The Works of Edwards in 2 Volumes - 5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: 5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols
Episode: The Works of Edwards in 2 Volumes
Date: July 23, 2025
Host: Stephen Nichols (Ligonier Ministries)

In this episode, Stephen Nichols takes listeners on an engaging exploration of "The Works of Jonathan Edwards in Two Volumes," reflecting on the impact, scope, and treasures contained within this significant collection. Nichols shares personal anecdotes, highlights unique editorial traditions, and offers insights into Edwards’ wide-ranging intellect with memorable readings from Edwards' own miscellanies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Monumental Set: Overview and Personal Anecdote

Nichols introduces the topic by recounting his own history with "The Works of Jonathan Edwards in Two Volumes" published by Banner of Truth Trust.
- Shares a personal story about misplacing his old set and the necessity of replacing it during his dissertation work.
- Quote: “I remember exactly when I got these books. I was working on my dissertation on Edwards. I had had a set of these somewhere and they were missing and I needed to get them replaced and I got them replaced.” [00:21]
He emphasizes the imposing size and density of these volumes:
- “It’s massive, it’s a couple thousand pages, it’s a lot of words, it’s double column and it’s tiny print. To work through this is quite a feat.” [00:38]

The John Gerstner Reading Challenge

Nichols recalls theologian John Gerstner’s unique encouragement for people to read Edwards:
- Gerstner would gift the two-volume set to anyone who signed a pledge to read it, then award a special plate for completion.
- Quote: “He would give someone the two volume set if they agreed to read it, signed a pledge to that effect and then in fact circled back to him when they were completed and had read it. And they would get a little plate that said as much and would be put inside the volumes.” [00:45]

Contents and Structure of the Volumes

Sermons and Treatises: The collection is full of Edwards's major works, including sermons and theological writings.
- Nichols notes that the very first item in volume two is Edwards's first published sermon, “God Glorified in Man’s Dependence.” [01:25]
Biographical Introduction: Volume one opens with memoirs and a brief biography, mapping out Edwards's family lineage and connections. [01:36]
Letters & Miscellanies: The set features correspondence and Edwards’s fascinating ‘Miscellanies’—notebooks of wide-ranging theological and philosophical reflections.
- Nichols describes Edwards’s evolving system for organizing these thoughts (alphabetical, then numerical, reaching into the 1500s). [01:49]

The Miscellanies: A Glimpse into Edwards’s Mind

Edwards’s miscellanies cover topics from the Apostle Paul to Plato, from the Psalms to Islam.
Notable Reading: Nichols reads a passage from Edwards regarding Islam—providing a snapshot of 18th-century perspectives and Edwards’s philosophical reach:
- Quote (Edwards, read by Nichols):
  “The great propagation of the Muhammadan religion, that's how Islam was referred to in the 1700s is a confirmation of revealed religion and so of the Christian religion in particular… Again, Muhammadan religion is a great demonstration of the extreme darkness, blindness, weakness, folly, madness of mankind in matters of religion and shows how greatly they stand in need of a divine guide and divine grace and strength for their help, such as the Gospel reveals…” [02:24]
- Nichols reflects: “So a fascinating analysis and statement that isn't simply pointing out the error of Islam, but is reminding us of the need for the gospel.” [03:17]

Enduring Value and Final Thoughts

Nichols closes by highlighting the inexhaustible depth of Edwards’s writings and their ongoing value:
- Quote: “Well, there are so many little gems like that and these two volumes, if you add them to your library shelf, they will keep you busy for many, many days, months, possibly years to come as you read through the two volumes.” [03:28]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On size and challenge of the set:
“It’s massive, it’s a couple thousand pages, it’s a lot of words, it’s double column and it’s tiny print. To work through this is quite a feat.” — Stephen Nichols [00:38]
On John Gerstner’s reading pledge:
“They would get a little plate that said as much and would be put inside the volumes.” [00:54]
From Edwards’s Miscellanies, on Islam:
“The great propagation of the Muhammadan religion... is a confirmation of revealed religion and so of the Christian religion in particular...” [02:24]
On the inexhaustible nature of Edwards’s work:
“These two volumes… will keep you busy for many, many days, months, possibly years to come as you read through.” [03:28]

