# Gerstner - Rational Theology of Jonathan Edwards



## Reena Wilms (Jul 18, 2004)

Who read this book? Is it good or excellence? And can you compare this as a more indept study as mini theology of J-E ? Is in the works only a colection of theology of Edwards, or does Gerstner write own commentary of his theology ? Can someone explain whats this works is about ?

Ralph


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## Randall Pederson (Jul 18, 2004)

*Gerstner's Rational Biblical Theology*

Ralph,

The subtitle of this work should be: [i:94bfd0112f]The theology of Jonathan Edwards according to John H. Gerstner[/i:94bfd0112f]. In many ways it is a good work and has a lot of insights into Edwards's writings. In other ways it's just Gerstner's take on Edwards, which isn't always accurate. It's too idealistic and thinks too highly of Edwards, ignoring some of his most glaring faults. This might be a crass analogy, but when you buy a used car you don't just want to know about all its good points. You want to know if you'll have to put new brakes on it within the next two months!

Shalom,
Randall


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## polemic_turtle (Jul 3, 2006)

Anyone have any thoughts on this set? I recently got it and am reading it as time permits. I'm primarily interested in the doctrine of "seeking", which, it would seem, has to get around Rom 3:11 or do I misunderstand what Edwards is saying? Is he saying that Rom 3:11 refers to seeking with proper motives and the seeking which he believed was possible was done with bad motives( namely, salvation from hell as only motive )?

In other news, eBay has a set for about $30 below what I paid. link.


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## Don Kistler (Jul 4, 2006)

My good friend Randal, was there anyone who knew Edwards better than Dr. Gerstner? And if we say that his assessment wasn't always accurate, by what standard do we make such an authoritative statement? Who determined what Edwards's "glaring faults" were? This man spent the greatest part of his life studying Edwards, had read every sermon Edwards ever wrote, and was arguably the foremost authority on Edwards, second only, perhaps, to Thomas Schaffer. 

What Gerstner was trying to do in his "magnum opus" was to show that Edwards's theology was not only biblical, but it was rational. 

With regard to "seeking," it was not seeking the Lord, which no unregenerate man can do, according to Scripture, but seeking salvation. The older term for it was "preparation," which was nothing more than using the means that God had given to co-operate with God rather than to fight against him.

In other words, the unregenerate man can go to church, he can refrain from committing sinful acts that would harden his heart all the more, and he can ask God to change his heart. As Thomas Goodwin said, "If you can't go to God WITH a right heart, then go to God FOR one." While no one seeks the Lord while unconverted, the sinner can still seek salvation, even if only out of self-interest.

There, that ought to stir some responses for a while! :bigsmile:

Don Kistler


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## BuddyOfDavidClarkson (Jul 8, 2006)

I read all three volumes - I really did.

One of the great things you'll get with the set is that over the course of JE's sermons, he basically wrote a commentary on the book of Hebrews and Gerstner pulled the entire thing together.

I really enjoyed it and can commend the work.



> _Originally posted by Reena Wilms_
> Who read this book? Is it good or excellence? And can you compare this as a more indept study as mini theology of J-E ? Is in the works only a colection of theology of Edwards, or does Gerstner write own commentary of his theology ? Can someone explain whats this works is about ?
> 
> Ralph


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