Prof. Dr. Andreas Beck, Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Leuven, Belgium, Dr. Kenneth P. Minkema, Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University.
In the early modern period, “Providence” was a term often used synonymously with “God,” but also used to identify God’s acting in the world to order events. Occurrences, both good and bad, were interpreted as “providences” in which God sought to convey meaning, although not always in parallel ways, and it was up to believers to consider what lessons were being taught and to form their lives accordingly. Nothing happened for nothing, or simply was the product of natural causes. We today might think of this as a rather “enchanted” way of conceiving of reality, but broadly conceived, the concept or doctrine of providence included the nature of being, continuous creation, divine and human agency, grace, and other urgent issues of both faith and human living. Combining selections from the writings of eighteenth-century British-American theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards, including theological essays, notebook entries, and sermons, along with interpretive literature, this course will open up to participants the many facets of Edwards’s providential world, showing both transatlantic influences and legacies.
June 1-5, 2026 via Zoom, $400
Registration Deadline: May 29, 11am ET (i.e., 5:00 pm Central European Summer Time).
NB. May 29 is and extended deadline. The extension is exceptional and independent of what the YDS Summer Study website says.
