A Day in Northampton

My wife likes to say from time to time that I am a nerd, and to a degree she is right.

Why would she say that?

Because it is true.

Yesterday I spend the day with a colleague looking at gravestones, old books and historic sites around Northampton, MA. For those of you who don't know, Northampton is know in religious circles as the hometown of Jonathan Edwards, one of the most famous American theologians of the 18th Century. I would not say I am a huge fan of Edwards, but I definitely respect him and admire his work and ministry. He served as a minister in Northampton for over 20 years and if you look closely today, you can find bits of evidence of his ministry in this city in Central MA.

The highlight yesterday was going through some old books in the Forbes Library, pictured above, and studying some original documents from Edwards. I held in my hand yesterday, a 2nd edition copy of Religious Affections written by Edwards from 1678. Very cool.

Yep, I am a nerd, but I am more than that, I am a church history nerd. And surprisingly, I am comfortable with that title.