Jonathan Edwards (the younger)
Encyclopedia
This article is about the theologian (b. 1745), for other uses of Jonathan Edwards see Jonathan Edwards
.
Jonathan Edwards (May 26, 1745 – August 1, 1801) was an American
theologian and linguist
.
, he was the second son of Jonathan Edwards, the elder. He graduated from Princeton
in 1765, then studied theology under Joseph Bellamy
, of Bethlehem, Connecticut
. He was tutor in Princeton
(1767–69), and pastor in White Haven, Connecticut (1769–95). After serving as pastor in Colebrook, Connecticut
(1795–99), he went to Schenectady, New York
to serve as president of Union College
.
Jonathan Edwards, the younger, died on 1 August 1801, and was buried in the churchyard
of the First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, New York
.
upon the salvation of all men, in which he defended the usual evangelical doctrine, his reply to Samuel West
's Essays on Liberty and Necessity, in which he largely modified his father's theory of the will by giving it a liberal interpretation, and upon his sermons on the atonement. A great deal of religious controversy raged in New England
during his lifetime. His works were published at Andover
(1842), in two volumes, with a memoir by Tryon Edwards
.
Unlike his father, who was a slave-owner, Jonathan Jr. supported abolition of the slave trade and of slavery. His anti-slavery viewpoint was first evidenced in 1773, when he wrote a series of articles entitled, “Some Observations upon the Slavery of Negroes,” in the Connecticut Journal and the New-Haven Post-Boy (Gamertsfelder, p. 137). These views were further articulated in his 1791 sermon, "The Injustice and Impolicy of the Slave trade.
, where Indian speakers of the Mohegan
language were in the majority, and he was fluent in that language. He also acquired first-hand knowledge of other Algonquian
and Iroquoian languages
.
In 1787, Edwards published a study of the Mohegan language. In it, he presented evidence for the relatedness of Algonkian languages throughout northeastern North America and their distinctness from the neighboring Iroquoian languages. Edwards' work on New World linguistic classification paralleled that of his contemporary, William Jones
, on the Indo-European languages
.
Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards was a preacher, theologian, and missionary to Native Americans. Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian," and one of America's greatest intellectuals...
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
theologian and linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
.
Life and career
Born in Northampton, MassachusettsNorthampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, he was the second son of Jonathan Edwards, the elder. He graduated from Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1765, then studied theology under Joseph Bellamy
Joseph Bellamy
Joseph Bellamy was an American Congregationalist pastor and a leading preacher, author, educator and theologian in New England in the second half of the 18th century.-Life:...
, of Bethlehem, Connecticut
Bethlehem, Connecticut
Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,422 at the 2000 census. The town center was designated in the 2000 census as a census-designated place ....
. He was tutor in Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1767–69), and pastor in White Haven, Connecticut (1769–95). After serving as pastor in Colebrook, Connecticut
Colebrook, Connecticut
Colebrook is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,471 at the 2000 census. Colebrook was named after Colebrooke, in the English county of Devon.-Geography:...
(1795–99), he went to Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
to serve as president of Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
.
Jonathan Edwards, the younger, died on 1 August 1801, and was buried in the churchyard
Churchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
of the First Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Contribution to Theology
As a theologian, his fame rests upon his reply to Charles ChauncyCharles Chauncy
Charles Chauncy was an Anglo-American clergyman and educator.He was born at Yardleybury , Hertfordshire, England and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later was a lecturer in Greek. After serving as a pastor in England at Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire , he emigrated to...
upon the salvation of all men, in which he defended the usual evangelical doctrine, his reply to Samuel West
Samuel West
Samuel Alexander Joseph West is an English actor and theatre director. He is perhaps best known for his role in Howards End and his work on stage. He also starred in the award-winning play ENRON...
's Essays on Liberty and Necessity, in which he largely modified his father's theory of the will by giving it a liberal interpretation, and upon his sermons on the atonement. A great deal of religious controversy raged in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
during his lifetime. His works were published at Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
(1842), in two volumes, with a memoir by Tryon Edwards
Tryon Edwards
Tryon Edwards was born in 1809 and died in 1894. He was an American theologian, best known for compiling the "New Dictionary of Thoughts", a book of quotations. He published the works of Jonathan Edwards in 1842...
.
Unlike his father, who was a slave-owner, Jonathan Jr. supported abolition of the slave trade and of slavery. His anti-slavery viewpoint was first evidenced in 1773, when he wrote a series of articles entitled, “Some Observations upon the Slavery of Negroes,” in the Connecticut Journal and the New-Haven Post-Boy (Gamertsfelder, p. 137). These views were further articulated in his 1791 sermon, "The Injustice and Impolicy of the Slave trade.
Contribution to Linguistics
Edwards was a pioneer in the historical linguistics of Native North America. He was raised in the community of Stockbridge, MassachusettsStockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
, where Indian speakers of the Mohegan
Mohegan
The Mohegan tribe is an Algonquian-speaking tribe that lives in the eastern upper Thames River valley of Connecticut. Mohegan translates to "People of the Wolf". At the time of European contact, the Mohegan and Pequot were one people, historically living in the lower Connecticut region...
language were in the majority, and he was fluent in that language. He also acquired first-hand knowledge of other Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
and Iroquoian languages
Iroquoian languages
The Iroquoian languages are a First Nation and Native American language family.-Family division:*Ruttenber, Edward Manning. 1992 [1872]. History of the Indian tribes of Hudson's River. Hope Farm Press....
.
In 1787, Edwards published a study of the Mohegan language. In it, he presented evidence for the relatedness of Algonkian languages throughout northeastern North America and their distinctness from the neighboring Iroquoian languages. Edwards' work on New World linguistic classification paralleled that of his contemporary, William Jones
William Jones (philologist)
Sir William Jones was an English philologist and scholar of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of the existence of a relationship among Indo-European languages...
, on the Indo-European languages
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
.
External links
- Jonathan Edwards Jr. listing at Find A Grave