Rhetorical Analysis Of Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

Jonathan Edwards views mankind as doomed and lost. In his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” Edwards claims that individuals are predetermined by predestination. He published this sermon in hopes of exposing the dangers of sin and the need for salvation. He claimed that sinners will go through a day of judgement by God and that sinners deserve to burn, but it is God’s hand who holds them over the fire, preventing them from falling

Edwards’ tone of the sermon is threatening. Edwards begins to compare how God handles sinners, he says, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire…” (431). Edwards uses imagery in this quote to strike fear into the minds of the sinners. It creates a fearful environment for the readers, as Edwards is trying to do for the congregation. Edwards states that God has the ultimate power. When he talks about how God can make any decision at any time Edward says, “‘There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God”’ (426). The quote demonstrates how no one is safe in the hands of God, he can make any decision he

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon written by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a theologian and philosopher in the British Colonies of America. He was raised as a puritan in Connecticut and grew up to be one of America’s most influential protestant revivalists of that time. He delivered many sermons, the most well-known being “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards gave this sermon on July 8, 1741 in Northampton, Massachusetts. The main purpose of this sermon was to convey to the audience the reality of hell, the need to change their wicked lives, and, ultimately, that they should fear the wrath of God. Edwards does this to motivate the audience to live their lives as perfectly as they can in order to not anger God and to avoid Hell.

In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Edwards displays controversial viewpoints and ideas concerning heaven and hell. As Edwards speaks to the congregation he warns them of the misery and suffering they will face if they do not repent of certain sins. He also describes God as angry which probably struck fear into the hearts on many. To illustrate his own point that hell is unenviable without repentance Jonathan Edwards creates the idea of an angry God using intense similes, a harsh tone, and strong emotional appeal in “Sinners in the hand of an Angry God”.

The ability to persuade the audience to think or act in a certain way is essential in

In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards argues eternal fate is completely controlled by God. The famous recorded sermon Edwards preaches is written with one intention in mind. Due to the Great Awakening occurring while Edwards was alive, he wanted to help people double down on their faith. The sermon tries to convince religious believers to keep their faith despite the battle of religion versus science. Edwards scares the audience by stating how God can easily discard or send sinners to hell. As well, in the sermon God is the only one who can keep someone from going to hell. According to Edwards, humans might stand a chance of not going to hell if they refrain from sinning. Edward’s

Jonathan uses Pathos by emphasizing how he sees sinners within “Sinners In The Hands of An Angry God”, creating a fear amongst the audience. Edwards suggests that “hell opens its mouth wide to receive them” (5) which is a way how Edward thinks that sinners could be rid of. The statement, which contained personification influenced the appeal to Pathos with saying “hell” could open its mouth and eat something, the imagery in this statement helped improve the audience’s emotion towards sinners and John’s feelings towards sinners, using the anger that Edwards has for sinners further supports the element of Pathos.

Jonathan Edwards's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is moving and powerful. His effectiveness as an eighteenth century New England religious leader is rooted in his expansive knowledge of the Bible and human nature, as well as a genuine desire to "awaken" and save as many souls as possible. This sermon, delivered in 1741, exhibits Edwards's skillful use of these tools to persuade his congregation to join him in his Christian beliefs.

There is evidence of this in pg. 3 section 8. It is read that “Preserve their own lives, or the care of others to preserve them, do not secure them a moment”. The meaning behind this line is that a person should protect each other and to follow the rules in order to successfully avoid a sin. Edwards’ use of words such as “preserve”, “care”, and “secure” all represent cautionary. If this line were different, then the audience would only realize that the god is angry with them. They would never get the message that no matter how angered god is by humans, he still would warn them what not to

Reverend Edwards was a strong believer in religion being rooted in emotions as well as logic. A person should feel very strongly about religion instead of just knowing the way to heaven. Therefore he uses more pathos in his sermons than any of the other appeals. He uses imagery of fire in lines 18-23 to provoke a sense of fear which is an emotion appeal. For example, he says, “The wrath of God burns…” which appeals to a person’s sense of fear (Edwards 41). The thought of God’s burning anger should make those who have not become born again fear for what will happen to them if they die in their current state. He uses ethos in lines 119-120 which says, “...many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them…” (Edwards 44). The example shows that he uses his experience as a preacher and a born again Christian to tell the unbelievers in the congregation of the wonderful experience of becoming a born again Christian. He uses logos probably the least, but uses this rhetorical appeal nonetheless. For example, in lines 33-34 he says, “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 41). This explains through cause and effect that if you are not born again then you will go to hell which appeals to the listener’s logic. He uses all three appeals quite effectively in his sermon which helped him to get his point across to

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

During the sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, it is said that Jonathan Edwards had to stop several times throughout it and ask people to stop crying. How was he able to scare his listeners to the point of breaking down in tears? It is because Jonathan Edwards uses several persuasive techniques in his sermon that are extremely effective.

On July 8, 1741, in Enfield Connecticut, the speech Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, was delivered. The sermon was given by British Colonial Christian theologian Jonathan Edwards. His goal and purpose was to teach and warn people of the dangers of sins and the horrors of the afterlife. The speech was given at his own congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts to an unknown effect. Edwards had started The Great Awakening from his preaching. He was also a descendant of four generations of Puritan ministers and the most renowned and influential of Puritan Leaders. Edward began his sermon by saying "In this verse is threatened the Vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, that were God's visible People, and lived under Means of Grace: and that, notwithstanding all" He also states "Gods wonderful Works that he had wrought towards that People, yet remained, as is expressed."(ver. 28. Void of Counsels)

On October 5, 1703, in East Windsor Connecticut, Timothy and Esther Edwards welcomed their new son, Jonathan Edwards, into the world. From a young age, Jonathan was provided with an excellent education from a highly qualified individual - his father was a minister and a college prepatory tutor. Jonathan Edwards was accepted at Yale college just before he turned thirteen. He was interested in a wide variety of studies including natural science, the mind, the scriptures, and theology. He graduated from Yale in four years as valedictorian and obtained his masters three years later. Unable to accept the “horrible doctrine” (Edwards), of predestination, Edwards finally found peace and accepted this controversial teaching in 1721. He went on to assistant pastor a large church in Northampton with his grandfather. The same year, he married Sarah Pierpont whose piety he had long admired (..). Two years later, when his grandfather passed away, Edwards became sole minister of the Northampton congregation. However, after many years of converting the lost and participation in the Great Awakening as a key preacher, his congregation began to weary of his intense sermons and his habit of calling out sinner by name from the pulpit. However, his most famous sermon was first delivered in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8th, 1741 and was entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Edwards’ use of rhetoric in this message has been admired

To make his audience feel fearful, Jonathan Edwards uses strong diction, metaphors, and imagery to get unsaved puritans and sinners to accept God and ask for forgiveness so as not to spend an eternity in hell. In the phrase “cut them off”, Jonathan uses diction to ultimately make his point sound harsh and cold. Rather than him saying that God won’t have mercy on the sinners, he states that God will cut them off as if though they meant nothing. His purpose is to say that God knows that they are sinning and being wicked and in a moments notice, he could just end their life.