The God Who Knows and Loves

In this conversation, Kyle Strobel explores Jonathan Edwards’s profound vision of God, emphasizing the beauty, glory, and joy inherent in the Trinity. The discussion delves into the nature of the Father, Son, and Spirit, the divine processions, and the interplay of knowledge and love within the Godhead. Kyle highlights Edwards’s classical theism and the psychological analogy used to understand the Trinity, ultimately connecting these theological concepts to the idea of religious affection and the importance of knowing God personally.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Edwards’s Vision of God00:59 Understanding the Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit02:58 The Divine Processions and Psychological Analogy05:52 The Movement of Knowledge and Love in God08:19 The Interrelation of Knowledge, Love, and AffectionThe Jonathan Edwards ProjectI started something I call “The Jonathan Edwards Project” years ago as an attempt to make the writings of Jonathan Edwards more accessible. Edwards is an important figure in all sorts of ways, but he is often misread or commandeered to agendas that are foreign to his thinking. To understand evangelical theology, it is important to know Edwards’s thinking, but also critique it when needed. Here is a developmental list of resources I’ve published and edited for that end.101 - Charity and Its Fruits: Living in the Light of God’s Love, edited and introduced by Kyle Strobel (Crossway, 2012). This is the best place to start reading Edwards.Jonathan Edwards: Spiritual Writings Classics of Western Spirituality Series edited with Ken Minkema and Adriaan Neele (Paulist Press, 2019). This is a collection of key texts on Edwards’s spirituality. This is a great volume for key selections from across Edwards’s writings.201 - Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards (IVP, 2013). This tries to capture the vision of early evangelical spirituality.301 - I’m working on this right now, and I’m really excited about it. More to come.401 - Jonathan Edwards: An Introduction to His Thought co-authored with Oliver Crisp (Eerdmans, 2018). This introduction to Edwards’s thought is used in graduate school courses on Edwards. It is an introduction, and so it does not assume knowledge of Edwards’s thought specifically, but it does assume an academic background.501 - Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation (T&T Clark, 2013). This is a re-worked version of my dissertation on how to read Edwards’s theology. It serves as a methodological work on reading Edwards as a Reformed theologian.Other works:Reformed Dogmatics in Dialogue: The Theology of Karl Barth and Jonathan Edwards co-edited with Uche Anizor (Lexham Press, 2022).Regeneration, Revival, & Creation: Religious Experience and the Purposes of God in the Thought of Jonathan Edwards with Chris Chun (Pickwick Publications, 2020).The Ecumenical Edwards: Jonathan Edwards and the Theologians (Ashgate Publishing, 2015). Get full access to Spiritual Formation: A Substack by Kyle Strobel at kylestrobel.substack.com/subscribe