, as the most prominent leader in the revivals, felt a special need to defend them. The result was a series of sermons he  reached to his congregation in Northampton which was published as A Treatise on the Religious Affections. The book is divided into three sections.

The first section of the book addresses the place of emotion in religion, arguing that “True Religion largely consists in Holy Affections.” This section is in response to the criticism of ministers who had faulted the awakening because of its focus on emotions. Charles Chauncy, a prominent Boston pastor, had argued that “an enlightened mind, and not raised affections” should guide people in religion as in other aspects of life. He believed that religion consists of reason and judgment and dutiful behavior. Showing the primacy of emotion in religion was not hard for Edwards to demonstrate. He points out “The holy Scriptures do everywhere place religion very much in the affections: such as fear, hope, love, hatred, desire, joy sorrow, gratitude, compassion, and zeal.” He goes on to provide abundant spiritual proof of this.

Section two of the book details some dramatic phenomena frequently observed during revivals which did not necessarily indicate true conversion. During the revivals people would experience powerful emotions, speak fluently and fervently of their conversion, spend much time in religious activities and express great confidence of their acceptance with God. Edwards argues that such signs may accompany true faith, but they are not decisive one way or another. People might get swept up in the emotion of a revival or be moved by a powerful preacher without undergoing a true lasting change through the work of the Holy Spirit. This would explain why some of those who spoke most dramatically of their spiritual experiences did not persist in the faith.

After discussing things which do not necessarily indicate true conversion, in section three Edwards goes on to list signs that a person’s spiritual experience was truly the result of being given a new nature by the work of the Holy Spirit. A basic sign was love for God because of his holiness rather than for the benefits he could give. True conversion would produce a change in a person’s character and temperament. Edwards says, “Truly gracious affections differ from those that are false and delusive, in that they tend to, and are attended with, the lamb-like, dovelike spirit and temper of Jesus Christ.” Edwards concludes by declaring that the final and most definitive sign of the validity of religious affections is their effect on a person’s behavior. “Gracious and holy affections have their exercise and fruit in Christian practice.” Jonathan Edwards reminds us that the most reliable test of religious feelings was given by Jesus. “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Mat. 7:20)