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Jonathan Edwards and Music

Jonathan Edwards had much to say on music and singing. He was a vocal advocate for progressive changes towards a more aesthetic approach to congregational singing. However, this was not just reactionary or arbitrary - his position on the churchʼs practice flowed from the core of his theology. Beauty is arguably the central theme of his theology, and he often expressed and articulated it typologically through the vocabulary and concepts of music - particularly harmony. This study will explore this central tenant, reviewing the cultural factors influential in its formation before examining it in detail. It will then move to study its impact on Edwardsʼs thoughts about the affections, the end times, and religious revival. It will conclude by discussing congregational music in Sydney Evangelical churches and how Edwardsʼs insights may commend or critique it and offer a firm theological framework for developing a positive approach to music in church.