Abstract
The past decades have seen a remarkable proliferation of Jonathan Edwards studies. The virtually limitless availability of Edwards resources, both physically and digitally, has fuelled an increasing number of publications related to his thought. It is thus surprising to note that Edwards’ ecclesiology has so far successfully escaped scholarly attention. ‘[N]o one before now,’ Rhys S. Bezzant claims, ‘has written a book on Edwards’s ecclesiology’ (p. x). Hence Bezzant, lecturer in Church History, Theology and Christian Worship at Ridley College, Melbourne and director of the Jonathan Edwards Center Australia, intends to fill this gap with his recent contribution. The wording of the book’s title gives away the direction of Bezzant’s approach: It is entitled Jonathan Edwards and the Church and not Jonathan Edwards on the Church. Thus, rather than presenting a purely systematic-theological outline of Edwards’ ecclesiology, Bezzant (and therein lies the great value of his work) gives an account of Edwards’ ecclesiological ‘thoughts’, ‘passions’, and ‘visions’ as they emerge in the context of his biography and history. ‘Against the backdrop of Reformation debates and early New England commitments,’ Bezzant explores—and this is his main argument—how Edwards ‘held fast to fundamental Protestant convictions while creating space for fresh expressions of church life’ (p. xi). Over the course of six chapters, Bezzant carefully unfolds his argument, delineating how Edwards responded creatively to challenges presented to the church by the Enlightenment, the Puritan heritage and the revivals in his own way, refreshing an ‘ossified New England ecclesiology’ (ibid.). By examining some of Edwards’ most relevant works and sermons concerning the doctrine of the church, Bezzant paints a vivid picture of how, for example, during the revivals and their aftermaths, lay ministry and itineracy challenged clerical and institutional structures in New England, and how Edwards creatively adapted his ecclesiological position as he responded to new forms of the ministry while remaining faithful to the Reformed heritage. Bezzant offers a holistic and balanced account of the pastor, thinker and missionary Jonathan Edwards, who was (perhaps) surprisingly flexible in his view of daily church life, yet at times rigorous in his pursuit of church discipline.
Still, given the book’s main emphasis on Edwards’ ecclesiological flexibility, the aspect of the actual shape of his ecclesiology is perhaps not as clearly evident. Overall, this volume is a highly valuable resource for students and professionals alike who intend to get a more comprehensive understanding of the person, work and context of Jonathan Edwards in general, and of his nuanced vision of the church in particular.