Jonathan Edwards Research Paper

Brown 12

Calvinistic Attitudes in the Early American Literature of Jonathan Edwards Throughout American history, many different styles of literature have come and gone. Whether it is the sheer optimism of the Romanticist era, the stark reality portrayed by Realism, or the blatant disillusionment depicted by Modernism, American literature has always evolved just as easily as the people who read it. Indeed, different styles of literature oftentimes have reflected the historical era in which they have taken place, and the Puritan era of literature was no exception to this. In fact, the Puritan era greatly reflected the Calvinistic views of the 1600?s. And although Calvinism was born over two hundred years before his time, Jonathan Edwards

To begin with, there are five points of Calvinism that, according to David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas, lay the foundation for this religion.[endnoteRef:1] The first of these five points focuses on the total inability (or depravity) of man. Steele and Thomas, in their book The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented, define this first as point as follows: [1: Steele, David N. and Curtis C. Thomas, The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented. (Ed. J. Marcellus Kik. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company,

As his father was a reverend, Edwards grew up a devout Puritan in faith. In fact, throughout his childhood, Edwards was said to have ?awakening[s],? saying, ?I was then very much affected for many months, and concerned about the things of religion, and my soul?s salvation; and was abundant in religious duties.? [endnoteRef:17] Yet Edwards also went through things-such as doubt and indifference-that any normal teenager would undergo as well. Indeed, he is quoted in The Works of Jonathan Edwards: Volume 1 as saying that ?in progress of time, my convictions and affections wore off, and I entirely lost all those affections and delights, and left off secret prayer, at least as to any constant preference of it; and returned like a dog to his vomit, and went on in the ways of sin.? [endnoteRef:18] Eventually, this attitude towards religion wore off, due in part to an awakening that Edwards had as a teenager: ?It used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But I remember the time very well when I seemed to be convinced?as to this sovereignty of God?But never could [I] give an account how, or by what means, I was thus convinced?? [endnoteRef:19] This