- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostA La Carte (7/17)
- Next Post »A La Carte (7/18)
Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (Introduction)
- 07/17/08
- 45
This morning we kick off the fourth round of Reading Classics Together, an effort in which we read some of the great Christian classics together and convene here once a week to discuss them. In the past we’ve read J.C. Ryle’s Holiness, John Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation and A.W. Pink’s The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross. We’ve had hundreds of people participate by reading the books together and discussing them each week. All along we’ve been reading some of the classics of the Christian faith—books many of us wish to read but books few of us have ever made time for. And now we begin on the fourth classic—The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. Well over 100 people have agreed to participate in reading this book together…and it all begins today. This is going to be our toughest challenge yet, I’m am sure!
“Read Religious Affections, at all costs read Religious Affections! And anything else you can get your hands on by this great saint.”
I generally follow a certain format in posting about the chapters we are reading, but will deviate from that today. The assigned reading for this morning was simply the book’s Preface. The Preface is short and contains little of real substance, but I guess we need to begin somewhere! Edwards uses it to state the purpose for which he has written this book. He will seek to answer this question: What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favor with God, and entitled to His eternal rewards?
—John Piper
Sam Storms summarizes the book’s purpose by saying, “He endeavored to identify what constitutes true and authentic spirituality. Or, to put it in the form of a question: Are there certain features or characteristics in human thought and behavior that serve as ‘signs’ of the saving activity and presence of the Spirit of God? Again, is it possible for us to know with any degree of certainty whether or not a person who claims to have experienced the saving grace of God is truly born again?” This is essentially the same question said in many ways and it is the question we expect Edwards to answer in the text of this book. We will do well to keep this question in mind each week as we give ourselves to reading The Religious Affections. And it is an important one to answer for, as Edwards says, “it is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and kingdom of Christ.” From the earliest days of the church until today, the devil has done much damage to the cause of Christ in the world by men and women deluded into thinking that they are Christians when they are not.
It is my hope and expectation that this book will arm us to better discern the state of our own hearts and to see and understand the defining characteristics of those who belong to Christ. To quote Edwards, “It greatly concerns us to use our utmost endeavors clearly to discern, and have it well settled and established, wherein true religion does consist.”
Next Week
Next week we will begin to discuss the heart of the book and I’d suggest we read all of Part I. In my book this comes to 32 pages—a rather long reading, but I think it makes sense to attempt to read it as a unit rather than dividing it rather artificially. I’ll try to keep future readings shorter since I know that 32 pages of Edwards may prove a challenge (or a chore!) but please bear with me. Just read five pages per day through the week and you’ll have no trouble keeping up.
Would You Like to Participate?
If this is the first you’ve heard of Reading Classics Together and it sounds like something you’d like to participate in, we’d be glad to have you along. I will be reading from the Banner of Truth edition of the work, but you can follow along in any of the unabridged editions (of which there are many available). For technophiles, there is a Kindle edition available for only a couple of dollars. For those who are not interested in spending money, CCEL has the complete text available in HTML, PDF and other formats right here.
If you wish to purchase a printed copy of the book, you can do so from Amazon, Westminster Books, Monergism Books or just about anywhere else good Christian books are sold.
We are only a few pages into the book so it’s definitely not too late for you to begin reading with us.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (45)
Tim, It will be interesting to me, as we read, to see how some of what Edwards writes will address “spiritual activities”. Are some of these things spiritually beneficial or are they window dressing? Are they signs of salvation or simply signs of works? It will also be interesting to compare what he had to say about true and false religion as it was perceived in the mid 1700’s and to compare this with today.
Somehow I missed the fact that another reading was beginning. I’m about to dive into Pagitt’s new book so I need something else to help keep me sane. This sounds like just the thing!
Tim,
I have been anxiously awaiting this day. I greatly enjoyed our last text and look forward to this one.
Frankly, I was not all that knowledgeable regarding Jonathan Edwards so the first thing I did was seek information on the man to see if I was going to commit to this reading challenging text.
I found a one hour lecture by Dr. Steve Lawson on the life of Jonathan Edwards and that helped a great deal in understanding this man. Here is a link to the lecture:http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2008/06/the-life-of-jon.html
In this lecture, Dr. Lawson suggested George M. Lawson’s biography of Jonathan Edwards entitled, “Jonathan Edwards - A Life”. I immediately ordered the book and am working my way through this book, as well, in order to have a better understanding of this intellectual giant.
I couldn’t wait to get started so I read the preface of “Religious Affections” on-line back in June. Here is my post on the preface:http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2008/06/preface—-a-tre.html
To me the preface served as a sales tool directly from the mouth of Jonathan Edwards. It was Edward’s job to convince me, through his preface, the matter of his inquiry and then, why I should spend my time reading his thoughts on the subject.
Well…I am sold. One of the most brilliant minds to ever have graced the United States is going to help me understand, from God’s word, what true religion is and how to identify false religion.
I am in! How about you?
PS Could someone please remind me of the basis HTML to make my links look more presentable? Thank you!
My thoughts after reading the preface are posted here and here.The whole of part 1? I’d better get started right away!
Tim…
Count me in. I think that this is a great idea, especially with an author like Edwards. I will look forward to the feedback and to the upcoming dialogue. I will also alert my staff to see if they are interested — they usually are…
Thanks…
Rod
I am more than ready to begin this adventure together. I need some help here.
I read this book by myself last year and wished the whole time that I had someone else to talk to about it. I’m not dying to read it again, but I know that reading it with a group will be beneficial. I’m taking advantage of the free download this time, though. This week, I read along as I listened. I think it helped. I don’t really have any thoughts to share. After reading the preface again, though, I do feel more excited about diving into this book again. Genuine regeneration is the most important issue for one to settle.
David Porter thank you so much for the link to the Steve Lawson Lecture that should be of great help. I’ve been trying to find some things like that myself to try and gain as much as possible by this project. Monergism offers a DVD about the Life of Jonathon Edwards as seen through the eyes of his wife. I’ve just purchased it but haven’t had yet an opportunity to view.
Prelim Notes:Having begun this book I am more than ever sensitive to the importance of Edward’s writings. Often quoted and cited, I feel it is past time that I myself take opportunity to consider what He has written so long ago of such value as still to be read, referenced, and cited by many of the very best of our peers.
Introduction: (not sure if this is in every version.)By Alexander Smellie 1898
What a great Motivation in the Intro, the recommendation is made that in this book, Edwards “draws nearer still to the sacred Presence and the gracious face. … Taking “rank among the seraphim who burn.”
The occasion for the book being the Great Revival and the sentiments that accompanied it. Sometimes there were what appeared to be excesses to some which was a genuine expression of Christian Experience, other times there were excesses which gave the devil great occasion to slander the Church of the Living God. There is a need to both approve of the true and reject the false that God’s name be magnified and souls would come to worship.
The Intro gives just a hint of some of the positive outcomes of the Great Revival: “The young had laid aside their levity. The taverns were deserted. The wealthy had relinquished their vanities. The Bible was loved…”
The Intro prepares me somewhat about what I am soon to encounter with statements like the following: “There is an indubitable sadness in the tone of the book. … Thus The Religious Affections … lives and will live as a portraiture of the men who are after God’s heart… its completeness; when we have taken it all in, we recognize that here, beyond question, is the picture of the soul which under the tuition of divine grace has grown worthy of union with God Himself…..It savors of sacrilege to hint any criticism of a book which soars to such heights and which is so instinct with the wisdom that cometh from afar. ….. if we are children in the household of the Lord, one thing is sure - we shall be smitten with the passion to reach it. And perhaps no one, on this side the New Jerusalem, has come nearer reaching it than the man who has delineated it here for us.”
Can anyone really live up to the lofty praises of such an introduction? But I think there must be much truth in them and I look forward to hearing it with the ears of my soul as I read within these pages knowing how this book has endured through the years as only a true classic would do. I have much Hope for this effort though truthfully mixed with some trepidation knowing of a few even dear friends who have enjoyed some attempts at this book but found the process sometimes daunting.
The Authors Preface:Purpose: to show what is the nature and signs of the gracious operations of God’s Holy Spirit.
How do we know that God is in us causing us to will and to do of His good pleasure of a truth?
The things condemned and those approved are bound to raise indignation. Things you think should be good signs you may find in this book are really not truly such. And such a discovery may be painful or even make one angry.
Edwards notes: it is hard to be both someone who rejoices over the good things and also at the same time someone who condemns that which is not good.
There is so much good and so much bad mixed together in the church of God.
I think I see somewhat of Edwards eschatological hope as seen on page 17. He looks for a time coming based on prophetic passages when the church will have much greater purity. God will give much greater light.
The devil’s greatest advantage is the mixture of counterfeit religion with true. This is how the devil has in the past prevailed against much reviving of religion.
This following quotes seems to me to be among the great reasons why we need to know the true nature of religious affections. “By this means he (the devil) deceives great multitudes about the state of their souls, making them think they are something when they are nothing; and so eternally undoes them; and not only so, but establishes many in a strong confidence of their eminent holiness, who are in God’s sight some of the vilest of hypocrites.”
“And by what is seen of the terrible consequences of this counterfeit religion when not distinguished from true religion, God’s people in general have their minds unhinged and unsettled in things of religion, and know not where to set their foot, or what to think or do; and many are brought into doubts, whether there be anything in religion; and heresy and infidelity and atheism greatly prevail.”
sda
In the introduction, what time period or revival is Edwards referring to when he states, ‘late extraordinary appearances’? And what exactly does he mean by that phrase?
When you read the preface, it’s all about the importance of discernment. (Hmmm…. I think I’ve read something about that before…. But from who????)
Edwards list of the results of lack of discernment is pretty stark stuff when you read it over, and is just as applicable today regarding “revivals” as it was back then.
I’ve written more about the preface in my post Satan Loves Excited Christians.
sweet! i have this book on my shelf and was hoping to read it this summer. i’ll follow along with you guys!
There is another lecture by Dr Lawson, about Jonathan Edwards and his resolutions. If you go to monergism.com and do a search for “Resolutions” you will find a lecture/sermon about Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions. As some who know a little about Edwards, his resolutions sort of help tell you what kind of man he was. I strongly reconmend this sermon. Also of note, Desiring God had a conference on Jonathan Edwards a few years back, 2003 or so. I also would look at Dr Piper’s biography sermon on Edwards (delivered something like 20 years ago).All said, reading Edwards is hard work. But it is worth it.
-Mike
I was wondering if anyone knew if the ChristianAudio version is correlated to the book. I downloaded it yesterday and it is divided into 12 parts. Are there 12 parts to the book?
A couple of notes on previous posts.
Chelsey asked: “I was wondering if anyone knew if the ChristianAudio version is correlated to the book. I downloaded it yesterday and it is divided into 12 parts. Are there 12 parts to the book?”
The downloads don’t correlate evenly to the parts of the books. There are - in Edwards’ book, 12 signs PART 2, that neither prove nor disprove that affections are the fruit of the Spirit, and 14 signs - Part 3, that are the fruits of true holy affections.
The Christian Audio edition is well read by Simon Vance. I tried to discern if he was a Christian, but could not find any proof of it. How someone can read this work and Richard Baxter’s Reformed Pastor, like he did and remain unchanged, I don’t pretend to know.
Edward’s work is similar to Gardiner Spring’s work, Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character.
http://www.gracegems.org/Books2/Spring.htm
Spring’s work is a lot shorter. I have narrated both, Edwards’ work took about 15 hours, Spring’s book took only three hours or so.
There was actually a modern reprint copy of this work by Multnomah Press. The introduction was done by Chuck Colson. I thought he did a good analysis. I no longer own it. I think it has been republished now by Bethany Press.
As far as the book, A LIFE, by George Marsden, it is a good introduction to who Edwards was and interprets his thought in light of his own time. But I listened to a lecture series he did and he doesn’t seem to understand Edwards as an experimental theologian.
The best analysis of Edwards by a modern author was John Gerstner in his Rational Biblical Theology. He also did a 12 hour seminary lecture series on Edwards’ theology.
TMS
I’m in.
I’m joining. I’ve been wanting to read RA for years. Here’s my chance.
I am not sure if we’re supposed to “officially” sign up, but I am going to read along. I’ve been wanting to read JE for a while!
Wes asked, “In the introduction, what time period or revival is Edwards referring to when he states, ‘late extraordinary appearances’? And what exactly does he mean by that phrase?
