Summary Of Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God

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'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.

In the sermon “Sinners in the Hand of An Angry God”, Reverend Edwards uses the rhetorical appeals ethos, pathos, and logos to convince unbelievers to become born again in Christ. Reverend Edwards was known for capturing people’s attention with his intense sermons on hell and eternal damnation. His sermons contributed to “The Great Awakening” which was a religious movement in the 1700’s. He used rhetorical appeals in his sermons to reach out to unbelievers. These rhetorical appeals are what helped him to be so persuasive in his sermons. This sermon is one of the many he gave to his congregation.

In the works of Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” uses numerous persuasive techniques and biblical allusions. Edwards’ sermon lectures Puritans, people who strictly pursue to live by the bible, on how they are straying from the path of the bible. During his sermon, the Puritans were terrified of what he had said ,because every little sin each Puritan had committed they thought they were going to go to Hell. Edwards’ play on words, as well as his use of persuasive techniques, and biblical allusion convinced the Puritans that they were severely in trouble of going to Hell.

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.

“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.

Often in Sermans writers persuade their audience to behave in a spiritual or more fashion. Such is the case in Jonathan Edward’s “Sinner’s in the Hand of an Angry God” where he believes that sinners should change their ways and follow the Lord if they want happiness. Edwards wanted to impact his audience by appealing to their fears and pity. Edwards had a great impact on his Puritan audience because of his cautionary tone, dreadful imagery, and symbolic figurative language.

Jonathan Edwards’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is the epitome of a fire and brimstone sermon. Edwards was able to deliver this speech with force, power, and charisma. However this sermon effectively portrays Edwards’s own interpretation of man’s sinful nature and God’s wrathful nature even when read silently. Jonathan Edwards is capable of effectively communicating that his position as a reverend is a means of legitimizing his ability to interpret the bible and all of its scriptures. Edwards finds success in his speech by his use of vivid and violent imagery. By doing this Edwards is able to do two things, one convince his parishioners that as a man of God he has the authority to be an interpreter of the bible. He forces his

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.

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.

Perhaps the first thing noticeable in Edwards’ sermon is his horrifying imagery of Hell and what happens when one doesn’t accept God into his or her life. On page eighty-eight it is stated “Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead… and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink… and plunge into the bottomless gulf… and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of Hell, than a

Jonathan in his sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (July 8, 1741), claims that the unconverted are hanging from the hands of God, and can be dropped off to the eternity of hell, his sermon is used to make the sinners be afraid and understand how the power of God is saving them, but it is only for his pleasure, unless if they return to Christianity. Edwards strengths his argument by using metaphors and imagery of a wrathful God to make the unconverted people afraid of being sinners and encourage them to have a relationship with Christ to be fully saved from falling to an eternity in the flames of hell. Edwards purpose is to start his sermon with such powerful use of visualization to provide fear to the sinners and give them a

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.

In Johnathan Edward's, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards has a particular style of writing that conveys an underlying purpose when delivering the sermon. Throughout the sermon, he uses multiple writing techniques and tools to engage the listener more, and to assure the listeners believe and trust him. Edwards purpose of writing and delivering the sermon, is to warn his people and to whomever else wants to agree, that they all must show their remorse of their sins to God before it is too late. Every sentence in the sermon, is based around scarring the people even more and more. Edwards accomplishes this by using certain diction and structure, a certain tone, and persuasive figurative language.