An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the Twenty-First Century

“It's hard to beat George Marsden as a guide to Jonathan Edwards—and this gem of a book will be treasured by thousands who know or will discover exactly what I mean. It sparkles brightly with profound Christian wisdom from the past interpreted for modern-day readers with clarity and a large helping of simple—though also deeply learned—Christian common sense.”

“In this brief but wonderfully written appreciation of Jonathan Edwards by prize-winning scholar George Marsden, readers encounter an Edwards meant for twenty-first-century believers. In place of emphasizing Edwards's celebrated but difficult philosophical treatises like Freedom of the Will or The Nature of True Virtue, Marsden offers an insightful overview of Edwards's classic A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, celebrated by William James as America's first religious psychology. In Marsden's hands, readers learn to understand Edwards's signs of saving faith in terms as relevant to today as they were in the eighteenth century. In the process, they see a new meaning of the Enlightenment grounded less in 'laws' of nature than in a system of personal interrelationships governed by a caring, sovereign God.”

“A remarkable book that renders Jonathan Edwards highly accessible to twenty-first-century evangelicals. Marsden wonderfully brings together a lifetime of reflection on American religious history and decades of work on Edwards to reveal the ways Edwards's powerful theological vision and penetrating spiritual theology can practically contribute to the renewal of the church today. An Infinite Fountain of Light is an outstanding example of how history and biography inspire, convey a sense of wisdom, and positively inform our present.”

“In a culture still in thrall to the ideals of Benjamin Franklin, George Marsden calls American evangelicals back to Jonathan Edwards's coruscating vision of divine beauty.”

“I am delighted to recommend An Infinite Fountain of Light. This book is an engaging and practical consideration of what Jonathan Edwards has to say to the twenty-first century. With characteristic insight, clarity, and Christian wisdom, George Marsden guides readers through the thought of one of Christianity's most brilliant and challenging theologians.”

“At a time when evangelicals—and Christians generally—seem unsure of themselves, George Marsden offers us Jonathan Edwards as a fixed star in the firmament and encourages us to navigate our twenty-first-century voyage with sextants set on Northampton. Here Marsden distills the essence of his earlier Bancroft award–winning biography of Edwards and reflects on issues such as worldview, discernment, rightly ordered love, and a faithful yet winsome approach to Christian social engagement. What Marsden brings to light is just what Edwards did, namely everything. Nothing looks quite the same when it is viewed in the light of God's reality. This culminating work by an outstanding historian of American religion deserves a wide readership.”

“Jonathan Edwards is the greatest theologian in American history, and George Marsden is the greatest historian of American Christianity writing today. In this lyrical book, Marsden does the hard work of retrieval for us all, finding insights in Edwards's work that can guide believers in the twenty-first century. An Infinite Fountain of Light is a gift to the whole church from one of its most thoughtful members.”