Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an important figure in American church history. He was born in Connecticut to a renowned family of clergymen. He began reading Latin texts at the age of six and could read Greek and Hebrew by 13. He graduated from Yale in 1720 with highest honors. At about this time he also accepted Christ as his Savior. He served as a pastor for many years in Presbyterian and Congregational churches. His sermons during the revivals of the Great Awakening in 1734 through 1744 had a great impact. Among these was the famous “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” In 1757 he was elected president of Princeton College in New Jersey but died five weeks after his inauguration. He was a leading figure in New England Christianity and his books, like Freedom of the Will, did much to promote Reformed doctrines of original sin and predestination in colonial America.
