Product Description

In his essay The End for Which God Created the World, the great theologian Jonathan Edwards proclaimed that God’s ultimate end is the manifestation of his glory in the highest happiness of his creatures.

Pastor John Piper has devoted his years of ministry to exploring the implications of this stunning truth for life and ministry. Understanding that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him has made all the difference for John Piper—and can transform your life as well.

Here Piper passionately demonstrates the relevance of Edwards’s ideals for the personal and public lives of Christians today through his own book-length introduction to Edwards’s The End for Which God Created the World. This book also contains the complete essay supplemented by almost a hundred of Piper’s insightful explanatory notes. The result is a powerful and persuasive presentation of the things that matter most in the Christian life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56579 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
"One studies the time and backgrounds of some men in order to understand them. Others have such rare greatness that one studies them in order to understand their times-. Jonathan Edwards was such an original."
-Paul Ramsey, editor of Edwards's ethical writings in the Yale critical edition "No man is more relevant to the present condition of Christianity than Jonathan Edwards."
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"The western church - much of it drifting, enculturated, and infected with cheap grace - desperately needs to hear Edwards's challenge."
-Charles Colson

"[Edwards] speaks with an insight into science and psychology so much ahead of his time that our own can hardly be said to have caught up with him."
-Perry Miller, former Harvard historian

"One of the most holy, humble and heavenly minded men that the world has seen since the apostolic age."
-Ashbel Green, 1829, former president of the College of New Jersey

" - the profoundest reasoner, and the greatest divine - that America ever produced."
-Samuel Davies, 1759

"[Edwards] was a man who put faithfulness to the Word of God before every other consideration."
-Iain Murray, Edwards's biographer

"The disappearance of Edwards's [God-entranced] perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy."
-Mark Noll, Wheaton College historian

Edwards's book, The End for Which God Created the World [is] - unsurpassed in terms of its theological grandeur."
-David Brand

Review

"One studies the time and backgrounds of some men in order to understand them. Others have such rare greatness that one studies them in order to understand their times. . . . Jonathan Edwards was such an original."
—Paul Ramsey, Editor of Edwards's ethical writings in the Yale critical edition

"No man is more relevant to the present condition of Christianity than Jonathan Edwards."
—Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"The western church . . . much of it drifting, enculturated, and infected with cheap grace . . . desperately needs to hear Edwards's challenge."
—Charles Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship

"[Edwards] speaks with an insight into science and psychology so much ahead of his time that our own can hardly be said to have caught up with him."
—Perry Miller, Former Harvard Historian

"One of the most holy, humble and heavenly minded men that the world has seen since the apostolic age."
—Ashbel Green, 1829, Former President of the College of New Jersey

". . . the profoundest reasoner, and the greatest divine . . . that America ever produced."
—Samuel Davies, 1759

"[Edwards] was a man who put faithfulness to the Word of God before every other consideration."
—Iain Murray, Edwards's Biographer

"The disappearance of Edwards's [God-entranced] perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy."
—Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame

"Edwards's book, The End for Which God Created the World [is] . . . unsurpassed in terms of its theological grandeur."
—David Brand, Author, Edwards Scholar

From the Back Cover
"One studies the time and backgrounds of some men in order to understand them. Others have such rare greatness that one studies them in order to understand their times…. Jonathan Edwards was such an original." —Paul Ramsey, editor of Edwards’s ethical writings in the Yale critical edition

"No man is more relevant to the present condition of Christianity than Jonathan Edwards." —D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"The western church … much of it drifting, enculturated, and infected with cheap grace … desperately needs to hear Edwards’s challenge." —Charles Colson

"[Edwards] speaks with an insight into science and psychology so much ahead of his time that our own can hardly be said to have caught up with him." —Perry Miller, former Harvard historian

"One of the most holy, humble and heavenly minded men that the world has seen since the apostolic age." —Ashbel Green, 1829, former president of the College of New Jersey

" … the profoundest reasoner, and the greatest divine … that America ever produced." —Samuel Davies, 1759

"[Edwards] was a man who put faithfulness to the Word of God before every other consideration." —Iain Murray, Edwards’s biographer

"The disappearance of Edwards’s [God-entranced] perspective in American Christian history has been a tragedy." —Mark Noll, Wheaton College historian

Edwards’s book, The End for Which God Created the World [is] … unsurpassed in terms of its theological grandeur." —David Brand

Customer Reviews

The Goal of God: Glory through our Gladness!
If you are wondering where the foundation of John Piper's God-centered theology may be found, this book is a good starting point. In it, Piper reintroduces a theological masterpiece that is almost three hundred years old - "The End for which God Created the World" by the New England Puritan pastor, Jonathan Edwards. Piper's own book-length introduction describes the impact Jonathan Edwards has had on his own life, suggests the relevance that this book will have to our own culture, and provides a brief, but helpful sketch of Jonathan Edwards' life. The work by Edwards is then carefully broken down into numbered paragraphs and is accompanied by Piper's helpful footnotes. Edwards' thesis is simple - God's ultimate aim in everything He does is to uphold and display the glory of His name for the joy of His people. This thesis is worked out with iron-clad logic (be prepared to think!) and meditation on dozens of Biblical passages. If yours is the prayer of Moses - "show me Thy glory" - then this is the book for you.

Awesome re-introduction of Edwards' resounding truths
Piper laments that in this day and age, so few Christians commit to studying "hard" books. Edwards, known as one of the greatest theological and philosophical minds in American history, puts forth a glorious analysis of God's purposes in creating, redeeming, and glorifying his elect in this "hard" book. It requires concentration, an open mind to the things of God, and a willingness to set aside preconceived "boxed" notions of the gospel.

This book completely re-designed my view of the gospel and my views of God. Piper and Edwards "team up" to provide a challenging, searing, and straightforward view of God that few Christians today would agree with. I found it unsettling and comforting at the same time.

Great Minds Think Alike
This is a solid, powerful, stunning, and most biblical text from both Jonathan Edwards and John Piper. This book includes Edward's essay titled "The End for Which God Created the World," along with comments and further delineation from John Piper. To read Edwards sometimes takes much concentration and hard work, and Piper has done a great job bringing this work to life.

The first part of the book is an introduction to Edwards's work, by Piper (a sort of commentary, if you will), and the later part is the actual work of Edwards's. Piper begins by expressing his concern about the issue at hand, and then leads into a discussion of not only Edwards's life but his work as well. Piper comments on Edwards's conclusions in relation to Piper's concerns in his current ministry and then allows the reader to take what Piper has discussed and make application of it through Edwards's original work.

The thing I find most interesting about this work is its relevancy. What I mean by this is the fact that Edwards's wrote this work 200+ years ago and it is still pertinent to our own culture today (sure proof that the Truths of God endure forever). This is a great text, solid theology, and extremely relevant reading for today. I heartily recommend this work!