Visual Edwards Project

Visual Edwards in Action

Screenshots of 2D and 3D network graphs from the project. These visualizations reveal connections in Edwards' theology, typology, and writings — the conceptual foundation for the forthcoming Jonathan Edwards Commentary on the New Testament from RHB.

Visual Edwards
Input interface with parameters and options

Search Results Page
Sortable with highlighted search terms and phrases

3D Visualization
Exploring and annotating Edwards’ vast theological reflections

2D Visualization
Exploring and annotating Edwards’ vast theological reflections

What is Visual Edwards?

The Visual Edwards Project creatively visualizes the writings and thoughts of Jonathan Edwards, facilitating exploration, study, and presentation. It began with Edwards’ natural typology and now spans all 73 volumes of Yale’s Works of Jonathan Edwards Online (WJEO).

Using 2D & 3D network graphs, the project reveals hidden connections, reduces cognitive load for researchers, and creates beautiful “Edwards at a glance” views — blending theology, technology, and art.

Endorsements

“Rob Boss’ work on visualizing Edwards’ thought through dimensional traceries is a case in point. This “mapping” or imaging of the mind of Edwards is unique, and uniquely illumines the study of the man and presents new possibilities. “Sight” had both a physiological and a spiritual dimension for Edwards, who studied Newton as well as Milton, but he could hardly have anticipated the realms that visualization has taken on in the postmodern era.” — Kenneth P. Minkema, Executive Director, Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University

“The tools of digital humanities allow researchers to identify or represent patterns in literature in ways that would have been prohibitively time-consuming or impossible with tools based in print technologies. Because of the structure of the “Miscellanies” of Jonathan Edwards and the breadth of his corpus, an exhaustive analysis of a theme is difficult. Topical mapping allows researchers to clarify Edwards through his own writings.…This project exemplifies what can be done to enrich theological research with data gathered from projects similar to The Works of Jonathan Edwards Online.” — Jonathan McCormick, Director of Library Services, Gateway Seminary

“Boss succeeds in translating words and thoughts into images, uncovering many aspects of Edwards’s thoughts that would otherwise remain hidden. This innovative approach initiates a whole new area of research in Jonathan Edwards studies and adds to the recent contributions of Digital Humanities to the study of American letters as such.” — Michał Choiński, Assistant Professor in the Institute of English Studies, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland