Forerunner of the Great Awakening: Sermons by Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen (1691-1747)

This work of historical interest introduces the life and sermons of Theodore Frelinghuysen, one of the most important precursors of the Great Awakening. Brought up and educated in northern European Calvinistic Pietism in the early eighteenth century, Frelinghuysen accepted a call to the predominantly Dutch Reformed settlements in the Raritan Valley of New Jersey. His impassioned preaching calling for an experiential assurance of salvation had an impact on the preaching style and content of the Presbyterian Gilbert Tennent as well as on the peripatetic George Whitefield. This volume gathers twenty-two of Frelinghuysen's powerful sermons, freshly translated for today. Whether read for inspiration or for historical interest, these sermons contain the seeds of fiery revival that was soon to sweep the country. Also included are an extended biographical introduction to Frelinghuysen and an annotated bibliography of English sources.