The Covenantal Theology of Jonathan Edwards

The thesis of this dissertation is that one must read Jonathan Edwards as a Reformed covenantal theologian, and that explicating the covenantal framework of his redemptive-historical approach to scriptural exegesis will shed light on and help interpret the more controversial discussions regarding the “ethics” of Edwards, by which I limit to the role of and motive for “good works,” or evangelical obedience, in the salvation and life of the elect believer. This dissertation discusses and clarifies Edwards’s covenantal theology, concentrating on his biblical and redemptive-historical theology as it is situated within the Reformed federal scholastic tradition. His view on the Covenant of Works, Covenant of Redemption, Covenant of Grace, and the Mosaic covenantal dispensation are examined along with the implications his covenantal structure has for the role of evangelical obedience and faith in the believer’s justification before God. Close attention to his covenantal theology as a controlling paradigm affords a more authentic and accurate interpretation of Edwards.