It is obvious that the role of preachers is to convert the unconverted and teach his congregation the ways of righteousness; however some preachers use tactics of using fear as a means to scare their congregation into conversion. One such Preacher who used fear to his advantage was Jonathan Edwards. Edward’s most famous sermon which he delivered on a trip to the congregation at Enfield, Connecticut was a perfect example of the use of the power of fear to create new converts to his church. Edward’s tone during his sermon was terrifying and demeaning, he used a number of rhetorical devices to create the horrified reaction of his audience.…
In the first text titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” it starts off religiously or involving something of religious nature, similar to “The Minister’s Black Veil.” It shows this in Edwards’ passage in the first and second lines, “So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell;” (Edwards 1-2). This shows in the first and second lines in Hawthorne’s writing, similar to “Sinners in the Hands…
3. Reread the sixth paragraph. What people, according to Edwards, are not in the hands of this angry God? How is this state achieved?…
Edward also uses similes when he is describing how powerful god actually is by stating, “(…) His wrath toward you burns like fire (…).” In this quote, Edwards uses the word “fire” to describe how powerful god is towards everyone that was disobeying him by for example sinning. This makes the listeners more aware of god’s power and their position as humans. In addition, it shows that God is angry with several humans in the world, which makes the listeners to think about who those humans are, and if they maybe are one of them.…
He believed that if he could convince enough people that the church is the only way to receive the “grace of god” that it would lead to a mass movement; if enough people went that the rest would follow in their footsteps. Edwards tries to persuade people to return to church by stating that those who attend are happy, “To see so many others feasting, while you are pinning and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit!” (Sinners 1). This method proved to be effective because people returned to the church, they feared for the outcome of their life and sought forgiveness just as their neighbors did. Jonathan Edwards’s beliefs and ideas began to affect people’s everyday lives and restore the church to its former…
When Jonathan Edwards gave his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (291-303) he used several analogies that would give his listeners a better understanding of the danger the non-believers were in.…
Consider the fearful danger you are in it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of fire wrath.’ this rhetorical strategy that is being is called pathos. Pathos is used to appeal to the readers emotions. In this case Jonathan Edwards uses pathos to appeal to people fear. he is using this to scare people to convert Christ and to stop committing sin. This also helps because most people don’t want to feel the wrath of God. Pathos is one of the best rhetorical strategies that Jonathan Edwards used. Appealing to someone’s emotions is the best way to grab and keep there attention. Fear is a powerful thing if you can get fear into someone you can possible persuades them to do just about anything. That why pathos is an important part of his…
Jonathan Edwards preached his sermon “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” at a time of religious revival. In his sermon Jonathan Edwards uses many techniques, his biggest one being metaphors. Edwards uses his metaphors to reach out to his followers as well as to the sinners. One of the images Jonathan Edwards portrays is the image that Gods wrath is a “ bow”, ready with an arrow to pierce the sinners. Another striking image that Edwards delivers to make the sinners change their ways was the comparison of God's wrath to “great waters” that will rise up, destroying the sinners. Edwards used these and many more metaphors to convey the image of God. In doing this, many people understood the weight of God's wrath. Using metaphors, Edwards not…
“Sinners in the hands of an angry God” was preached by Jonathan Edwards during a time when the people were relying on science more than their saviour in heaven, a time when people were lacking in their spiritual needs. This speech opened the eyes of many, and was so powerful it may very well have been the trigger of the great awakening. But why was this speech so powerful? Why did this speech change the lives of thousands? As we can see he used plenty of persuasive techniques, he is very descriptive in his imagery and uses simple metaphors to persuade thousands to repent of their sinful ways and turn to Christ. He planted fear and guilt into their hearts. This sermon is a sermon full of anger and fright, a sermon powerful enough to make the strongest man cry and weep. But the true purpose of this sermon was to bring hope to a nation in need. It ultimately was a message of redemption, a message that Jonathan Edwards believed people needed to hear.…
Jonathan uses a metaphor to make his audience believe that god hates them for not doing as…
One key point Edwards addressed in his sermon is that those without the guidance of God will be doomed to hell unless they choose a holy path. This can be seen in almost all religions today, including Christianity and Islam. They tell their followers that those who do not have faith in God will be condemned to hell and that the only way to be saved is by converting and believing.…
But the most powerful meanings come in the shape of Lee’s words. Steinbeck writes his thoughts on humanity, good vs. evil, and morality all through him. The reader is presented with all the knowledge in this chapter, and the rest of the novel plays it out. Lee continues on the story of Cain and Abel and the real translation of “thou shalt” and “do thou”…
Jonathan Edwards uses fear from suffering in oblivion to persuade his readers to join the lord in order to be saved from it. The author uses metaphors to make the reader picture that terrible place to convert irreligious readers.…
Edwards uses frightening imagery to make the puritans scared of what is to come if they continue being unfaithful to God. Striking the cord of a personal sin, “justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow” giving God the power to take away ones life in a second. Edwards’s scares the puritans by using imagery that relates to them, knowing that they have watched people of their kind be shot by a Native American with an arrow when they first came to the New World. Edwards uses individual imagery to make the puritans think he is speaking…
Obviously, Edwards uses the water held behind a dam as a symbol. The dam represents God's "hand," and the water is His wrath. Comparing this, Edwards tries to explain that the longer the water is held back, the more force it will have when the dam will no longer support it; the longer God puts off judgment of man's sin, the more powerful His punishment. The sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is a great example of the Puritan belief of society. A man is ether part of the elect, basically chosen to go to heaven, or of the damned that are sent to hell at God's force.…