Profile of the Last Puritan

This book examines the life and theology of the New England pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards. Focusing on the glory of God as the dominant theme of Edwards's thought, David Brand examines Edwards's use of Neoplatonist terminology and the language of the senses, and documents the Calvinistic and convenantal underpinnings of Edwards's theology. Issues such as the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, disinterested benevolence and self-love, are also brought to light. In the process, Brand creates a enlightening overview of Puritan New England, from its spiritual preconception in Calvin's Geneva to its post-revolutionary demise, including the emergence of Unitarianism and the Second Great Awakening.