Jonathan Edwards: Israel & China with Dr. Victor Zhu
May 9th, 2025

Keynote speaker, Victor Zhu, received his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh (UK) in 2019. Zhu is the Founding Editor of the Series of Puritan Theology (Edinburgh: Latreia, 2023–) and an Editorial Board Member of The Jonathan Edwards Miscellanies Companion, Vol. 3 (Fort Worth, TX: JESociety Press, 2023).

America's Theologian Beyond America: Jonathan Edwards, Israel, and China

Written by Victor Zhu
Foreword by Douglas Sweeney

• Challenges the once-popular interpretation of Edwards's millennial vision as America-centric and utopian
• Highlights the significance of Israel in Edwards's millennial kingdom
• Examines the presence of China and Chinese philosophy in Edwards's interaction with Enlightenment thinkers

Dr. Doug Sweeney, Dean of Beeson Divinity School and Jonathan Edwards scholar, believes that while Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards have differing perspectives on the supernatural, both stress the importance of analyzing the miracles of the Bible in order to make people more faithful to God. Studying Jesus's miracles can awaken us spiritually to how Gods is at work in our souls, supernaturally, day-by-day.

John Inman was captivated by Jonathan Edwards' use of illustrative language in his preaching, something that was much at odds with the fire and brimstone caricature that most people have of Edwards. Inman decided to write his paper on Edwards' preaching style while he was ministering to the Native Americans at Stockbridge, focusing on bringing God's Word to the audience and their culture in a way that resonates with them.

Want to stay up to date with John's work? Follow him on X @PulpitHistorian

Dr. Chris Wozniki and Dr. Laura Cerbus examine the body's role in sanctification, especially before the full coming of the new heaven and new earth. The discuss Jonathan Edwards' perspective on the beauty of Sarah Edwards' bodily experiences during the Great Awakening, as well as Bonaventure's analysis of Francis of Assisi's stigmata, and their physical connections to Christ.

Cole Feix joins Chris Woznicki to explain his PhD dissertation which he wrote on the preaching styles and influences of Jonathan Edwards, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Tim Keller. While each of the three men differed in their temperaments and preaching styles, Feix points out many parallels and influences among them.

Learn more about So We Speak at www.sowespeak.com/
Stay up to date with Cole's ministry by following him on X @Cfeix7, or at his church Carlton Landing Community Church at their website: www.carltonlanding.church/

Dr. David Rathel, associate professor of Christian Theology and the director of PhD and ThM research at Gateway Seminary, recently published his book and dissertation entitled, Andrew Fuller and the Search for a Faith Worthy of All Acceptation: Exploring Fuller's Soteriology in Its Historical Context.

Andrew Fuller was an eighteenth-century English minister. Despite Fuller's significance, especially with his work on the doctrine of salvation, much is still unknown about his life and work and there is plenty of research that remains to be done.

In this podcast episode, Tyler Sanders and Dr. Rathel discuss the process of writing this book, what it was like to work with underutilized primary sources related to Fuller's theological development, and Dr. Rathel provides helpful context for people who might be interested in reading this book.

Join Dr. Chris Chun, Dr. Robert Caldwell, and Dr. Michael Haykin as they discuss the theology and spirituality of Jonathan Edwards.

Books recommended in this episode:

• Jonathan Edwards: The Holy Spirit in Revival by Dr. Michael Haykin
• Communion in the Spirit: The Holy Spirit as the Bond of Union by Dr. Robert Caldwell
• Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word by Dr. Douglas Sweeney
• A Reader's Guide to the Major Writings of Jonathan Edwards edited by Nathan Finn and Jeremy Kimble
• Regeneration, Revival, & Creation by Dr. Chris Chun and Dr. Kyle Strobel
• A Sweet Flame: Piety in the Letters of Jonathan Edwards edited by Dr. Michael Haykin

Dr. Christian Cuthbert guest stars on the podcast to discuss his book, The Wartime Sermons of Jonathan Edwards: A Collection, and to talk about the battles Edwards was surrounded by that shaped his views on the necessity of war.