Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

“Confession of sin shuts the mouth of Hell and Opens the gates of paradise.” These Wise words from Thomas watson embody the aims and beliefs of the puritans. The puritans expressed their beliefs and thoughts of the bible through their writing; be it poems, sermons, or stories. In the short story A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson by Mary Rowlandson, The sermon From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards, and the poem by Anne Bradstreet [Deliverance] From Another Sore Fit, there is a common theme of religion and the hardships these writers go through to produce such powerful works of literature. The puritan’s possessed a very unique style of writing which introduce many literary elements into all different types of

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.

In “ The Minister's Black Veil”, Hawthorne uses plain descriptions that don't confuse readers, which helped explain his meaning of his story shown. “The Minister’s Black Veil” had a strong meaning showing that everyone has a sin that they don't want anyone to know about it. This meant everyone was a sinner and nobody was really a good man. Hawthorne was trying to tell the people that God could see the sins of everyone as he says here “loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!"” (4) , so he wanted Christians to be more orthodox and become more pure to prevent these secret sins.

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.

Within the eighteenth century, Christians were going through the Great Awakening, a wave of religious enthusiasm that swept through the colonies in an effort to make an impact on the religion within the areas. In the sermon written by Jonathon Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he is trying to persuade nonbelievers into joining his religion in a way unused by many. To show nonbelievers the two altering sides of God based on what people believe and “they may imagine him to be so” (3), Jonathon Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” utilizes threatening tone, conveying repetition, and augmenting similes to express the fury and hopefulness of God.

Literature has always been a major foundation of any culture, it’s a reflection of that culture’s current ideals. Especially during the burgeoning periods of humanity, where writing or verbal speech were the only ways to communicate. As time progresses so do our ideals and concerns about society. Our focus could be on God’s power and how to appease him for humanities sinful nature, like in the age of the Puritans. They believed that God chose specific people to be truly holy by God, that’s the reason they left the church in England because they believed it to be run by unholy people.

“I’m a devil worshiper” is the very first line as Fetty Wap begins rapping in his song, “679.” In a way, this statement is very similar to Jonathan Edwards writings because both speakers had very unconventional views for their respective times. In today's world, Fetty Wap’s satanic beliefs aren’t generally accepted by other people; this is similar to Edwards views because he opposed the stereotypical loving image of God by warning others of his potential destruction and power. In, “Sinners of the Hands of an Angry God,” Jonathan Edwards makes it clearly known that he portrays God as dangerous and unafraid to take violent action through the use of imagery in nature by water, wind and insects.

Throughout Sinners Edwards uses specific details to show God’s anger towards those who have sinned. In paragraph five of Sinners he says, “ dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God.” Edwards uses strong diction here to give the congregation an idea of how angry God is with all who have sinned. Along those same lines, Hawthorne also uses strong diction in his details, for example “ pale-faced congregation” on page three of MBV. He uses this detail to be sure the reader knows the effect the veil has on the townspeople and how they were frightened by his veil. Edwards detail on the contrary was more effective because he frightened the audience whereas Hawthorne is very dull in the moment throughout the story.

Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. In Literature of America, complied by Jan Anderson and Laurel Hicks, 19-25. Pensacola: A Beka Book, 2010.

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

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.

What was exclaimed by Minister Hooper on his deathbed claimed that the Puritans in his society are hypocrites, as well as making another essential point of not worrying of the sins of others, but instead working for the redemption of one’s sins. “Have men avoided me, and women shown no pity, and children screamed and fled, only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!” (Hawthorne 17). Words are spewed from Minister Hooper, as he finally lets out the mystery of the black veil; as he allows the audience not to see his face but the inner workings of his dark

7a. In the sermon, “from Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God”, by Jonathan Edwards, there is passion within the text that he believes strongly about the multiple tenets of Puritanism, one of the Puritan philosophical beliefs can be seen as Backsliding. As explained, it would not really matter if compared a person who strayed from the path or a person who has “reformed life in many things, and may had religious affections, and may keep up a form of religion in [their] families, and closets, it is nothing but [God’s] mere pleasure that [kept] them from being swallowed up in everlasting destruction” (Edward 108). Even though an prestigious church member respects and have an all love towards God, there is no confirmation that one can be truly safe from His wrath. Edward’s sermon brought on, and is repeated of, that people should be aware of their situation in the eyes of God, with metaphors, and a literal sense, the dangers a person could face, and only to be saved through an Irresistable Grace, a slight opening in which one could be saved from their damnation, by denying the call of their true nature. The warning of Backsliding inside the sermon comes from the his own belief that no one is perfectly safe from God, for there is the chance backing away from their beliefs, tempted to disobey, or fall out of place, because in the eyes of Jonathan Edwards, it is but everlasting wrath to everyone.

As I’ve mentioned before I grew up in a very catholic home, as I got older I realized I didn’t really like the teachings of the catholic church. If there is a God I thought to myself why does he care so much about such petty things? Doesn’t he have more important things to worry about than if Jim Bob is masturbating or if Katherine is eating shellfish? If a child is born and dies without being baptized why isn’t he allowed into heaven? Why would a God make such ridiculous rules? Reading Sinners in the hands of an Angry God was as frustrating. It was aggressively condescending.