Religious Affections

"A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections" is a famous publication written in 1746 by Jonathan Edwards describing his philosophy about the process of Christian conversion in Northampton, Massachusetts during the First Great Awakening, which emanated from Edwards' congregation starting in 1734.^[1]

Analysis

Calvinism
John Calvin
Background Christianity St. Augustine The Reformation Five Solas Synod of Dort
Theology Theology of John Calvin Covenant theology Regulative principle
Documents Calvin's Institutes Geneva Bible Three Forms of Unity Westminster Standards Canons of Dort Second Helvetic Confession Heidelberg catechism Belgic Confession La Rochelle Confession Savoy Declaration 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith First Helvetic Confession Scots Confession
Influences Huldrych Zwingli Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Vermigli Heinrich Bullinger John Calvin John Knox Theodore Beza Francis Turretin Jonathan Edwards Charles Hodge
Churches Continental Reformed Presbyterian Congregationalist Reformed Baptist Low church Anglican
Peoples Afrikaners Huguenots Pilgrims Puritans Scots
Organisation Presbyterian polity Congregational polity Episcopal polity
Largest groups World Communion of Reformed Churches World Reformed Fellowship International Conference of Reformed Churches North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council Presbyterianism in South Korea list of Reformed denominations
Calvinism portal

Edwards wrote the Treatise to explain how true religious conversion to Christianity occurs. Edwards describes how emotion and intellect both play a role, but "converting grace" is what causes Christians to "awaken" to see that forgiveness is available to all who have faith that Jesus' sacrifice atones for all sins. This salvation is not possible through believers' imperfect good works which are simply evidence of faith, only through Christ's sacrifice which is free to all. Edwards describes the importance of testing new faith and discerning whether it is legitimate. He lays out twelve tests of true conversion, including ways of measuring allegedly fruitful works.

He basically concludes that the fruit of the Spirit are the religious affections, love being the chief affection, and that all other fruit (or Christian virtues) flow from this. "Love is the chief of the affections, and as it were the fountain of them." (p. 76, Banner of Truth Edition). He further says "for it was not by men's having the gifts of the Spirit (referring to spiritual gifts), but by their having the virtues of the Spirit, that they were called spiritual." (p. 127). This is how you can distinguish between carnal men and spiritual men. Carnal men do not produce the fruit of the Spirit, but spiritual men do. So it was with Christ. "All the virtues of the Lamb of God, His humility, patience, meekness, submission, obedience, love and compassion, are exhibited to our view in a manner the most tending to move our affections of any that can be imagined." (p. 53).

Impact

"Religious Affections" remains popular and modern day evangelists and writers such as Tim Keller and John Piper often refer to this and other Edwards works as models for their ministry.^[2]

See also

• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
• A Faithful Narrative
• The Freedom of the Will

References

External links

• Yale University Information on "Religious Affections"
• PDF