Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a prominent Puritan preacher and theologian who played a key role in the First Great Awakening, a religious revival that swept across the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. He was born in East Windsor, Connecticut, and was the fifth of eleven children. Edwards was known for his powerful and dramatic sermons, which emphasized the sovereignty of God, the depravity of human nature, and the need for personal conversion and salvation. His most famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," delivered in 1741, vividly depicted the horrors of eternal damnation and urged listeners to repent and turn to God.

In addition to his preaching, Edwards was also a prolific writer, and his works helped shape the intellectual and theological landscape of colonial America. His most important works include "A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections" and "The Nature of True Virtue," both of which explored the relationship between faith and morality. Despite his influence and achievements, Edwards faced significant opposition and controversy during his lifetime. He was expelled from his pastorate in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1750 after a dispute with his congregation over his strict Calvinist theology and his insistence on the necessity of personal conversion.