Scholars have long recognized that Jonathan Edwards loved the Bible. But preoccupation with his role in Western "public" life and letters has resulted in a failure to see the significance of his biblical exegesis. Douglas A. Sweeney offers the first comprehensive history of Edwards' interpretation of the Bible.

Preface PART ONE: PROLEGOMENA Chapter One: The Biblical World of Jonathan Edwards Chapter Two: The Character of Scripture--and of Its Best Interpreters PART TWO: A CANON OF SCRIPTURE Chapter Three: The Harmony of the Old and New Testament Chapter Four: A Priest Forever After the Order of Melchisedec PART THREE: A CRADLE OF CHRIST Chapter Five: The Excellency of Christ Chapter Six: Let Him Kiss Me with the Kisses of His Mouth PART FOUR: A SACRED RECORD OF REDEMPTION Chapter Seven: The Grand Design of God Chapter Eight: Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass PART FIVE: A GUIDE TO FAITH AND LIFE Chapter Nine: The Importance and Advantage of a Thorough Knowledge of Divine Truth Chapter Ten: Accounted as One by the Judge Last Things

"Doug Sweeney has graced us with a long awaited contribution to Edwards's studies and early American religion Sweeney's attempt to wrangle reflection on Edwards's approximately 1200 sermons, as well as his scriptural exegesis elsewhere, into a book of just over 200 pages is masterfully achieved Suffice to say, this book is a landmark in Edwards's studies."--Rhys S. Bezzant, Trinity Journal "As a study of Edwards's treatises and popular discourses, Sweeney's work is without equal. The way Edwards read Scripture and viewed all of life 'infused with spiritual meaning', as set against the backdrop of Enlightenment intellectualism and popular influence, enriches our appreciation for the Christ-centered model of exegesis Edwards worked hard to establish and impart to future generations of pastor-teachers."--James M. Garretson, The Banner of Truth "Sweeney s careful, clear, and theologically helpful readings make this book, in fact, a nice survey of Edwards s thoughts on the Bible and the Christian life more generally...[that] demonstrate[s] the riches available to contemporary students who wish to delve into Edwards."--Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology "[T]his publication is likely to become a standard volume in the field of Edwards studies...From this text it is clear that any general assessment of Edwards and of his work must take into account the central place and function of his lifelong effort as an exegete and interpreter of the text of the Bible. Any study of Edwards that does not deal with that religious and professional preoccupation is seriously flawed."--Journal of Religion "Sweeney has done the great service of poring over all Edwards' work on scripture in order to help his modern readers understand how he used these texts. His documentation in the endnotes is meticulous. The result is a clear and compelling contribution to the literature that all future interpreters of Edwards will have to take into account."--Oliver D. Crisp, Scottish Journal of Theology "Edwards the Exegete will certainly serve as an authority on Edwards and his bibliology for many years to come. Sweeney s work will challenge and encourage its readership. As Sweeney identifies and explains Edwards s exegetical practices, he displays not only his knowledge of Edwards s work but also the most recent scholarship on Edwards today...Anyone interested in biblical interpretation and Jonathan Edwards will be more than delighted when reading this book."--The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry "A very impressive achievement. Sweeney provides fresh understanding and appreciative insight into Edwards' enchanted world of Scripture. Edwards saw all of reality as infused with spiritual meaning. So God's special revelation in Scripture was not only the perspicuous key to everything else, it was also packed with countless cryptic spiritual connotations." --George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life "This book is a major contribution to scholarship that evidences a deep and refined knowledge of Edwards' thought and presents a penetrating analysis of the reading of Scripture in a vast array of Edwards' works. Sweeney identifies Edwards' location in the Protestant exegetical tradition and ably sets his work into the context of intellectual life of the mid-eighteenth century." --Richard A. Muller, P.J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology, Emeritus, Calvin Theological Seminary "Don't be fooled-this book is not about grammar or verb declensions. With leading figures from church history as conversation partners, Sweeney elegantly unpacks crucial issues of biblical interpretation in Edwards' ministry. Big theological topics alternate with discussion of Edwards' exposition of books of the Bible, demonstrating Sweeney's prodigious eye to detail and his capacious understanding of Edwards' world. This book isn't about syntax, but something more powerful: the transforming Word of God." --Rhys Bezzant, author of Jonathan Edwards and the Church "This study fills a significant lacuna. Much has been written about Edwards' life and times, his theology, and philosophy. But so far we did not have a comprehensive study of what Edwards himself would have regarded as the foundation of everything else: his biblical exegesis. Drawing widely from the Edwards corpus, Sweeney offers us a highly learned and nuanced but also very readable account of Edwards' multifaceted engagement with Scripture in the context of the early Enlightenment." --Jan Stievermann, Professor of the History of Christianity in the U.S., Heidelberg University

Selling point: First comprehensive treatment of Edwards' exegesis Selling point: Features scores of previously understudied exegetical manuscripts Selling point: Interprets Edwards' thought in relation to the history of the interpretation of Scripture (which is hardly ever done) Selling point: Offers an important reassessment of Edwards' place in the Enlightenment

Douglas A. Sweeney is Professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought, Chair of the Department, and Director of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has published widely on Edwards, early modern Protestant thought, and the history of evangelicalism. His books include two volumes in the Yale Edition of The Works of Jonathan Edwards (1999, 2004), Nathaniel Taylor, New Haven Theology, and the Legacy of Jonathan Edwards (2003), and The American Evangelical Story: A History of the Movement (2005). He is on the editorial board of Jonathan Edwards Studies.

Selling point: First comprehensive treatment of Edwards' exegesis Selling point: Features scores of previously understudied exegetical manuscripts Selling point: Interprets Edwards' thought in relation to the history of the interpretation of Scripture (which is hardly ever done) Selling point: Offers an important reassessment of Edwards' place in the Enlightenment