Nathaniel and Jonathan: A Riddle

I have written an essay based on two literary greats. One is Nathaniel Hawthorne, whom we shall remember for authoring The Scarlet Letter in 1850. The other is Jonathan Edwards, 18th century Puritan preacher famous for his scathing narrative Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God, written in 1741. They are standing at the gates of Heaven with a third unseen character. I have omitted the title of the essay in hopes that you can discover who else might have a vested interest in their debate.
If you haven't read these works in awhile, maybe this will inspire you to brew a pot of strong coffee or tea, wrap up in a blanket and solve the mystery. Just remember: the essay is fiction but some of the characters in the story are not. Can you name them? Is the "missing title character" real or imagined?
You be the judge.
I'll reveal the title in tomorrow's post.
Click on this link to read the essay. Click back here to leave a comment with your guess.

(I promise to write a lighter and less lengthy post tomorrow.
I'm on the prowl for that cowboy man. He seems to have disappeared.
Yet another mystery........)