Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh take a deep dive into Jonathan Edwards’s A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, one of the most important theological works ever published in America. They explore Edwards’s historical moment in the midst of the First Great Awakening, the cultural divide between “old lights” and “new lights,” and Edwards’s effort to distinguish genuine spiritual transformation from mere emotional excitement. Along the way, they unpack Edwards’s definition of “affections,” discuss why Edwards remains so influential, and consider how his framework might apply to the renewed spiritual energy emerging in the U.S. today.

Episode Outline

• Opening quotation from A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections
• Who was Jonathan Edwards? Background, intellect, and role in American Christianity
• Edwards’s historical moment: The First Great Awakening
• Old Lights vs. New Lights — a cultural and theological divide
• Why Edwards’s preaching feels “medieval” to modern ears
• Edwards on the nature of “religious affections”
• False signs of spiritual renewal — emotions vs. lasting change
• True signs of grace — the centrality of long-term obedience
• Edwards’s pastoral purpose in writing the Treatise
• Parallels between the Great Awakening and contemporary spiritual “vibe shifts”
• Closing reflections on agape and the love of God

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Edwards’s World: Revival and Upheaval: Edwards writes in the heart of the First Great Awakening—a period of mass conversions, emotional preaching, and widespread debate about what counts as “true religion.”
• Affections vs. Emotions: For Edwards, affections are deep movements of the will—love, hatred, desire—not fleeting emotions. Genuine Christianity requires these affections to be transformed.
• False Signs of Spiritual Renewal: Intense emotions, tears, dramatic experiences, or even hearing Scripture in powerful ways do not necessarily indicate genuine spiritual change.
• True Signs of Grace: Edwards insists that lasting obedience, humility, love, and good works—not dramatic feelings—are the real evidence of transformed affections.
• Relevance for Today: Tim and Emily connect Edwards’s concerns to modern American spiritual trends, asking whether our current “renewals” will lead to sustained, virtuous lives.

Questions & Discussion

• What distinction does Edwards make between emotions and true spiritual affections?
  Consider why Edwards locates religious transformation in the will rather than in fleeting feelings. How might this help us evaluate contemporary spiritual experiences?
• How does Edwards challenge both the ‘old lights’ and the ‘new lights’?
  Reflect on Edwards’s attempt to affirm genuine emotion while warning against emotional excess. Where do you tend to locate yourself in this debate? 
• Why does Edwards place so much emphasis on long-term obedience?
  Discuss whether you agree with Edwards that sustained virtue—not emotional intensity—is the clearest sign of genuine Christian faith.
• How does understanding the First Great Awakening illuminate Edwards’s Treatise?
  Think about how cultural, theological, and political pressures influenced Edwards’s writing and why his framework was so needed in a divided moment.
• What parallels do you see between Edwards’s time and current spiritual movements?
  Explore how Edwards’s insights might help us discern whether today’s “vibe shift” reflects genuine spiritual change.

Suggested Reading

• Treatise on Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards 
• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards 
• A Religious History of the American People by Sydney E. Ahlstrom
• Jonathan Edwards by George M. Marsden 
• Pew Research Center
• McIntosh, Timothy Andrew. My Name Is SØREN KIERKEGAARD. Directed by Frank Mihelich