Spiritual voice (3): from Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections
[Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a Congregational pastor and is considered as one of America's greatest theologians. He developed a theology of Christian spirituality that blended Lockean philosophy and Calvinism. The Christian experience he would say is a gift of God, and he worked on expounding on how we can define that experience. This selection from his "Religious Affections" features a central theme in his writings. He regards religious affections as the passions that move our will to action.]
The nature of human beings is to be inactive unless influenced by some affection: love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, etc. These affections are the "spring of action," the things that set us moving in our lives, that move us to engage in activities.
When we look at the world, we see that people are exceedingly busy. If we were to take away their affections, the world would be motionless and dead; there would be no such thing as activity. It is the affection we call covetousness that moves a person to seek worldly profits; it is the affection we call ambition that moves a person to pursue worldly glory; it is the affection we call lust that moves a person to pursue sensual delights. Just as worldly affections are the spring of worldly actions, so the religious affections are the spring of religious actions.
A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only--without religious affection--has never engaged in true religion. Nothing is more apparent than this: our religion takes root within us only as deep as our affections attract it. There are thousands who hear the Word of God, who hear great and exceedingly important truths about themselves and their lives, and yet all they hear has no effect upon them, makes no change in the way they live.
The reason is this: they are not affected with what they hear. There are many who hear about the power, the holiness, and the wisdom of God; about Christ and the great things that he has done for them and his gracious invitation to them; and yet they remain exactly as they are in life and in practice.
I am bold in saying this, but I believe that no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things. No one ever seeks salvation, no one ever cries for wisdom, no one ever wrestles with God, no one ever kneels in prayer or flees from sin, with a heart that remains unaffected. In a word, there is never any great achievement by the things of religion without a heart deeply affected by those things.
[Questions to think about:
*What is the "spring of action," the source of motivation, behind everything you do?
*According to Deuteronomy 10:12-13, what are the "affections" and what are the "actions" that are required of us?
*Edwards says that "no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things." Reflect on a time when you were suddenly moved by a doctrine, or a verse from the Bible, or a homily or sermon, and were subsequently changed.
*What do you think of Edwards' insight that "A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only--without religious affection--has never engaged in true religion"?
The nature of human beings is to be inactive unless influenced by some affection: love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, etc. These affections are the "spring of action," the things that set us moving in our lives, that move us to engage in activities.
When we look at the world, we see that people are exceedingly busy. If we were to take away their affections, the world would be motionless and dead; there would be no such thing as activity. It is the affection we call covetousness that moves a person to seek worldly profits; it is the affection we call ambition that moves a person to pursue worldly glory; it is the affection we call lust that moves a person to pursue sensual delights. Just as worldly affections are the spring of worldly actions, so the religious affections are the spring of religious actions.
A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only--without religious affection--has never engaged in true religion. Nothing is more apparent than this: our religion takes root within us only as deep as our affections attract it. There are thousands who hear the Word of God, who hear great and exceedingly important truths about themselves and their lives, and yet all they hear has no effect upon them, makes no change in the way they live.
The reason is this: they are not affected with what they hear. There are many who hear about the power, the holiness, and the wisdom of God; about Christ and the great things that he has done for them and his gracious invitation to them; and yet they remain exactly as they are in life and in practice.
I am bold in saying this, but I believe that no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things. No one ever seeks salvation, no one ever cries for wisdom, no one ever wrestles with God, no one ever kneels in prayer or flees from sin, with a heart that remains unaffected. In a word, there is never any great achievement by the things of religion without a heart deeply affected by those things.
[Questions to think about:
*What is the "spring of action," the source of motivation, behind everything you do?
*According to Deuteronomy 10:12-13, what are the "affections" and what are the "actions" that are required of us?
*Edwards says that "no one is ever changed, either by doctrine, by hearing the Word, or by the preaching or teaching of another, unless the affections are moved by these things." Reflect on a time when you were suddenly moved by a doctrine, or a verse from the Bible, or a homily or sermon, and were subsequently changed.
*What do you think of Edwards' insight that "A person who has a knowledge of doctrine and theology only--without religious affection--has never engaged in true religion"?
posted by dixerit at 9:03 AM
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