A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
This little book delivers much more than the title suggests. To be sure, Morgan provides a very helpful overview-summary of Edwards’ response to universalist and annihilationist thinking of this day. Charting it out so crisply as Morgan does, this is likely the best place to begin any study of Edwards on hell. It is certainly not the only source you will want, because it is so brief. But because of its comprehensive brevity it may be the best place to start.
But Jonathan Edwards and Hell is not just an historical study of the famous New England preacher-theologian. The first two-thirds of the book provides a similarly helpful overview-summary of the contemporary discussion. Morgan very helpfully surveys the leading viewpoints and their distinctive approaches, highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses also.
It is with this contemporary scene presented in the background that Morgan introduces us to Edwards, demonstrating the relevance of this famous eighteenth-century theologian today. Edwards needs to be heard again today!
All in one Jonathan Edwards and Hell is a helpful survey of both the contemporary discussion of and Jonathan Edwards’ teaching on the doctrine of endless punishment. Not the last book you’ll want to read to catch up on the debate, but certainly one of the most helpful first: a clear, simple, quick read that will immediately advance your understanding.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Part I: Annihilationism and Its Debate in Contemporary Evangelicalism
2. Annihilationism: Its Forms and History
Types of Annihilationism
A Historical Survey of Annihilationism
3. The Annihilationists and Their Arguments
John W. Wenham
Stephen H. Travis
Edward W. Fudge
Clark H. Pinnock
John R. W. Stott
Philip E. Hughes
E. Michael B. Green
Summary of the Major Arguments
Linguistic Arguments
Theological Arguments
4. Evangelical Responses to Annihilationism
The Linguistic Approach
The Exegetical Approach
The Philosophical Approach
The Polemical Approach
The Combinational Approach
The Theological Approach
James I. Packer
Eryl Davies
Millard J. Erickson
Robert A. Peterson
Donald A. Carson
Conclusion
Part II: Jonathan Edwards’ Theological Method and Its Uses in Refuting Annihilationism
5. Annihilationism in the Early Eighteenth Century
The Theological Climate of the Early Eighteenth Century
The Doctrine of Hell in the Early Eighteenth Century
6. Jonathan Edwards’ Theological Method for Refuting Annihilationism
Doctrines that Informed Edwards’ Theological Method
Edwards’ Usage of His Doctrines of God and Sin in Refuting Annihilationism
7. The Application of Jonathan Edwards’ Theological Method to the Current Debate
Its Application to the Linguistic Argument
Its Application to the Theological Arguments
The Argument from Conditional Immortality
The Argument from God’s Victory
Conclusion
See our Brief Book Summary here.
Fred G. Zaspel
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Jonathan Edwards and Hell