What Did Jonathan Edwards Think A Revival Was?
In this episode, I begin a short series based on the book by Thomas Nettles, In the Midst of the Years: A History of Reformation and Revival in America. There is much confusion in the modern age related to what revival is and how we can discern when a movement is truly of God. In this book, Nettles travels through the history of reformation and revival in America — he covers people like Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, Dwight Moody, and Billy Sunday. He also analyzes events like the First and Second Great Awakening, the Civil War Revivials, and the 1858 Prayer revival. In this short series, I will be discussing four of these people/events in American church history.
Today, I will start in the 1700s with Jonathan Edwards. Edwards gives five criteria for analyzing and judging a revival. These criteria are still valid and extremely helpful for today. My hope is that through this series, you can more truthfully judge whether or not something is a movement of the Spirit of God or a movement of the whims of men. I hope you enjoy!
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