''A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls in Northampton'' is an essay written in 1737 by

Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards may refer to: Musicians *Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, pseudonym of bandleader Paul Weston and his wife, singer Jo Stafford *Jonathan Edwards (musician) (born 1946), American musician **Jonathan Edwards (album), ''Jonathan Edward ...

about the process of Christian conversion in

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence, Massachusetts, Florence and ...

, during the

Great Awakening The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late 20th cent ...

, which emanated from Edwards' congregation in 1734.

Analysis

Edwards wrote the ''Narrative'' to dispel rumors and to clarify how

conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Convert'', a 2023 film produced by Jump Film & Television and Brouhaha Entertainment * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * ...

to Christianity occurs. Edwards gives a background of the town and its relatively mundane history prior to the Awakening of 1734. In the book, Edwards describes God's

grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

by using examples of various people from his local congregation, such as Abigail Hutchinson, a young woman who died joyfully. These examples illustrate the psychology of conversion by grace. He outlines several universal steps in conversion: * First, Edwards explains how the conversion starts when individuals with an interest in Christianity attempt to live righteously through their

good works In Christian theology, good works, or simply works, are a person's exterior actions, deeds, and behaviors that align with certain moral teachings, emphasizing compassion, Charity (Christian virtue), charity, kindness and adherence to biblical pri ...

and study scripture attempting to avoid

sin In religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law or a law of the deities. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered ...

and

damnation Damnation (from Latin '' damnatio'') is the concept of divine punishment after death for sins that were committed, or in some cases, good actions not done, on Earth. In Ancient Egyptian religious tradition, it was believed that citizens woul ...

and to "earn"

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

. * Next, Edwards describes how these individuals inevitably fail to live up to the Old Testament legalist standard, and they experience despair at their failures and inherent sinfulness, often believing they have committed "the unpardonable sin." * Then, Edwards describes how successful converts experience " converting grace" and "awaken" to see that forgiveness is available to all who have faith that Jesus' sacrifice atones for all sins. This

is impossible through works which are simply evidence of faith, and only possible through Christ's sacrifice. * Finally, this revelation of grace is followed by a sense of joy or an internal "new light" from the

Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Holy Ghost, is a concept within the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is understood as the divine quality or force of God manifesting in the world, particularly in acts of prophecy, creati ...

and a desire to spread the Christian

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

and leave sin behind. Also, true converts experience a greater sensitivity to their "heart sins", such as

pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...

and judging others, sins with which they were largely unconcerned before conversion when they were primarily concerned with legalism or their own "saving" works. Even though this change has occurred, many Christians "have no imagination that they are now converted."

History and impact

Edwards published the ''Narrative'' in England in 1737, Boston in 1738, and later in German and Dutch, and it brought him a large international following. Prominent Christians such as

George Whitefield George Whitefield (; 30 September 1770), also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican minister and preacher who was one of the founders of Methodism and the evangelical movement. Born in Gloucester, he matriculated at Pembroke Coll ...

, a British minister, came to visit Edwards in Northampton after the publication. The ''Narrative'' remains popular and modern day evangelists such as Timothy Keller often refer to this and other Edwards works as models for their ministry. The song "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written in 1772 and published in 1779 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is possibly the most sung and most recorded hymn in the world, and especially popular in the Unit ...

", written in 1772, is sometimes compared to the "grace experience" described in ''A Faithful Narrative''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faithful Narrative Of The Surprising Work Of God 1737 non-fiction books 1737 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay 18th-century Christian texts 1737 essays 18th-century history books History books about the United States Pre-statehood history of Massachusetts Northampton, Massachusetts Works by Jonathan Edwards (theologian) Books about Massachusetts