Comparison of John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards
... John Winthrop (1588-1649) moved to America seeking a government established upon theocracy. ... Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is widely recognized as one of the best American theologians. As a key figure in religious life of colonial America, Edwards was a multifaceted thinker. Many view Edwards as a stern fire-and-brimstone Puritan preacher. Winthrop’s A Modell Christian Charity will be compared to Edwards’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and a selection from A Treatise Concerning Religious Affairs. ... Winthrop outlines conformity, kindness towards the poor, a bond of brotherly affection, and justice and mercy. ... Winthrop believed that even if a person could not repay a debt, one should lend out of mercy. ... Winthrop viewed the Puritan colony as a city on a hill that was to be observed by all. ... In Jonathan Edwards’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, he used the Israelites as an example. ... Edwards also went on to say that the Lord is awaiting for the sinners and is ready to show them mercy.