In the 1700s during the Great Awakening hundreds of people were accepting Jesus Christ and becoming “born again”. During this time pastors were working to increase this number and convert more and more people. One of these pastors was Jonathan Edwards, who gave outstandingly intense persuasive sermons. In one of Mr. Edwards’s most famous sermons "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” he utilizes rhetorical devices pathos, logos, and ethos numerous times throughout the sermon to persuade the congregation to be “born again”. Through his fire and brimstone teachings Edwards evokes an immense amount of fear in his listeners. To further impart the feeling upon his audience, Edwards uses the rhetorical device pathos. Pathos “appeals to the audience’s
…show more content…
Jonathan Edwards gives the congregation this evidence in the form of logos. Logos “appeals to the audience’s logic by constructing a well-reasoned argument” (Using 13). Mr. Edwards applies this rhetorical device to his sermon frequently to appeal to his listeners through logic. For instance, Edwards says “[Unconverted men] have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment” (Edwards 41). The people at this time were extremely religious they attended church as much as possible and God was one of their top focuses, knowing this, it is safe to say that this statement was common knowledge. The use of this statement by Edwards not only appeals to his listener’s common sense, but by doing so also appeals to their logic. This supports Edwards’ case and persuades the congregation as well as giving them some of the logic that they needed. However, this is not the only example of logic in Mr. Edwards’s sermon. Edwards also states “Thus, it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it” (Edwards 41). This would also be common knowledge to the people in the congregation; it is simply stating that God is the only thing keeping them from the fiery torment they deserve. By again appealing to his
Jonathan Edwards gives the congregation this evidence in the form of logos. Logos “appeals to the audience’s logic by constructing a well-reasoned argument” (Using 13). Mr. Edwards applies this rhetorical device to his sermon frequently to appeal to his listeners through logic. For instance, Edwards says “[Unconverted men] have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment” (Edwards 41). The people at this time were extremely religious they attended church as much as possible and God was one of their top focuses, knowing this, it is safe to say that this statement was common knowledge. The use of this statement by Edwards not only appeals to his listener’s common sense, but by doing so also appeals to their logic. This supports Edwards’ case and persuades the congregation as well as giving them some of the logic that they needed. However, this is not the only example of logic in Mr. Edwards’s sermon. Edwards also states “Thus, it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it” (Edwards 41). This would also be common knowledge to the people in the congregation; it is simply stating that God is the only thing keeping them from the fiery torment they deserve. By again appealing to his