Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a revivalist preacher, philosopher, and
Congregationalist Protestant theologian. Like most of the
Puritans, he held to the
Reformed theology. His colonial followers later distinguished themselves from other Congregationalists as "New Lights" (endorsing the Great Awakening), as opposed to "Old Lights" (non-revivalists). Edwards is widely regarded as "one of America's most important and original philosophical theologians". Edwards' theological work is broad in scope, but he was rooted in
Reformed theology, the metaphysics of theological determinism, and the
Puritan heritage. Recent studies have emphasized how thoroughly Edwards grounded his life's work on conceptions of beauty, harmony, and ethical fittingness, and how central
The Enlightenment was to his mindset. Edwards played a critical role in shaping the
First Great Awakening, and oversaw some of the first
revivals in 1733–35 at his church in
Northampton,
Massachusetts.