George
Mardsen, professor emeritus of history at the University of Notre Dame, is widely acknowledged
as the premier historian of the life of the Puritan pastor Johnathan Edwards. Prior to this
briefer history, in 2003, Mardsen published a full-length biography called Jonathan
Edwards: A Life. It was the recipient of numerous
awards.
Most Americans are vaguely familiar with the fiery preacher whose
sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is still widely anthologized. While this
is his most famous work, Edwards of course, wrote many others. Unfortunately, as this is the
only sermon well-known, modern readers often get an almost-cartoonish picture of the man.
Mardsen sets the record straight, in both this abbreviated biography as well as his longer
work.
As Mardsen shows, Edwards was the poster-child for Puritanism in the
years before the American Revolution. During this time, preachers were often the most educated
and therefore, the most influential, citizens of any town. This...
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