Jonathan Edwards' Spiritual Leadership - Essay Sample

Introduction

During the great awakening period, Koch (2017) explains that people started questioning the authority of government and religion. The impact was tolerance of new beliefs through establishing a sense of shared American identity which affected individuals who experienced it across the colonies. People formed groups despite their geographical locations, a case which led to the birth of religion for Indians and black slaves due to the missionary work (James, 2016). The Christian leadership traveled to preach the gospel and emphasize on salvation from sins, and among these leaders was Jonathan Edwards. His spiritual leadership was instrumental during the "Great Awakening" due to various reasons.

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McClenahan (2016) observed that Jonathan established his reputation as a dramatic hellfire preacher. He was an individual who on various occasions spoke with dignity and quietly. How he emphasized his teachings made his voice to be unsuitable for preaching to large congregations. Mostly, he failed to employ exaggerated gestures, and high volumes to assert his teachings. He majorly depended on logical arguments and striking imagery to relay his messages.

According to Ball (2016), Edwards supported and advanced the Great Awakening period in England. He, however, perceived the Great Awakening with suspicion due to the emotional excesses which the revolution generated. However, he managed to encourage heartfelt devotion to God and repentance since the trances, shrieking and ecstatic deliriums which complemented the revivals bothered him (Smith, 2018). He also felt that some pastors emphasized mostly on the outward signs while the physical signs failed to discredit the Awakening for him (Lee, 2016). His message centered on the idea that God was angry because humans were sinners, and that people needed to repent. He also emphasized on the individual justification of faith.

Leadership Principles From Jonathan Edwards

Edwards exhibited various strengths which ecclesial leaders can learn from because he primarily focused on vigorously fulfilling his life mission. It is possible to learn about his leadership principles through four dimensions: pastoral ministry, individual pursuit of God and care of the soul, study habits, and teachings and practices.

Jonathan was a student of the scripture and spent most of his time meditating and reading the scripture. Lee (2018) explains that he had an extensive system of notes which he arranged for his sermons, later thoughts, and treatises. Ecclesial leaders should have an updated file system where they keep everything. They should also study the scriptures as the primary data source.

Ecclesial leaders should also pursue God and care for their souls just as Jonathan Edwards did. Edwards realized a steady and sustained sensitivity and passion to God (Hussey, 2018). Sweeney and Guelzo (2015) explained that he mediated deeply and would pursue humility.

Lee (2018) and Doyle (2017) asserts that Edwards encouraged religious affections and urged the church to pursue God and pray hard for God's presence and grace through failing to drive God's spirit away through negligence, their sins and also carelessness. Ecclesial leaders should reflect on how much they have driven out God's spirit as they would seek to glorify Christ in their lives (McDermott & Story, 2015). Hastings (2016) adds that Jonathan had a sense of eternity and the stake of his preaching made him warn the congregation using sober warnings.

Crisp (2016) observes that the teachings of Jonathan which are evident in Vaughan (2007) were exemplary. For instance, Edwards would aim as a preacher and an exegete and establish content out of the scripture, and make it come alive for the congregation to establish their position in the redemption story (Mitchell, 2016). The principle applies to ecclesial leaders who should labor to clarify the difference between perfunctory religion and authentic faith.

References

Ball, C. (2016). Approaching Jonathan Edwards: The Evolution of a Persona. Routledge.

Crisp, O. D. (2016). 10 Jonathan Edwards. The Cambridge Companion to Reformed Theology, 148.

Doyle, P. R. (2017). Jonathan Edwards on the New Birth in the Spirit: The Life, Times, and Thought of America's Greatest Theologian. Light Messages Publishing.

Hastings, R. (2016). Jonathan Edwards on the Trinity: Its Place and Its Rich but Controversial Facets. Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 59(3), 585.

Hussey, P. (2018). Jonathan Edwards's Turn from the Classic-Reformed Tradition of Freedom of the Will, by Philip Fisk. Journal of Reformed Theology, 12(1), 73-74.

James, N. K. (2016). The False Dichotomy of the Laity: Rejuvenating Evangelicalism with Jonathan Edwards' Doctrine of The Priesthood of All Believers.

Koch, P. (2017). The first Great Awakening. Redefining religion in British America, 1725-1775. By John Howard Smith. Pp. x+ 345. Madison, NJ-Teaneck, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2015.PS 57.95. 978 1 61147 714 6. The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 68(1), 186-187.

Lee, J. W. (2018). Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Hopkins, and theological ethics of social concern (Doctoral dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary).

Lee, M. C. (2016). The Great Awakening: Testimonies of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. WestBow Press.

McClenahan, M. (2016). Jonathan Edwards and Justification by Faith. Routledge.

McDermott, G., & Story, R. (2015). The Other Jonathan Edwards: Selected Writings on Society, Love, and Justice. University of Massachusetts Press.

Mitchell, L. J. (2016). Jonathan Edwards on the experience of beauty. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Smith, J. H. (2018). The Rhetoric of the Revival: The Language of the Great Awakening Preachers. By Michal Choinski. New Directions in Jonathan Edwards Studies 1. Gottingen: V&R Academic, 2016. 212 pp.EUR 80.00 cloth. Church History, 87(2), 585-587.

Sweeney, D. A., & Guelzo, A. C. (2015). The New England Theology: From Jonathan Edwards to Edwards Amasa Park. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Vaughan, D. (2007). A divine light: The spiritual leadership of Jonathan Edwards. Cumberland House Publishing.