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A Time To Jump - The Authorised Biography of Jonathan Edwards

A TIME TO JUMP: THE AUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY OF JONATHAN EDWARDS
By Malcolm Folley
HarperCollins. 260 pages. £16.99

Many Christians have become familiar with the name of Jonathan Edwards in relation to the triple jump (in addition to his namesake renowned for very different reasons!). We can remember how Edwards shot to fame for his amazing prowess in athletics while at the same time publicly and unembarrassedly declaring himself to be a Christian. He also became known for his refusal to compete on a Sunday.

Malcolm Folley has written the authorised biography of Jonathan Edwards which means that it is written with his full knowledge and approval. It is a fascinating story, even if your knowledge of and interest in jumping is negligible!

The writer traces Edwards' life from childhood in a Christian home where his father was (and is) an Anglican minister, through school days and the beginnings of the use of a talent he perceived himself to possess.

Edwards grew to understand that his skill in jumping was a gift from God which he must use: 'it was God who gave me both an ability to triple jump and the sense of vocation to foster that talent.' He also saw that it gave him a platform from which he could bear testimony to his Saviour.

The book shows the importance of a loving, supportive family in Edwards' life and also of the local church where both Jonathan and Alison, his wife, continue to be active. Every Christian wonders how he or she would cope with fame and with earning large sums of money. The book is honest in exploring Edwards' reaction to these things. What about times when he failed to achieve? These are movingly described and the lessons he learnt from them.

Edwards has changed his stance on refusing to compete or train on Sunday. In a final appendix he sets out his understanding of Scripture which has led him to that position. Not everyone will agree with his conclusions, as he admits. But the book is well worth reading.

Sonia Wardle