Edwards Vs Bach

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is widely recognized as one of America’s most profound Theologians. Some might even consider him the master of Puritan revival, since he was the leader of the Great Awakening. During his time he was a devout Calvinist who had the power of single-handedly keeping the Puritan faith strong for over twenty-five years, by using vivid imagery to provoke his audience. Edward's dialect was exquisitely influential and yet wielded with class and ease. This essay argues that Edwards was a prestigious theologian in his time that helped shape modern religious culture.

Jonathan Edwards, a negative and realistic man, focused on how God is a judgemental god and sinners will be put to a painful death, they should be fearful. He says in the first few lines of his speech, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit.” (Edwards, Pg. 23) Edwards implies that everyone deserves to be in hell and he goes on to say that God is an angry God and that no one had done anything to try to ease His anger. Edwards also played a large role in the Great Awakening. He wanted people to experience Christianity in an intense and emotional way. In his speech, he said, “O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell.” (Edwards, Pg. 26) Edward’s speech was opportunity knocking at everyone’s doors. He influenced people to want to be saved in a way that made many fearful of what could happen to them if they weren’t saved or a child of God. Edwards believed that God set the world in motion, but was not active in everyone’s life. Edwards believed that God created the world and

When comparing the two writers, one should note that both Edwards and Winthrop have numerous traits in common with many of the Puritan writers of this time, as they understood that God was a deity, promoting people to live honest and moral lives. These two men came from similar walks of life, as they were both male, highly educated, wealthy, acclimating from desirable religious, and societal backgrounds,

George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were both two extreme zealous preachers and very different from each other but had a similar message. George Whitefield was an English Minster, evangelist, and preacher. Whitefield’s purpose was to encourage people to repent their sins and transmute their sinful ways and become preserved to Christ. As for Jonathan Edwards he was a Puritan, preacher and philosopher. Edwards’ concept was to fixate on the experience in religion; he wanted people to understand the distinction between what Edward called a 'merely notional understanding ' of something and 'being in some way inclined ' with reverence. He wanted people to understand the nature and experience of religion. Both Whitefield and Edwards were important figures in Christianity; they could also be seen as entertainers of that time.

One of the most influential writers and new light preachers was Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was born into an Orthodox family on October 5th, 1703, in the city of East Windsor, Connecticut. As a child, Jonathan Edwards had constant exposure to the teachings of the Bible and Christian theology, as well as having the opportunity to learn a variety of languages such as Greek and Latin (University). Throughout his childhood, Edwards received an adequate and excellent education from his father and ten sisters, so that he could be prepared to attend college and earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees in philosophy and theology. Furthermore, when Edwards was only eleven years old, he wrote his first piece of scientific literature titled “Flying Spider,” in which he accurately portrayed scientific observation and marvelous literary skills

Jonathan Edwards and Nathaniel Hawthorne are similar because of the fact that they both talk about religion. Therefore they both get their points across but in different ways. Edwards, the writer of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is the actual preacher of that sermon. He wants people to repent and turn to god, he does this through the way he preaches the sermon or through his tone. His demeanor is not like a normal sermon, Edward is shouting. At the end of many sentences there are many exclamation marks which tells you he is not just talking in a regular voice. On the other hand, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the story. The story is of a preacher that wears a black veil for years which is symbolising his sins. Hawthorne’s

Edward’s sermons would have been seen by many people as more vivid when he talks about god and his religious beliefs and views. For example “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked” (126) this depiction that Jonathan gives to the audience may seem very frightening. Compared to the somewhat more loving depiction that Anne Bradstreet gives “And to God my heart did cry To strengthen me in my distress” (line 8-9) Anne tells the audience that God strengthens her in her distress which is a very different depiction from Jonathan’s sermon. One of the few similarities about their religious would be near the ending of Jonathan’s sermon it states “And now an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners” (129)this context differs from the beginning of Jonathan’s sermon and can be compared to the tone of some of Bradstreet’s writing. For example a piece of Anne’s writing “That when we live no more, we may live ever.” (12) this piece of context tells that she if she loves her husband and he loves her than then they shall live in heaven when they die. Both of these examples tell

Jonathan Edwards sought to return religion to its Calvinistic roots, and reawaken the fear of God in the hearts of sinners. His emotionally charged sermons evoked terrifying images of the utter corruption of human nature and the terrors awaiting the unrepentant in hell. Edwards was a powerful speaker and attracted a large following. His goal was not only to frighten

Bach’s complex compositional style incorporates religious and numerological symbols that fit perfectly together in a puzzle of musical code. Demanding unfaltering facility in dexterity, precise pitch, particularly in the multiple stoppings, as well as sensitivity to implied polyphonic and harmonic textures. These exceptional works may be the closest thing we have to a “perfect” composition, so why is it that musicians have drastically different alterations and interpretations of his works? It is as if quality, intensity, duration, and even pitch are subject to the performer’s adaptation. By mapping out these alterations performers make to Bach’s music, it becomes possible to map out their respective musical personalities.

Jonathan Edwards was one of the most famed evangelical preachers in the Age of the Great Awakening. He is best known for his most impactful sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards preached with fury and conviction of the All Great our God. He preached for the wanderers; those lost in their spiritual belief. Edwards uses a wide variety of figurative language and rhetorical techniques to urge unregenerate Christians to sanctify their lives and walk devoutly before God, using fear. During this time of recognition, renewal and self-reliance in one’s connection with God, Edwards’ sermon did nothing but illustrate the exact conception of the age of the Great Awakening.

Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 and died on March 22, 1758. He grew up in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father, Timothy, was pastor of the church at East Windsor, Connecticut. He attended Yale and when he graduated in 1720 he became his grandfather’s colleague at Northampton, Massachusetts. At his grandfather’s death in 1729, he became the only pastor at the church. Edwards was a very fierce minister. He tried to “scare people out of hell.” His most famous work, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” was about how the people are going to hell because they are sinning so much against God. Edward’s work sparked the “Great Awakening.”

Jonathan Edwards emphasized the importance and power of immediate, personal religious experience. His techniques weren’t that impressive. He read his sermons in a nice and even voice, but with great conviction. He rejected shouting and theatrical antics. Attracting us with the power of truth and his desperate need for God seemed to be his goal. The way he preached in a manner that didn’t make up what he was saying, but as if he was giving you a deep explanation of events in his life where god help and in inspired him. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is the sermon Edwards preached that day in Enfield, Connecticut. It combined deep imagery of Hell and its connection of the world and citations of the scripture. When he began I had a smile on face because I was so happy. “All that wicked men may do to save themselves from Hell's pains shall afford them nothing if they continue to reject Christ.” Is one of the quotes from the sermon. It was so powerful and meaningful. Edwards spoke a little afterwards and said “His aim was to teach us about the horrors of hell, the dangers of sin and the terrors of being lost.” He described the position of those who do not follow path of Christ to receive forgiveness. The imagery and language of his sermon awakened audience to the horrific reality that he believed awaited them should they continue life without a commitment to Christ. Many people didn’t like the way he did his sermon so peaceful and heartfelt. People weren’t use to the way he preached, they we’re use to the “show” more than the

In addition to his most important and memorable sermon titled: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", Edwards was also well known for his many books including, “The End For Which God Created the World” and “The Life of David Brainerd”. His book about the life of David Brainerd is said to have inspired thousands of missionaries throughout the 19th century. John Locke's “Essay and Concerning Human Understanding also influenced him greatly”.

Edwards believed in a god that wasn’t intervening in your life except for one major thing, he was keeping you from going to hell. Edwards believed that god would do that and stay silent and that you were to show your gratitude without god having to prove anything to you and that sinning or not believing would cause god great anger, and he would drop you into hell. It would be like someone cooking a meal for you and you throw it all away, it’s just embarrassing for the other person. Bradstreet however had differing opinions, for she believed that god was testing you at all times, making sure you are grateful but understand that everything is god’s. “It was His own, it was not mine, / Far be it that I should repine;” (Bradstreet “Upon the Burning…”

The two composer that I pick are Edgar Varese and Carolina Shaw. I will discuss and describe how their music differs in approach both to each other as well as to Johann Sebastian Bach composers of the past.