A Pastor in Revival: How Jonathan Edwards Discerned & Defended the Great Awakening

In, A Pastor in Revival, Kurt Smith navigates the reader through one of the most prodigious periods in American Church History we know as “The Great Awakening.” But this book doesn’t canvass the entire Awakening with a broad brush; rather, it turns our attention to the leading voice in this season who was none other Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758).

It is to this subject therefore that Kurt Smith concentrates our focus with rich historical research forged in an accessible style with pastoral insight and application for the church today to not only understand Revival but cry out to God for such a work of His grace to visit us again.

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Prologue: A Great Divide in the Great Awakening

Chapter 1: God’s Grand Itinerant

• The Catalyst to the Great Awakening
• Edwards’s Initial Correspondence with Whitefield
• Encouraged Yet Discouraged
• Whitefield’s Arrival in Northampton

Chapter 2: The Spirit’s Distinguishing Marks

• The Great Awakening Gains Ground in Northampton
• A New Face of Things: New England Is Awakened
• Revival’s False Friend
• James Davenport: The Face of Fanaticism
• The Spirit’s Distinguishing Marks: Edwards’s Emergence as “The Theologian of Revival”
• “Try the Spirits”
• God’s Word Is Our Only Rule
• Don’t Limit God Where God Has Not Limited Himself
• Five Certain Marks of the Spirit’s Work in Revival
• The Revival and its Applications
• To Everyone in General
• Addressing the Critics
• Addressing the Revival “Friends”
• A Gauntlet Thrown Down

Chapter 3: Facing the Wildfire

• The Ebb Tide of the Great Awakening
• Davenport’s Demise
• Charles Chauncy: The Old Light’s Champion
• Edwards’s Further Discernment and Defense of the Great Awakening
• “Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival”
• Heal the Breach
• Darkness Mixed with Light
• The Devil’s Strength in Revival Zealots
• Lamenting the End of the Great Awakening
• Chauncy’s Dogmatic Rationalism

Chapter 4: What Is the Nature of True Religion?

• Edwards’s Systematic Treatment of Heart Religion
• Discerning Misguided Zeal as a Counterfeit Religion
• True Religion Consists in Holy Affections
• Expounding True Religious Affections

Chapter 5: What We Learn from Edwards’s Defense and Discernment of the Great Awakening

Epilogue: A Faith Worth Imitating

Appendix A

• Edwards’s Correspondence Connected to the Great Awakening
• Heaven’s Blessing Attends You
• The Proper Course for the Christian Life
• Correcting Disorders
• God’s Hiding for Our Humbling
• Defending the Grand Itinerant

Appendix B

• A Sample of Edwards’s Sermons Preached during the Great Awakening
• Gospel Ministers a Savor of Life or of Death
• Sinners in Zion

Selected Bibliography
Scripture Index
About the Author

Endorsements

“I personally never tire of reading about the revivals that occurred in the long eighteenth-century, of which those that took place in relation to the ministry of Jonathan Edwards, ‘America’s Augustine,’ were some of the most remarkable in the entire history of Christianity. This new study of Edwards’ experience and vindication of revival is rich in historical context, primary source material, and footnotes (which I love), but also spiritual lessons for today. It is eminently readable and I am extremely happy to commend it as an extremely helpful precis of Edwards’ involvement in the Great Awakening.”
—Michael Haykin, Chair & Professor of Church History The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“This is an excellent book on an excellent topic: Jonathan Edwards’s defense of true revival. Kurt Smith combines fascinating history with sound doctrine to sketch the controversy surrounding the Great Awakening and how Edwards responded with biblical wisdom. Smith also includes illuminating selections from Edwards’s sermons and personal letters. May God use this book to teach us about His mighty works in the past, to help us to exercise discernment about claims to revival in the present, and to move us to pray for revival in the future.”
—Dr. Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor | Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation Grand Rapids, Michigan