Introduction

Biography

Edwards was the son of Cal­vin Park (1774–1847), a Con­gre­ga­tion­al min­is­ter who was a pro­fes­sor at Brown Uni­ver­si­ty (1804–25) and pas­tor at Stough­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts (1826–40).

He gra­du­at­ed from Brown Uni­ver­si­ty in 1826, taught in Brain­tree, Mas­sa­chu­setts, for two years, and gra­du­at­ed from An­do­ver Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry in 1831.

With Ri­chard Sal­ter Storrs, he co-pas­tored the ort­ho­dox Con­gre­ga­tion­al church of Brain­tree (1831–33). He was al­so pro­fes­sor of men­tal and mor­al phi­lo­so­phy at Am­herst Col­lege (1835); Bart­let pro­fess­or of sac­red rhe­tor­ic (1836–47); and Ab­bot pro­fess­or of Chris­tian theo­lo­gy (1847–81) at An­do­ver.

An ar­dent ad­mir­er of preach­er Jo­na­than Ed­wards (whose great-grand­daugh­ter he mar­ried), Park was one of the most not­able Am­eri­can theo­log­ians and ora­tors. He was a pro­mi­nent lead­er of the school of New Eng­land Theo­lo­gy.

He left his theo­lo­gic­al im­press on the jour­nal Bib­lio­the­ca Sac­ra, which he and Be­la B. Ed­wards took ov­er in 1844 from Ed­ward Rob­in­son, who had found­ed it in 1843. Park was as­sist­ant ed­it­or un­til 1851, then ed­it­or-in-chief (1851–84).

Works

• The Sab­bath Hymn and Tune Book, with Lo­well Ma­son & Aus­tin Phelps (New York: Ma­son Bro­thers, 1859)
• Hymns and Choirs, with Aus­tin Phelps & D. L. Fur­ber, 1860
• Associate Creed of An­do­ver Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, 1883
• Worcester Creed, pub­lished ano­ny­mous­ly, 1884
• The Atone­ment (ed­it­or), 1890
• The Rise of the Ed­ward­ean Theo­ry of the Atone­ment