Anchored in Christ

The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards is one of the most important and clarifying treatises on revival and spiritual transformation. (You can read at least one version online for free.)

The best way to absorb the message is obviously reading the book itself. Unfortunately for more casual readers, the text can be cumbersome and the length (close to 400-pages) may seem overwhelming. That’s why I’ve compiled a few helpful resources to go deeper into Edwards’ message and the application for us today.

1. An Overview of the Religious Affections: 12 No-Signs and 12 True Signs.

Justin Taylor summarizes the teaching of The Religious Affections. I printed this out and tucked it in my copy of Religious Affections and used it as a cheat-sheet. (You may also enjoy this set of FAQs on the book. If you’re new to Edwards and need a place to start, this ten-minute read is my recommendation.

2. Religious Affections: A Reader’s Guide to Christian Classic.

Dr. Joe Rigney’s Desiring God article is a helpful introduction to Edwards’ work.

3. Signs of the Spirit: An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards’s “Religious Affections” by Sam Storms.

In this book, Storms writes something that greatly encourages me: “I’ve worked my way through The Affections at least ten times, and I still struggle in places to make sense of him.” In Signs of the Spirit, Storms attempts to “bridge the gap between how Edwards said what he did in the eighteenth century and how he might say it today… The point is not to ‘dumb down’ Jonathan Edwards but to make his work accessible to a wider audience.” Storms does a great job.

You may enjoy Storms’ talks below, “Edwards’ Religious Affections for Pastors – Part One” and “Part Two” that summarize the book. (Yes, it’s a summary of a summary.)

4-5. Two Interviews I did with Dr. Josh Moody.

Dr. Josh Moody has spent much time studying Edwards and graciously talked with me about The Religious Affections and what it means to preach to the affections. You can listen below or read the transcripts in the previous links. (In the second interview, Dr. Moody speaks on his book Burning Hearts: Preaching to the Affections.)