Reading Jonathan Edwards by M.X. Lesser

Ever since his first one arrived in 1981, M.X. Lesser's annotated bibliographies on the works of and about Jonathan Edwards have been tremendously invaluable to researchers. Earlier this year, Eerdmans released the latest in the series, Reading Jonathan Edwards: An Annotated Bibliography in Three Parts, 1729-2005.

This new volume combines the 1981 work, covering Edwards's works and scholarship from 1729-1978, the 1994 work, covering 1979-1993, and a brand new third work covering 1994-2005. In addition, Lesser has revisited the two earlier works, expanding them by a combined 140 new bibliographical additions, and full introductions accompany each of the three sections.

Most impressive is the third part, which includes 700 entries by itself! 700 new pieces of scholarship in a little over a decade. Of course, this is largely due to the resurgence of interest in Edwards around the 2003 tercentenary celebration of his birth, but 700 is still quite a remarkable number! Imagine, or reminisce, for those of you who have been studying Edwards for some time, the gigantic and tedious task of attempting to do research on this colonial pastor without the contribution of Lesser's bibliographies. What a dark, dark world it would be.

I'd love to hear from others out there who have used Lesser's bibliographies in their study and research. Tell us about your experience with them and offer any tips in using them that you might have picked up.

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Watch Jonathan Edwards preaching

Here. Sort of.

HT Irish Calvinist

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Jonathan Edwards and Scotland Conference (30-31 March 2009)

CALL FOR PAPERS

As part of the Scottish Homecoming year, the University of Glasgow is hosting a conference on the relationship between Jonathan Edwards, the colonial American theologian, and Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, focusing on Edwards’s involvement with Scottish revivalists, the Scottish phase of the Enlightenment, international missions, and related topics, as well as Edwards’s legacy in Scotland. Organized with the assistance of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, this gathering aims to lead to a renewed appreciation of the fascinating and lasting association of Edwards with Scotland.

Though anyone is invited to submit, paper and session proposals are especially welcome from graduate students and younger faculty and scholars in the United Kingdom and Europe. Themes of papers or sessions can include, but are not limited to:

Revivalism
Evangelical Networks and Theology
Edwards and the Erskines
Missions
The Scottish Enlightenment
The Concert of Prayer
Emigration and the Scots-Irish in America
Current Issues in Edwards Scholarship

Please submit a one-paragraph abstract of your paper proposal by 15 October to:
Kelly Van Andel
k.van-andel.1@research.gla.ac.uk
krvan5@aya.yale.edu

There are limited funds available for travel assistance. Grants of up to £50 will be given to a select number of presenters with a demonstrated need.

HT: Bill Schweizer

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