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:07 — Episode introduction and personal anecdote about Edwards’s Works
00:38 — Description of the two-volume set’s intimidating size
00:45 — John Gerstner’s reading challenge tradition
01:25 — Overview of volume content (sermons, treatises, memoirs, family tree)
01:49 — Explanation of Edwards’s miscellanies and their unique organization
02:24 — Reading and discussion of a Miscellany on Islam
03:28 — Final thoughts on the enduring impact and value of the set

Conclusion

In this concise yet content-rich episode, Stephen Nichols opens a doorway to the legacy of Jonathan Edwards through his monumental two-volume works, providing both historical context and personal reflection. Listeners are left with a sense of awe at the scope of Edwards's thought and an encouragement to engage deeply with the theological riches preserved in these pages.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:08]
A
Welcome back to another episode of five Minutes in Church History. Last week we were visiting with our friend Jonathan Edwards in his first published sermon. And that got me perusing my shelves and looking at my different volumes, books by Jonathan Edwards. And I landed on the works of Jonathan Edwards in two volumes published by the Banner of Truth Trust. And I remember exactly when I got these books. I was working on my dissertation on Edwards. I had had a set of these somewhere and they were missing and I needed to get them replaced and I got them replaced. But there's something that you need to know about this two volume set. It's massive, it's a couple thousand pages, it's a lot of words, it's double column and it's tiny print. To work through this is quite a feat. Well, John Gerstner used to have this thing that he would do that he would, he would give someone the two volume set if they agreed to read it, signed a pledge to that effect and then in fact circled back to him when they were completed and had read it. And they would get a little plate that said as much and would be put inside the volumes. And I saw one in a library once that made its way from its owner to a library, but it's the works of Jonathan Edwards, two volumes. It is full of Edwards treatises, it is full of Edwards sermons. In fact, last week we were talking about God glorified in man's dependence. Well, that is the very first thing you bump into when you open volume two is Edwards first published sermon. Volume one begins with the memoirs of Jonathan Edwards and gives a little biography of Edwards and even traces out his family tree and his siblings and then also his children and all of the interconnections. These volumes also have some letters from Jonathan Edwards. They have some of his miscellanies. We've talked about those before. These were his notebooks of his miscellaneous thoughts and he started off labeling them A to Z and then he went back and did A A to Z. And then he thought this isn't working very well. So he started numbering them and by the time he was finished with his notebooks, he was well up into the 1500s of these miscellanies. They're fascinating. They're on all kinds of topics from Paul to the Psalms to Plato to Islam even. In fact, in one of these he says something very interesting about Islam. And I thought I would read it for us in this respect. The great propagation of the Muhammadan religion, that's how Islam was referred to in the 1700s is a confirmation of revealed religion and so of the Christian religion in particular, which alone can have any pretext of to be a religion revealed by God, as this. Again, Muhammadan religion is a great demonstration of the extreme darkness, blindness, weakness, folly, madness of mankind in matters of religion and shows how greatly they stand in need of a divine guide and divine grace and strength for their help, such as the Gospel reveals. And this delusion has continued so long to so great an extent, shows how helpless mankind are under delusion in matters of religion and what absolute need they have of extraordinary divine interposition for their relief. And besides, such a miserable and helpless state of mankind is also exactly agreeable to the representation made in in the Christian revelation. So a fascinating analysis and statement that isn't simply pointing out the error of Islam, but is reminding us of the need for the gospel. Well, there are so many little gems like that and these two volumes, if you add them to your library shelf, they will keep you busy for many, many days, months, possibly years to come as you read through the two volumes. But of Jonathan Edwards, well, that's Edwards, his two volume edition and I'm Steve Nichols and thanks for listening to Five Minutes in Church History.