Lesallan | September 13, 2025
The Soul Is Stirring: Distinguishing True Affections from Mere Emotion
Lesallan Bostron
Ohio Christian University
THE3300 Historical Theology II (ONL25F2)
Dr. Steven Ruby
September 11, 2025
The Soul Is Stirring: Distinguishing True Affections from Mere Emotion
Jonathan Edwards, in A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (Moody et al., 1960), mounts a compelling defense of the indispensable role affections play in authentic Christian discipleship. He opens by defining “affections” as the soul’s vigorous inclinations toward God—movements of delight, reverence, and love that arise when the mind beholds divine truth and the will responds in wholehearted surrender (Moody et al., 1960, p. 3). Edwards contends that without such heartfelt inclinations, one’s conversion remains a hollow formality: intellectual assent to doctrine may abound, yet the believer’s life lacks the transformative warmth of a heart captivated by Christ’s excellence (Moody et al., 1960, p. 4). Crucially, he distinguishes these lasting affections from mere “emotions,” which he describes as transient, self-focused stirrings prone to vanish with changing circumstances and untethered from the object of genuine faith (Moody et al., 1960, p. 5). By rooting affections firmly in Scripture, Edwards argues believers gain both the active impetus for holy living and the outward evidence of an inward, vibrant union with God (Moody et al., 1960, p. 6).
A particularly illuminating section of Edwards’s treatise addresses the danger of counterfeit or “false affections.” He catalogs instances of loud weeping, convulsive groaning, and bodily agitations that characterized many Great Awakening gatherings, acknowledging both the apparent sincerity of participants and the ambiguous origins of these phenomena (Moody et al., 1960, p. 10). Edwards warns that when affections spring primarily from novelty, suggestion, or social contagion, they can become ends in themselves—deceptive substitutes for true spiritual renewal (Moody et al., 1960, p. 11). Unlike genuine affections, which “flow from the apprehension of the divine excellencies” (Moody et al., 1960, p. 12), these sensational displays mask the soul’s coldness toward Christ and risk leaving communities enamored with feeling rather than with God’s beauty. This analysis resonates with twenty-first-century ministry contexts that too often prize emotional crescendo over the sober work of Scripture-grounded discipleship, reminding leaders to measure spiritual fervor by object rather than its intensity.
Reflecting on Edwards’s treatise yields three practical applications for personal life and ministry. First, it underscores the necessity of unwavering biblical literacy: only through disciplined immersion in Scripture can our affections arise from a true knowledge of God’s character rather than from transient emotional thrills (Moody et al., 1960, p. 16). Second, it calls for intentional worship design that marries heartfelt celebration with clear doctrinal teaching—encouraging congregations to connect their emotional responses to the unchanging realities of Christ’s person and work (Moody et al., 1960, p. 17). Third, Edwards’s emphasis on self-examination invites a regular “heart audit,” wherein we prayerfully assess whether love, humility, and gratitude genuinely govern our motives, or whether we have settled for the hollow satisfaction of emotional peaks (Moody et al., 1960, p. 18). Together, these practices foster a discipleship culture in which affections are both authentic and deeply rooted in divine truth.
In conclusion, Edwards reaffirms that true conversion engages both mind and heart. He challenges modern believers to distinguish fleeting emotion from enduring affections grounded in the beauty of God’s glory, urging us to “rate spiritual affections by the worthiness of the object” rather than by their felt intensity (Moody et al., 1960, p. 19). By heeding Edwards’s counsel, our spiritual journeys and ministries can bear the lasting fruit of genuine love for God and neighbor—guarding us against the ever-present allure of emotionalism disguised as authentic discipleship.
In the end, Edwards’s treatise reminds us that authentic revival is measured not by the volume of our tears or the fervor of our shouts, but by affections deeply rooted in the beauty and truth of Christ. By distinguishing genuine, Scripture-informed affections from fleeting emotionalism, he calls every believer and leader to nurture hearts shaped by divine reality rather than cultural sensation. This vision of discipleship guards against the deceptive allure of performance, ensuring that worship remains an outpouring of love, reverence, and gratitude. When affections spring from a profound knowledge of God’s character, they become the true evidence of conversion, the sustaining power for holy living, and the enduring testimony of the soul’s union with its Creator. (Moody et al., 1960, p. 19)
References:
Moody, R. E., Edwards, J., & Smith, J. E. (1960). A Treatise concerning Religious Affections.
The New England Quarterly, 33(4), 2–181. https://doi.org/10.2307/362693
