A History of the Work of Redemption (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 9 | WJE)

In 1739 Jonathan Edwards preached a series of thirty sermons in his church at Northampton, Massachusetts—sermons based on one scriptural passage: Isaiah 51:8. Apparently Edwards later intended to develop this discourse into a major treatise construing God’s redemption of the world as the most basic doctrine of theology. Unfortunately, he died before he could undertake this project. The sermon series, however, was later transcribed and then published in Edinburgh in 1774. There were numerous editions in Britain and the United States, and it was enormously influential in popular evangelical circles of the nineteenth century. This edition presents a modern, authoritative text that firmly establishes the place of Work of Redemption in the literary and historical tradition of puritan New England.

The text is based upon a new transcription of the original preaching booklets in which Edwards wrote out his sermons. In this sense, it restores an earlier and more authentic, if less polished, version of the work than the one that was edited and issued after Edwards’ death. As a critical edition it presents Edwards’ Redemption Discourse for the modern reader with appropriate annotations and references.