He is referring to the revivals that came to Northhampton MA and surrounding cities in 1734-37, 1741. “late extraordinary appearances” is the effect {what is witnessed in the lives of those effected}, the Holy Spirit quickening the community was the cause.
This is detailed in his work, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton…1737
For those of you who have never seen the site, it is worth seeing the YALE UNIVERSITY collection of Jonathan Edwards’ works online.http://edwards.yale.edu/
Just remember that the site is put together by persons who are antithetical to serious Christianity.For example on the site is a Curricula for teaching the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in school, but the message is treated almost as if it were a fiction like some Greek mythology.
http://edwards.yale.edu/teaching/high-school/1day/
As a person converted later in life, after many years as a false professor of faith, in and out of varied churches, and having witnessed dreadful and wonderful things being done in the name of Christ, this work holds great interest for me.
I must say, Edwards prefaces his work with observations which still ring true today. Truly “there is nothing new under the sun”.
“There is indeed something very mysterious in it, that so much good, and so much bad, should be mixed together in the church of God; as ‘tis a mysterious thing, and what has puzzled and amazed many a good Christian, that there should be that which is so divine and precious, as the saving grace of God, and the new and divine nature, dwelling in the same heart, with so much corruption, hypocrisy and iniquity, in a particular saint. Yet neither of these, is more mysterious than real. And neither of ‘em is a new or rare thing. ‘Tis no new thing, that much false religion should prevail, at a time of great reviving of true religion; and that at such a time, multitudes of hypocrites should spring up among true saints.”
Here’s to hoping Edwards can help unravel the mystery for us.
Just the preface was excellent reading - the rest should be great as well. Thoughts are posted HERE.
Glad I started reading ahead into Part 1!
why?
Your comments were deleted because•they were off-topic,•except for the copy-and-paste scripture references, most of it wasn’t even in English, and looked like this: ,•one “comment” was a mile long,•and, contra your comment, Jesus certainly is the Messiah.Clear enough?—David (moderator)
Thank you for this forum from which to learn from Edwards and all of you contemporary saints. I have been concerned about the religious experiences, and lack thereof, within our church, so this ought to be very helpful. I read Marsden’s biography of Edwards a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. The subject of R.A. was important for Edwards, not only in his participation and evaluation of the Great Awakening, but also for personal reasons. His wife, Sarah, had a spiritual experience which lasted days. It was of a nature which I have trouble categorizing or defining. However, she always marked it as a milestone in her Chrisitan life. Anyways… thank you for this opportunity!
I am a new reader of your blog and I’m interested in participating. How do I find CCEL for the download? I’m sure most of your readers know what you’re referring to, but I don’t. Thanks!
Please disregard the question. When I refreshed the page, I suddenly had the information I was looking for. I’m sure it must have been there all the time.
I have been on the road working on a project and wasn’t able to read the introduction. I have also been dealing with a lot of data smog, so will make sure I get some clean air to read the first part of RA next week. I am using the CCEL text. Are we reading all of Part I in the text for our next get-together?
Thanks,Simple Mann
I’m pretty unimpressed so far. I find the writing very hard to follow. The sentences are much too long for me to comprehend. I spent a lot of time rereading sentences over and over.
At this point I don’t really have the vaguest idea what he is writing about.
I welcome anyone’s opinion on what his treatise is about.
Thomas, thanks for your answer to my ‘late extraordinary appearances’ question.
Wes
Peter,
By way of encouragement, the Puritans are not always, or even usually, easy to read. They, like the Apostle Paul in some of his epistles, had the ability to string together lengthy and heavy strands of thought, often into single, very complex sentences. For “modern” (or should I say “post-modern”?) folk like us, who are conditioned to thinking in the mental equivalent of sound-bites, it can take some getting used to. But I am fully convinced it is worth getting used to. Understanding Edwards is worth the effort, and it is effort, especially at first. My encouragement to you is not to give up. It gets easier as you go along, once you get used to his use of language, and to slowing down to let difficult concepts sink in, you will find you not only understand, but appreciate the particular beauty of his language, not to mention the depth of his meaning.
