I have done a lot of theological studying over the past 6 months. I have acquired much 'head knowledge' and I continually ask myself if this knowledge translates into changed behavior. I have now, thanks to Jonathan Edwards, added another question to ask myself regularly: does this increase in doctrinal knowledge effect my affections. You see, for Edwards, true theological understanding would result in religious affections.
But yet it is evident, that religion consists so much in affection, as that without holy affection there is no true religion; and no light in the understanding is good, which does not produce holy affection in the heart...If the great things of religion are rightly understood, they will affect the heart. (Religious Affections, 30, 32, emphasis mine)
For Edwards, there is only one way for the glorious doctrines of Christianity to not move a man's affections:
The reason why men are not affected by such infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful things, as they often hear and read of, in the word of God, is undoubtedly because they are blind; if they were not so, it would be impossible, and utterly inconsistent with human nature, that their hearts should be otherwise than strongly impressed, and greatly moved by such things. (Religious Affections, 32, emphasis mine)I think those are to good questions to gauge if your studying is achieving all that it could, or should: Are my actions improving with my theological understanding?; Are my affections being moved with doctrinal knowledge?
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