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Sinners in thehands of the angry god personificaton
Research on the first great awakening
Research on the first great awakening
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“Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards is probably one the most profound sermons given during the time of the Great Awakening. During this message Edwards uses a very straight attack approach towards the congregation such as “ for most of them destruction came suddenly when they least expected it and they were saying peace and safety but now they see that the themes they trusted to give them peace and give them safety were nothing but thin air and empty shadows, God is holding you over the pit of hell as someone holds a spider or some repulsive insect over a fire and he upholds you and is dreadfully provoked. Oh sinner think seriously about the terrible danger you are in.”, which is a severe attack on one's spirality? There
are two important aspects that are to be analyzed when reading Edwards sermon; one being his goal and how he achieved it, and the other being how he communicated and people perceived his message. In looking at these two things, the reader will get a better understanding of his spoken words. The first thing to be evaluated is Jonathan's goal when delivering his sermon. It is very clear the orator was trying to get the point across that humans alone, are heathens and without God so generously saving them, they would be damned to hell as stated by Edwards, “the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you”, which paints a pretty vivid picture of how much humans need God. He achieved the crowds understanding by painting vivid pictures of their future without God’s sovereignty. The second thing is how he communicated and how it was perceived. He communicated his idea very well and his point was well made. He had no problem saying exactly what he need to say and everyone got the point. however that being said many people did not like that point. Due to this sermon many people disliked Edwards and hated his teachings. Many puritans felt conviction for their actions and despised John Edwards for it. With all being said, John Edwards was a powerful writer and no one can argue that. His spiritual works are still being viewed all around the world today and that says a lot. Whether the impact is positive or negative the impact is still there and that is a true accomplishment for a writer.
Foreboding and dreadful describe the tone of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Edwards makes the tone very clear by saying “The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire” (154). He tries to convey the wrath of god that will come upon them if they do not devoted themselves to Christ by saying “Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon souls, all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God.” (154).
In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards, he preached about a stricter Calvinist theology of Puritanism. Edwards delivered it at the Massachusetts congregation on July 8, 1741. He blatantly uses rhetorical strategies to instill fear into his audience if they are to continue to not be active Puritans in religion. Edwards uses polysyndeton, harsh diction and tone, and the appeal to emotion along with the use of semicolons to develop his message.
On July 8th 1741, Jonathan Edwards preached the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in Enfield, Connecticut. Edwards states to his listeners that God does not lack in power, and that people have yet not fallen to destruction because his mercy. God is so forgiving that he gives his people an opportunity to repent and change their ways before it was too late. Edwards urges that the possibility of damnation is immanent. Also that it urgently requires the considerations of the sinner before time runs out. He does not only preach about the ways that make God so omnipotent, but the ways that he is more superior to us. In his sermon, Edwards uses strong, powerful, and influential words to clearly point out his message that we must amend our ways or else destruction invincible. Edwards appeals to the spectators though the various usages of rhetorical devices. This includes diction, imagery, language/tone and syntax. Through the use of these rhetoric devices, Edwards‘s purpose is to remind the speculators that life is given by God and so they must live according to him. This include...
In the story “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” the author Jonathan Edwards uses
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Rhetorical Analysis “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards uses imagery and symbolism to persuade the audience to become more devout Christians by channeling fear and emphasizing religious values. Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan minister who preached during the time of the Great Awakening in America. During this period of religious revival, Edwards wanted people to return to the devout ways of the early Puritans in America. The spirit of the revival led Edwards to believe that sinners would enter hell. Edwards’ sermon was primarily addressed to sinners for the purpose of alerting them about their sins and inspiring them to take action to become more devoted to God.
Edwards, who also had Puritan beliefs, was a philosopher and theologian and his way of thinking was more in-depth and complex. He used repetition to drive his sermons home and convinced his congregations of the evils and wickedness of hell through the use of intense analogies. His “fire and brimstone” way of preaching frightened people and made them feel a deep need for salvation. Edwards believed that all humans were natural sinners and God was eagerly awaiting to judge them. He wrote "their foot shall slide in due time" meaning that mankind was full of inevitable sinners.
In 1741, Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan preacher of that time, had one thing on his mind: to convert sinners, on the road to hell, to salvation. It just so happened to be, that his way of doing that was to preach the reality to them and scare them to the point of conversion. Sermons of this time were preached to persuade people to be converted and to me it seemed that Edwards just had a special way of doing it. Just as people are being influenced by rhetoric appeals today Edwards used the same method on his congregation. In “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Jonathan Edwards positively affected his readers using pathos, logos, and ethos, while trying to convince the unconverted members of his sermon to be born again.
