BIOGRAPHY OF JONATHAN EDWARDS&COTTON MARTHER

EDWARDS EARLY LIFE

• Edwards was born on October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut into a Puritan evangelical household
• Educated at home by his parents and sisters, he entered Yale College in 1716, graduating in 1720
• He continued his studies in theology, receiving a Master of Arts in 1723

MATHER EARLY LIFE

• Came from a family of Puritan ministers
• He attended Boston Latin School, where his name was added to its Hall of Fame, and graduated from Harvard at age 15
• After completing his post-graduate work, he joined his father as assistant pastor of Boston's original North Church.
• In 1685 Mather assumed full responsibilities as pastor at the Church.

WHO WERE THEY

• Jonathan Edwards was a Christian preacher and theologian.
• Edwards is widely acknowledged to be America's most important theologian and thinker
• Cotton Mather was a socially and politically influential New England Puritan minister, prolific author and pamphleteer
• He is often remembered for his role in the Salem which trials

WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT

• Edwards was preeminently the theologian of revival.
• No one else matches his penetrating insights.
• He was also a great speaker with amazing insights. Those who read Edwards lose their fear of death
• Marther accused people in the Salem witch trials. His false accusations took away many lives
• False accusations and exaggerations are even found today in media

VIEWS ON HOW PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE

• Marther: emphasis on individual capacity for self reform
• Strong relationship between individual and society (human interrelationships)
• Edwards: people should be more god fearing and have complete faith in god
• Edwards lectures emphasized gods absolute sovereignty in the work of salvation

OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS

• Edwards died from an inoculation to ward off smallpox, just after taking the presidency at Princeton
• He read sermons in an even voice but with great conviction
• Cotton Mather took some part as an advicer in the revolution of 1689
• His later years were clouded with sorrows and disappointments
• Cotton published 400+ works.

COMMON THEMES

• They were both known as extreme Puritans
• Preached about how people need salvation
• They preached often and also became writers
• They wrote about their beliefs