My ladies’ group is just finishing up a lengthy study through The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs. I had my concerns at the beginning that his use of language would be so difficult that everyone, especially the busy moms, would balk. As is turns out there was just a bit of difficulty at the beginning, but by the end of the first chapter everyone was used to it, and really found it to be delightfully quaint and fresh.
Peter, there have been some attempts to put this in modern english - I already mentioned the Multnomah Press edition, and it looks like Sam Storms has done the same thing.{Signs of the Spirit}
http://www.monergismbooks.com/Signs-of-the-Spirit-An-Interpretation-of-Jonathan-Edwardss-Religious-Affections-p-17271.html
I have looked through the Bethany House Publishers Edition and it is also in modern English.
http://www.amazon.com/Religious-Affections-Christians-Character-Classics/dp/1556618298
However the other problem with this book is that when one is doing surgery on their own heart, they need hold the scalpel very steady and, at the same time, neither probe too lightly - lest the wound is not probed to the bottom and the cancer still remains, or the scapel cuts too deep and the patient goes into despair from looking too much at the wound and not enough at the Great Physician.
Edwards can assist us greatly, but it is helpful to have a number of others to hold the ropes for each other as we go down into the dark pit.
If one is by nature of an really introspective and melancholic temperament, maybe this book will be too much for them to peruse for a long time or over a long period. If you think that is overstating the case, I can even quote from Edwards to prove this very point. But then I would be way off of the discussion.
Thanks Laurie. Any idea as to what the main message of the preface is?
Peter:In the first paragraph Edwards poses three questions(well two of those questions are basically the same only posed differently):1. “What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favor with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards? Or, which comes to the same thing, 2. What is the nature of true religion? 3. And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God?”
Then he basically explains why these questions need to be answered. The importance of knowing the difference b/n True Religion and False Religion.As someone explained, since there were great “revivals” going on back in the day it is important to discern if such revivals were an act of God, or if they were Satan’s way of causing division among the brethren. Because amidst these revivals much false religion prevailed and multitudes of hypocrites sprung up among true saints.He describes the way Satan has caused strife, damage and division in the Church:By the mixture of Counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished is that the devil has:- Prevailed against all revivings of religion.- Hurt the cause of Christianity (even more than by all the persecutions of both Jews and Heathens)- Prevailed against New England, to quench the love and spoil the joy of her spousals.And says that it will continue to be that way in the Church until we learn to discern between true and false religion, between saving affections and experiences.He says than when these revivals occur and we don’t distinguish between true and false religion, between saving affections and experiences:The devil is gratified by making us think that the way these revivals occur, that what we are doing is pleasing and acceptable to God when in fact it is abominable to Him. And so it is that the devil deceives many about the state of their souls, making them think they’re saved when they are not.And finally describes the consequence of said lack of discernment, the devil:-Damps and wounds religion in the hearts of the saints, obscures and deforms it.-Causes their religious affections woefully to degenerate, and to be like the manna that bred worms and stank; and dreadfully ensnares and confounds the minds of others of the saints and brings them into great difficulties and temptation, -He encourages the hearts of open enemies of religion, and strengthens their hands, and fills them with weapons, and makes strong their fortresses; when, at the same time, religion and the church of God lie exposed to them, as a city without walls.-he brings it to pass, that men work wickedness under a notion of doing God service, and so sin without restraint.-he brings in even the friends of religion, insensibly to themselves, to do the work of enemies, by destroying religion in a far more effectual manner than open enemies can do, under a notion of advancing it.The worst consequence of it all is that the devil manages to scatter the flock of Christ, and sets them one against another, and in this way religion, “by degrees degenerates into vain jangling; and during the strife, Satan leads both parties far out of the right way, driving each to great extremes, according as he finds they are most inclined, or most easily moved and swayed, till the right path in the middle is almost wholly neglected.” If there would be a keyword to describe the introduction, the keyword would be discernment, as someone else mentioned in one of their post I believe. The importance of discernment would be the theme.At least that’s what I understood from what I read and re-read in the introduction.
wow I’m sorry i should’ve used html to separate those paragraphs :(
Peter
Very quick summary of this book intro.(1)Define the word inclination and disinclination.
OR what do you chiefly desire, compared to what do you have a dislike for.
The affections are basically your inclination. What do you like?
The natural man - man who is not born again - has no desire for what God desires. Romans 8:7. He is not inclined to God’s commands, he actually abhors them.
God reverses the lever on the affections and points them to Him. That is they are made holy. This happens in the new birth.
(2) Satan can counterfeit affections and our own deceitful heart can suppose we have the fruits of the Spirit, when there is in fact no spiritual mindedness. The new inclinations have distinguishing traits or characteristics. Some signs or evidences neither prove nor disprove that the inclinations or affections have been changed. These signs are examined in part 2.
Other evidences are distinguishing signs that the affections have indeed been made holy. There is no REAL inclination of an unregenerate heart toward God. This will sooner or later be manifest. There may be a lot of emotion or zeal, but since there is still no inclination or affection toward God, the heart will manifest that God is still its enemy and by degrees will return to its state of complete DISINCLINATION in the outward conduct. These is excellently explained in Edwards’ sermon,”Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer.”
I’m looking forward to reading this wonderful work by Edwards and compare it with the latest ‘awakening’ in Florida.
http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/faith/2008/07/bentley-not-everybody-is-healed.html
Wes
Just heard about this from a friend who’s also here. This is the first time I am doing something like this - Reading a book with about a 100 others ! I am excited and looking forward to an enlightening time.
Hi, I’m going to give this a go, though I wonder how on earth I’ll find the time. I’ve wanted to read Edwards for years so I guess I’ll never do it unless I just do it. Let’s pray for one another to stay together and finish the course. I guess reading with a group is one way to keep one another accountable - yet another reason to appreciate the church.
Hi Wes: If you want something to compare to the present “revival?” in Florida, go to books.google.com and do a search for this volume….Authentic Records of Revival Now In Progress in the United Kingdom - 1859-1860 William Reid.
Or click on the link provided below and choose the 2nd entry.
Open up to page 25 and see the night and day difference of this account with what Todd Bentley is calling revival.
I am teaching on the 2nd Great Awakening a week from Sunday, so I have had to study these details afresh. It really has been an eye opener for me.
http://books.google.com/books?q=Authentic+Records+of+Revival+Now+In+Progress+in+the+United+Kingdom+&btnG=Search+Books
LOVE TO CHRIST AND JOY IN CHRIST….Here’s three quotes from chapter 2 by which God encouraged me to press on…looking to Him alone because TRUE RELIGION CONSISTS, in great part, IN HOLY AFFECTIONS!
p. 30 He that has doctrinal knowledge and speculation only, without affection, never is engaged in the business of religion…
p. 30 bottom: I am bold to assert that there never was any considerable change wrought in the mind or conversion of any person, by anything of a religious nature that ever he read, heard of or saw, that had not his affections moved …
p; 35The Scriptures do represent true religion, as being summarily comprehended in love, the chief of all the affections and the fountain of all other affections.
Joyfully depending on God’s grace and strength,Jean
Just wanted to check in and say I’ve appreciated the good comments. What a great bunch of people to read a book with! :)
Thomas Sullivan,Thanks for that link. What a treasure that book looks to be. Reading those accounts fills me with longing to see God so glorify Himself again in His church.
I’m in.
Thanks, Thomas, for the link to Signs of the Spirit. I went there first and read his introduction online, then decided to tackle Edwards’ original text — no matter how challenging. But the information I read was a great refresher on the events leading up to Edwards writing this book. It helped put his words into context and enhanced my understanding of the material.
I have to say that I was expecting it to be tougher reading than it was for me. I enjoyed the Introduction and Part I very much. Perhaps because I’m a wordy person myself, I was able to digest his long sentences a little better than a reader who tends to be more concise. : )
I have never read with an online group before, but I’m looking forward to the experience very much.
Looking forward to dealing with the big meat of the book from next time, though there is definitely some good introductory material in the Preface…
This comment is to answer Chelsey (Comment #13). I also have the christianaudio version of Religious Affections. I took some time to make a chart that has the audio times as it correlates with the 3 parts and subsections of these parts. If you are interested in receiving this attachment, let me know.
Blessings,Ron Foster
My thoughts (and quotes) about the preface can be found at http://couragetotremble.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/the-religious-affections-introduction/