Edwards and Scotland Update

The Yale University and University of Glasgow sponsored Jonathan Edwards and Scotland Conference, for which I went to Scotland, ended last Tuesday. There were several significant lectures given. Of the ones that I was able to attend, David Bebbington’s lecture, “A Historical Review of Revivals,” Adriann Neele’s talk, “Petrus Van Masstricht: Exchanges in Scotland, the Netherlands, and America,” and Michael McClenahan’s, “New England’s Nemesis: John Tillotson and the dismantling of Puritanism,” were the most intellectually valuable.

David Bebbington did a outstanding job (which is typical of his work) of outlining a history of revivals throughout the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Focusing on the different circumstances and theologies that lay behind each period of revival he persuasively argued that God was at work in each and every true revival. If these lectures are published I think you will find Bebbington’s work a worthwhile source of history on the subject. I am amazed at how much this man can unpack in so short a period of time.

Adriann Neele explained that Edwards depended on Van Massticht’s Theoretica Practica more than any other work. He went on to outline Van Masstricht’s work, drawing a convincing connection between Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption and the later part of the Theoretica Practica. What I did not know prior to this talk was that Van Masstricht replaced Gijbertus Voetius at the Univeristy of Utrect. Van Maastrict was also a disciple of Johannes Cocceius. This is especially important since Van maasrtict’s Theoretica was the basis for Edwards’ History of the Work of Redemption. Edwards’ biblical theological approach to the Scriptures seems to have been on account of Cocceius, whether he realized that in his adoption of Van Masstricht’s principles or not. I wonder whether Van Masstricht  wed the pietistic approach of Voetius to the Biblical Theological approach of Cocceius. This would be a an interesting subject to pursue further as the two camps were sort of antithetical during the Nadere Reformatie.

Michael McClenahan gave consideration to Edward’s polemical responses to John Tillotson in regard to Tillotson’s rabid arminianism. Sadly, the electricity went out during his lecture making it more difficult to pull together all the material he had to present on Monday and then finish on Tuesday. It was a helpful talk which posited Edwards’ writings on good works in contrast to much of what Tillotson was promulgating.

I also benefited from David Jones’ lecture on Edwards’ connection to the Welsh evangelical ministers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Jones did an exceptionally good job in relation to Edwards’ influence on William Williams, the noted theologian and hymn writer.

It was at this conference that I spent some time with William and Carine MacKenzie, owners of Christian Focus publication. Their commitment to Christ was incredibly refreshing, and the presence of so many of the good books they have published was a great encouragement at a highly scholastic conference on Edwards.