Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

“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”.

Puritans believe God has an influence on humans in our daily life. Edwards asserts, “His mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction” (81). This quote explains to us that God’s forgiveness holds us from, at any second, dropping down into the deep depths of hell. God observes our life and helps us every step of the way by pushing us as much as he can in the right direction. Edwards believes, “And yet it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment” (81). Edwards for the second time says something relatively about God’s hand and how He is the one who holds us and keeps us out of the fiery pits. This quote shows us how God’s pleasure keeps us from falling into a

Jonathan Edwards, a famous preacher in pre-colonial times, composed a sermon that was driven to alert and inject neo Puritanical fear into an eighteenth century congregation. This Bible based and serious audience sought after religious instruction and enlightenment. Through the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards offers a very harsh interpretation to humankind. Edwards utilizes various rhetorical techniques to evoke an emotional response in his audience and to persuade the members of his congregation that their wicked actions will awaken a very ruthless and merciless God.

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.

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

In his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1741), Jonathan Edwards claims that anyone who is not “born again” is a sinner and is waiting to be thrust down to hell in a state of endless misery and the only way to be saved from this is to become a Puritan. Edwards supports his claim of the Puritan religion being the only saving thing from damnation by explaining how hell is being prepared for those who are not “born again,” that any unconverted are in the hands of an angry God, and then concluding by saying to the people that they have the chance to be saved and live in a happy state, of they are “born again.” His purpose is to illustrate the woe that awaits for those who are not “born again” in order to persuade them to want to be

Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist minister in western Massachusetts, who was shocked at the dissipating religious spirit, believing that people were giving up to sinful pleasures. He worked against the secularization of the Enlightenment and focus on pushing the emotional side of religion by expressing the wonderful nature of Heaven and the horror of Hell, helping to renew intensity behind religion. This idea of Heaven and Hell was stated in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, intended to scare people into looking for salvation, with descriptions of people being held over a fire in Hell. This is expressive of the change of social norms in Puritan New England, where going to the Minister’s house as opposed to the Tavern was acceptable. This also shows the more individualized ideals people had, for they were presented with the option of achieving their own salvation and take responsibility for their lives, having the option of maintaining a personal connection with God. (ch 3 txtbk)

It reflects on the Puritans’’ ideals and beliefs. Such as, they believed in salvation and that the fate of individual soul was predetermined by God. Also, that salvation was a private choice among God and the 'Elect'. Elects or Saints were the ones who were saved and the ones who weren't were 'wicked’.

Fear was instilled in Puritans as a result of the constant uncertainty of their wellbeing shown through Edwards’ sermons. One concept plaguing them was that sinners will receive an inescapable dreadful fate, and can feel its effects at any time. Puritans were terrified and reflective of their actions when Jonathan Edwards said sinners “are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell” (Edwards 427). Because of this constant worry, Puritans tried to discover whether they were predestined to be in hell and whether they had sinned (Edwards 427). As life after death is still an unknown realm, this possibility still has an effect on today’s

b. Thesis – Jonathan Edwards’s sermon portrayed Puritans as sinners of their religion through the use of rhetorical strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos.

This way, we will believe that we will always stay with our loved ones that continue to live on. And if we did the good things we were meant to do, we would be given the right to permanently live in that infinite state. Just like that, we have a great thing to look up to and have no reason to fear it. However, the Puritans have come to believe that the good things you were meant to do won’t do you any good, because God’s will is random and unpredictable. It seems unfair to anybody, and makes death more scary than it should be. Without being able to tell if you will go to Heaven or Hell, people then and there would be scared because the outcome is unknown. They can only gamble with God, hoping that they get the better outcome. He gave them the idea that their God was angry with them and if they did not convert to Puritanism there would be no escaping hell or God's wrath. Throughout this long sermon there are numerous instances in which Edwards describes God as merciless or when he explains that death is coming and no matter what one does, hell is inevitable. Jonathan Edwards's most effective technique was by far his use of implanting fear into his audience's mind. Edwards says That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not

In order to fully understand why Jonathan Edwards expresses concern among the other Puritans, one must first fathom what an extreme Puritan is. During the American Revolution in the 1750’s, Jonathan Edwards, an extreme Puritan, believed that no matter what anyone did, they were still considered sinners who will eventually end up in hell. He went on to tell every Puritan that their path is straight to hell unless they join him and become an extreme Puritan. Although people attended church on Sundays, Edwards still expressed anger towards the Puritans. Obviously, an extreme Puritan like Edwards, imperative the rest of the population to follow the rules of the government in order to receive the gift of going to heaven.

Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was rhetorically effective using various devices and appeals. More specifically, he used pathos and ethos to emphasize the religious message he was trying to convey. Jonathan Edwards was a revivalist preacher. He was a Calvinist and Congregationalist. His sermons were intended as a wake-up call for those who lacked religious fervor of a holy God and overemphasized their own worthiness as decent, hard-working, successful citizens. With his Puritan religious background, the colonists has no reason to doubt his word and sermons. Edward’s reputation as a preacher preceded him. Part of the reason that made him popular was his use of rhetorical appeals. A prime example would be his

Puritans always had very strict beliefs.Among these beliefs the puritans thought sin should not be expressed and a sinner should be shamed, hell is the single most terrifying thing so they instilled fear to get people to convert, and they are the city on a hill so they should lead by example and be the best. In the sermons Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, A Model of Christian Charity, and a Sermon Preached by Samson Occom the authors talk about some of these puritan beliefs.