Trinity and beauty: The theological contribution of Jonathan Edwards

Abstract

The article explores the relationship between the trinitarian confession of God and beauty. Special attention is paid to Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-centur ypreacher and thinker, who in an exceptional manner viewed God in terms of beauty. The discussion is located in the context of a vigorous international Edwardsian scholarship on metaphysics, the nature of God and aesthetics. The article points out that beauty, according to Edwards, is primarily relational. The article aims at contributing to two neglected scholarly areas – the treatment of the doctrine of God in aesthetic terms, and the study of Jonathan Edwards in a South African context. Areas for further reflection are also identified. The article intimates that a discussion about trinity and beauty may have social ramifications.