Casuistic Book-Lending: Jonathan Edwards’ Use of Daniel Defoe’s Religious Courtship

Abstract

Jonathan Edwards’ Catalogue of Books reveals books that he owned, and his Account Book records books that he lent to family, friends, and colleagues.[1] Though incomplete, these records carry interest for those wishing to understand the role of books and periodicals in Edwards’ personal study, but they also indicate something of his ministry to others. The history of the books Edwards owned, as well as of the individuals who borrowed them, can shed light on his ministry context, his interaction with current ideas, and his application to those in his sphere of influence.

[1] Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 26, Catalogue of Books, ed. Peter J. Thuesen (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2008).