Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

Improved Essays
Jonathan Edwards, the author of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, wrote vivid sermons about the Puritan religion and the destiny that awaited those who did not accept Jesus as their savior. He was an enthusiastic writer that wanted people to clearly hear his messages. Jonathan Edwards wrote this piece over 300 years ago in an era where religion was very strict and there were distinct beliefs that were followed. Darrow’s claim acknowledges the sharp and cynical tone and attitude that Edwards attempted to convey the path in which to gain salvation. Edwards committed to his style of writing in order to establish purpose and instill fear into the reader. In Darrow’s defense, Edwards had a twisted mindset while writing his sermons due to the strict atmosphere of the Puritans, which only Puritans could have tolerated. …show more content…
He was born in 1703 to colonial New England ministers. He was raised in a Puritan society which explains his religious background. He adored God and showed a great interest in the ministry. Edwards reinterpreted God into his own vision because it was in a time where science was evolving and God was no longer a mystery. The Puritan religion was centered on the church and consequences for unacceptable behavior. The Puritan lifestyle was plain and believed the only way to achieve salvation is through the understanding of the word of God. Edwards had a distinct mindset when he wrote, “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God.” He wanted to use powerful images and a threatening tone to depict God’s wrath. His objective was to get people listening to his sermons to fully understand that God is loving but one should fear his wrath and power. Growing up in a strict atmosphere influenced his perception of religion and therefore is seen in his

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Edwards writes a dark sermon, and Bradstreet’s poems reflect the mundane life of the Puritans. Edwards’ sermon is dark, he wants the congregation to know that God is perpetually angry with them and that they should be thankful for any grace he shows them. Edwards claims that God is, “not only able to cast wicked men into Hell, but he can most easily do it” (171). The dark tone should be expected since this is a sermon on God, however, this does beyond the usual bleakness of the puritans. Edwards tells the congregation that they are doomed no matter how hard they try; they cannot change God’s mind.…

    • 1071 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In paragraph three of the story“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Edwards says,…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Often in sermans ministers pastors persuade their audience to behave in a spiritual or moral fashion. Such is the case in “sinner in the hands of an angry god” by Jonathon Edwards where he illustrated that the moral of the story is “if sinners repent, they won’t face the wrath of god” Edward using an convincing tone and wanted to have an impact on his audience by appealing to their fears, pity and Varity. Edward had an impact on his puritan’s audience because of convincing tone, clear imagery and clear figurative language. Foremost Edward is trying to show his audience to be cautionary of after life and that god can easily destroy his sinners who have done wrong and did not repent. For example in the text the author stated “so that thus it is that natural me held in …..…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan minister during a religious reform period called the Great Awakening. At this time hundreds of men and women were being converted because of powerful sermons during that time. Edwards believed that religion should not only be based on reason but emotion should be a key role too. Edwards used rhetorical appeals in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, such as the ethical appeal, logical appeal, and emotional appeal to persuade unconverted members to become “born again”.…

    • 1068 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a pastor Edwards was one of the most passionate and powerful of any pastor to ever read a sermon. He had a very strict religious belief and was very passionate about his Puritan practices. Edwards believed that every man falls short of God’s grace and had to repent their sins and work to become better people. His sermons invoked…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He died on March 22, 1758, in New Jersey. Edwards grew up in a religious family and went to school at Yale at the age of fourteen. He is known for his sermon entitled “Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God.” Jonathan Edwards is known as an incredibly intense, and fiery preacher. He was known as “the last Puritan” or “the last of the Puritans.”…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jonathan Edwards and His Role in the Great Awakening Intro In American history, one of the earliest major events was the first Great awakening. Many different preachers assisted in spreading the Great Awakening throughout the colonies. Jonathan Edwards carried on the revival of his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard in North Hampton church in the North Hampton Revival (1733-1735). Englishman, George Whitefield (1740-1770) was the best-known and most widely traveled evangelist of the time and received much publiciity in the newspapers of that day.…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alongside that he has this undertone that God’s love is effervescent and he’s almighty forgiving love. At times it feels as if the whole sermon is an oxymoron. Without a doubt, he’s well aware of the senses he’s trying to intimidate and bring out. He’s doing what their religion follows, purifying the soul of impurities. Edwards, knowing the fear of Puritans, used this to add meaning to his sermons and he gave great depth to what he meant.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The last theme he expresses is that the only thing keeping sinners out of hell is God's will. God is giving them an opportunity to show mercy. Theses themes are utilized by the use of vivid imagery along with other rhetorical devices to make his point. Edwards does not hold back when criticizing people for their sinful ways. Sin, as explained in his sermon, is controlled by the devil.…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jonathan Edwards expresses throughout his entire sermon one common ideal. Being born again is the only way to salvation. Articulating many puritan ideals about Gods vision of humans, he claims humans are instinctive sinners and we must change to escape the jaws of hell. Believing in predestination he emphasizes on this matter. But its central argument is not the most important aspect of this sermon.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sewall Vs Edwards

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Puritans were people who moved to the New World in order to establish a community that united them through God and religion. Their envisioned goal was not quite reached, but many of their works are studied for their ideas and how they relate to government. Puritan writing style was heavily influenced by religion, mainly about God’s presence and his impact of works on people’s lives. While Sewall and Edward's had a similar way of writing, due to the heavy influence of God and his works, Sewall had a much more gentle and personal approach to writing while Edwards wrote in a harsher way that addressed a larger audience. The reasons behind their writings showed the differences between the two; Samuel Sewall wrote from experiences while Edwards…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Puritans craved for their religion to take over the thirteen colonies, so they attacked those who would not conform to the Puritan way of life. The people that moved to Colonial America in hope to flee from religious persecution found themselves right back where they started. Jonathan Edwards was considered to be ‘The Last Puritan’. Edwards was from the north. He was against the idea…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan theologian who was a primary figure during the Great Awakening. Edwards delivered his fiery sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to his puritan congregation in 1741 using powerful images of heaven and hell and a sense of urgency to convince sinners to come to Christ. To achieve his desired purpose of urging sinners to receive God’s grace before it is too late, Edwards employs ethos, logos, and pathos. Edwards uses ethos to appeal to his congregation to convince them to turn from their wicked ways.…

    • 603 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The sermon that Johnathan Edwards delivered became one of his most famous teachings, because it embodied his entire system of belief. He titled it “Sinners in the Hands of an…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Other religious ideas had come to the people and other views and beliefs were becoming established in the colonies. The enlightenment period had a huge impact on the puritan religion becoming less of a majority the ideas shifted and became more individualistic and free thinking which was an extremely different idea from the beginning of the original colonies and new world. A major change had occurred in religious beliefs compared to the original puritans in the New World. Edwards is trying to regain as much control as he possibly can, attempting to reel people back in with the tactic of fear, and bullying in order to make them do exactly what he says. “That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays