Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - It Is No Sign That Affections Have the Nature of True Religion, Or That They Have Not, That They Have Great Effects on the Body

Jonathan Edwards argues that bodily effects are not reliable indicators of true spiritual affections because all affections, whether religious or secular, can produce physical responses due to the inherent connection between the mind and body. Intense thoughts and emotions naturally affect the physical frame, and stronger affections tend to have more pronounced bodily effects.Edwards emphasizes that secular affections about worldly matters can also generate significant physical reactions, demonstrating that such effects are not exclusive to religious experiences. Therefore, observing bodily manifestations during religious experiences does not automatically confirm their spiritual nature.Conversely, Edwards contends that genuine and intense spiritual affections can indeed have significant bodily effects. He sees no logical or scriptural reason why profound encounters with God's glory or overwhelming spiritual joy should not impact the physical body, especially given human weakness and the powerful nature of such experiences. Scriptural examples of individuals like Daniel and John being physically overcome by visions of divine glory support this possibility.Furthermore, Edwards notes that Scripture often uses bodily expressions like trembling, groaning, and fainting to describe the intensity of holy affections. This suggests a natural correlation between deep spiritual feelings and potential physical manifestations. He concludes that since both natural and spiritual affections can have bodily effects, one cannot definitively judge the spiritual nature of an experience based solely on its physical consequences. The focus should instead be on the internal nature and source of the affections themselves.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed