Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

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”.

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’ other main tool in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, was vivid imagery. He used graphic depictions of hell and God’s wrath to scare “sinners” into believing him. In the beginning of his sermon he states, “The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow.” (Edwards,211). When Jonathan Edwards said “them” he was referring to all sinners. He wanted to convey how the horrors of hell were awaiting them. He uses common characteristics of hell in his description. He

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.

To understand Edwards speech, background must be given first. In the sermon, “Sinner’s in the Hands of an Angry God,” given by Jonathan Edwards in 1741, the leader of the Second Great Awakening, is trying to convince the a group of Puritans, must convert to a more extreme version of Puritanism. A religious group that are told everything they do is wrong, are Puritans. The monster living in the woods coming for them is the devil. The only reason they aren’t in hell is because of God. During the Second Great Awakening, Edwards wanted the government to be run by religion, and everyone to follow the Bibles’ ways. Trying to secure his audience into converting to a more powerful Puritan, Edwards conveys the use of fear and a repetitive tone shfit.

Throughout "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", Jonathan Edwards illustrates his harsh tone through the use of repetition and imagery. In his sermon, the word "wrath" is repeated constantly to allude to how unsympathetic God is with sinners. Edwards emphasizes that sinners will go to hell and believes that they deserve to burn in hell. By emphasizing on the word "wrath" he also believes that sinners do not need sympathy, for they are the ones who wronged god and will burn in hell for their mistakes. Edward conveys a harsh and direct tone through the use of imagery in his sermon. He states, "The God the holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire abhors

Edwards begins his sermon by alluding to the Bible to recount the mistakes of the Israelites and explaining how God has saved the Israelites from hell, but could easily cast them into eternal suffering. He appeals to the fear of the audience by referring to the Israelites in vivid metaphors, explaining that they are vulnerable to hell as “one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall.” He establishes his ethos by referring to the Bible through the Psalms and interprets them. He demonstrates his knowledge and intimidates the audience in order to grab the audience’s attention and warn them about the dangers of abandoning God. This factual tone forces the congregation to respect Edwards, even though he describes their destruction by God.

In the sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741), Congregational minister Jonathan Edwards asserts that people who do not believe in God will be miserable and have an unfortunate life after death. Edwards backs this claim up by depicting God’s wrath continuously throughout as well as giving a warning to those who disobey Him. Edwards’s purpose is to inform the people that God is responsible for their life and future in order to persuade the reader to believe and follow Him. Given the passionate and religious language used in the sermon, Edwards is writing to an audience of non-believers with the potential to become faithful followers.

The period of the Great Awakening has truly revolutionized the morals and ethics that not many people are familiar with today. During this time, one sinful action resulted in automatic placement in Hell, and for that individual to endure in endless suffering and agony. Throughout Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, he attempts to instill fear into his audience by stating the consequences of sin for the mere purpose of preventing people from entering Hell. Therefore, through the use of tone shifts within his sermon, he successfully amplified his message and sparked fear to the people.

Edwards includes Bible references to extract emotion from his listeners and give his sermon an importance in the spiritual lives of his audience members. Edwards opens his sermon by stating “Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners,” which functions as an effective lead into this part of his speech. This conveys the message that God wants his people to be blessed into heaven no matter their prosperity level, but it’s up to them to make the right decisions to get there. Edwards goes on to preach that the people of the present are a special case because they have a second chance at redeeming the “wonderful dispensation of God’s mercy”. He speaks directly to the non-Christians as well asking “do not you know that you are going down to hell, to bear the dreadful wrath of that God, who is now angry with you every day and every night.” He says this not to aimlessly denounce the unconverted, but to invite them too into the second chance that God has given everybody to seek out grace. Edwards concludes his sermon by quoting the Bible one last time with a quote about Sodom, saying “Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain lest you be consumed.” This quote provides a strong closing to his argument by comparing his audience to dwellers of Sodom in that his audience has the chance to flee their sin and regain the blessing of God by

When Jonathan Edwards wrote the sermon, he most likely wanted to frighten the congregation of people into submission and obedience of the church. As mentioned before, he uses scary words in the sermon. For example, phrases like “damnation”, “hell”, and the name of the devil. This creates a foreboding atmosphere as the sermon is read, and it helps create a dire warning that shows the price of your sins. The use of the words make the sermon more persuasive and they further make the audience want to live a good Puritan

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

People hang on a thin rope. They have sinned, and a single arrow from the bow of God’s will drop them into the unending abyss of hell. Meanwhile, the court is in session. The people of Salem find themselves immersed in a wave of hysteria and paranoia as anyone around them could be the Devil’s man. More than two centuries later, the situation repeats itself; the Devil adopts a new name. In both “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, by Jonathan Edwards, and “The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller, the authors rely heavily on fear and persuasion to convey their messages. However, while Edwards uses primarily imagery to achieve his goals, “The Crucible” uses fear and persuasion as symbols and allegories to the 1950’s Red Scare.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Reading Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was intense. Thinking about God being mad at us or wanting to punish us is a scary thought. The society we live in today often judges those living the Christian lifestyle. People are often put down for praising God in public or simply talking about what God has done for them. Living a good christian lifestyle is worth it; you may be judged but it is worth it, not only because he will punish you for your sins, but also just because he loves you and protects you (he deserves it).

The belief that all treacherous things that occur throughout our lifetime being caused by one supreme God, is just one of the many religious views of the puritans. The Puritan were a group of people in the 1600’s that believed they were chosen by God himself. In the two text “upon the burning of our house” by Anne Bradstreet and “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” by Jonathan Edwards (both Puritan writers) you see views that are very similar and some that differ.