In the September issue of The Briefing, Tony Payne writes about the role of emotions in being a Christian, and unpacks a small amount of theologian Jonathan Edwards' thoughts on the topic.

If Tony's article has gotten you interested in ‘emotions’ vs ‘affections’, here's a longer exploration by Kirsten Birkett on Edwards and feelings, published previously in The Briefing:

Jonathan Edwards is something of a celebrity in theological circles these days. He is revered by American writers as one of their greatest sons. In the controversy over charismatic ‘manifestations’ (such as in the Toronto Blessing), he has often been quoted as a reformed evangelical who was in favour of extraordinary emotional outpourings, and who promoted revival, with all its sometimes unruly accompaniments.

However, even before this recent fame he was considered one of the most influential theologians of early America. As well as being a gifted preacher and pastor, Edwards was a man of enormous intellect and learning. He was a Congregational minister in Massachusetts from 1726, and lived and preached through the First Great Awakening, during which time George Whitefield was evangelizing many of the young colonies of America. His theological understanding provided a solid basis for the radical growth of the church around him, and he addressed many of the issues raised by this great movement of the Spirit.

In 1746, Edwards published one of his most important works. A Treatise on the Religious Affections discusses issues of emotion and heart, partly in response to Edwards's critics who claimed that revival was all emotion and show. He examines what part religious emotion plays in genuine, biblical spirituality.

As emotional beings, we all have a tendency to make mistakes concerning how we ought to regard our emotions. The history of theology shows widely varying views as to how we ought to exercise emotions, from rigid asceticism to wild outpourings. Edwards's careful and biblical discussion of the matter—though a bit of a struggle to read to the end!—is well worth our effort in understanding, especially in the current climate of controversy over religious experiences.

Read the full article online (3,500 words).

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