6. Takeaway for Theology and Ethics

[Rob Boss]

After tracing this Edwards-to-Hopkins story, what single lesson about theology and social ethics do you most want readers to walk away with?

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[Joseph Lee]

That the social “Christian” zeitgeist of a given era, including ours, does not necessarily mean that it is truly Christian. Also, Jonathan Edwards was a godly man, and the church surrounded him in prerevolutionary Puritan New England while slavery was largely unquestioned and accepted by Christ followers. Though he did denounce the transatlantic slave trade, he never did move from his proslavery position. He, along with George Whitefield, also one who enslaved, were used by God greatly amid their sins. Without them, there would be no First Great Awakening. Yet their contributions do not nullify the evil committed and vice versa. I believe it is important to consider the totality of an individual’s life (both the contributions and shortcomings) and then make a judgment. This will help us avoid viewing individual human beings too concretely.