As many religious leaders before and after him, Edwards's source of inspiration and guidance is the Bible. His understanding of this cornerstone of New England society enables him to reinforce a persuasive dissertation with biblical quotes and passages; however, not all the quotes cited by Edwards support his interpretations exclusively. Often Edwards uses parts or sections of biblical verse rather than complete text because too much information might diminish the importance of his primary intent. These instances of manipulation occur in the doctrinal section where Edwards attempts to prove the basis of his application. "Cut it down, why cumbereth it in the ground?", Luke 13:7, is used by Edwards to illustrate God's justifiably immediate destruction of those guilty of sin. Absent from his selection is any mention of the moderation and patience that continues in Luke 13:8-9: "let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well." By omitting these verses of scripture, Edwards hopes to move his audience by his calling rather than at their own leisure. Another example of manipulation occurs as Edwards proposes that sinners are already Satan's property. In section five he states that Satan "stands ready to fall upon them and seize them...
On July 8, 1741 Congregational minister, John Edwards, delivered a sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” before a Massachusetts congregation in order to dismiss some of the colonist’s belief that hell is not real. Edwards’s objective is to abolish any doubts against god and hell that the colonists have. He uses strategies such as anaphora, figurative language, polysyndeton, all while instilling a feeling of angst in his audience through his tone.
Jonathan Edwards was a man who could petrify any eighteenth century Puritan. He was born in East Windsor, Connecticut and was raised in a household with strict religious beliefs. In 1727 he began his preaching career as an assistant to his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, the pastor at the church at Northampton, Massachusetts. When his grandfather died two years later, Edwards became the pastor of the Church at Northampton and began preaching all over New England. He then emerged as one of the leaders of the Great Awakening with his determination to return to the orthodoxy of the Puritan faith. That is when he adopted his “fire and brimstone” emotional style of sermon. Although people often ran out of the church in hysterics, most stayed in the church captivated by his speeches. He had always purposely chose to address his congregation with a sermon, using all of the elements of an oratory. In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards displays all elements of an oratory by appealing to emotions, including expressive and rhythmic language, addressing the needs and concerns of his audience, and inspiring others to take action.
For example, he argues that “every unconverted man properly belongs to hell” (322). Right before he makes this claim, he quotes John 3:18, and right after, he quotes John 8:23. By bracketing his claim with direct quotes from the Bible, he provides evidence that defends his belief about where non-Christians are destined to end up. This pattern of justifying his arguments with biblical scriptures continues; for instance, when Edwards proclaims “All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers . . . The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater.” (328) he immediately quotes Luke 12:4-5. This provides validity to his claim that God’s wrath is infinitely more terrible than any earthly king. He goes on to expand on God’s powerful wrath and asserts that “Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear.” (329); he follows this up by quoting Ezekiel 8:18. Through once again following up his claims with a reference, Edwards proves that his argument of a non-pitying, wrathful God is biblically
In both the poems “Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th 1666” by Anne Bradstreet, and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards, the themes are the struggles with the Puritan belief of predestination, the justice of God, and their attitudes towards God; however Bradstreet expresses these struggles by portraying God in a loving and merciful way, while Edwards expresses these struggles by portraying God in a unforgiving and angry way. For example both poets believe that God is unpredictable, however while Bradstreet thinks it is because God has a plan in the end, Edwards thinks it is because God is quick to anger. Bradstreet paints a positive image of God in order to try to convince herself that God is just and His plan will eventually lead her to happiness, while Edwards paints an image of terrifying and enraged God to explain why God causes suffering.
As a Christian and probably in many other religions the congregation is taught that being a sinner is frowned upon in the eyes of God. By not doing God's will he will be judged, and it will be fearful and painful. A "hellfire and brimstone sermon" were common in the older days but produced negative images/meaning. Many preachers have steered away from theses sermons because the slightest mention of hell or God in an unpleasing way frustrates individuals. Jonathan Edwards writes a sermon called,"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," explaining the unmerciful judgment God puts upon sinners that are unimaginable. His sermon is a hellfire and brimstone sermon which is condemning and blunt about the judgment of God. Throughout the sermon, Edward
Temptation, the biggest fight you can face, is around every corner. People are making mistakes left and right, some are more intense than others. People don't know the consequences of sin in the afterlife. Many think that if a person sins then they are instantly foreordained to go to hell. Others think that there is no such thing as sinning. People are unsure of what will happen to them once they have committed a sin. No matter what sins you have face or committed, nothing is irredeemable.
“There is nothing between you and Hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up,” a quote from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, explains the thoughts and beliefs of the time. Many pieces of literature from the same time period tend to have similar themes. Sin and redemption are the common themes that appear to be most redundant. This is shown mostly through the works entitled, The Crucible, The Minister’s Black Veil, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and Redemption.