Preview

Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
898 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Analysis
Imagine being told how to make a moral and not an immoral life decision. In recent discussions regarding learning forms, a controversial issue has been whether it is better for people to learn through fear or through positive example. On the one hand, some argue that learning through fear teaches discipline. On the other hand, however, others argue that learning by positive example teaches nothing and is shortly forgotten. It appears that it is better to frighten the learner into making the right choice than to show them how it is done. Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” and Benjamin Franklin’s, “Autobiography,” portray how to succeed in the world in two completely different ways. Edwards speaks through …show more content…
Jonathan Edwards’ delivers his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to the congregation at Enfield, Connecticut, in 1741. He speaks to them in a way that shocks them into following he correct path of life. Edwards declares, “You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but don't see the hand of God in it, but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation.” This is an Example of how Edwards’ uses an angry tone to portray his topic. This is the best possible way to get someone to do something they would ordinarily refuse to do. On the other hand, Benjamin Franklin speaks about his own personal experiences as a grandfather tells his grandson all of the things he did in his life. He speaks in a voice that may inspire others but mostly puts them to sleep, unlike Edwards. Franklin expresses, “My inclinations for the sea were by this time worn out, or I might now have gratified them.” This is an example of how Franklin speaks in a tone to tell the story of his travels. The writers explain tone through

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jonathan Edwards wrote this lecture, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to preach to the congregation of his church during the period of Great Awakening, a time of religious revival. He knows how to persuade and uses numerous techniques to do so. In his sermons, Edward’s expressive, informative, and argumentative writing style and his use of simile, metaphor, personification, imagery, and tone creates a fearful, emotional image in the minds of his readers.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the excerpt Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards, he demonstrates many different Puritan ideas. Edward feels just as the thoughts that are changing later on were based upon. He believes God as a deity who longs for his people to lead great, generous lives. Rather than talk gently about sinful behavior, Edwards considered it most effective to discuss God’s wrath. Rather than believing in the idea of predestination, he believed people had the power to save themselves by living a good life. His relationship with God was very strong, which encouraged him to to create better individuals by writing his sermons. The purpose is to aware of people of their behavior and conduct here on earth is for more significant more essential…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On December 11th, 1762, Benjamin Franklin wrote a captivating letter to Jared Ingersoll. The letter, dubbed “I Look’d Round for God’s Judgments,” attempts to trivialize a certain tenet of the Connecticut Religion, namely God’s Wrath. Although Franklin may seek a greater understanding in regard to Mr. Ingersoll’s religion, he undoubtedly employs condescension throughout the work. After laying out Mr. Franklin’s argument, I contend that he fails to completely persuade me.…

    • 421 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jonathan Edwards, author of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” and Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of “The Minister’s Black Veil,” were both strong, influential writers. Although both Hawthorne and Edwards were strong writers, the way they conveyed their message to their readers were quite different. Both Edwards and Hawthorne shared a main directive. Their writing style was not only effective but also quite different. Edwards who was more blunt and straightforward in his writing, used that approach to be an efficient writer.…

    • 261 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” approaches the audience with a call to action. Jonathan does not soften his blows of aggression towards those listening to his sermon. Edwards’ use of imagery and syntax add to the emotional effect of the sermon. “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string.” This metaphor is directed to those that sin, and is used as a more blunt approach to those who do bad, than Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”. Plato approaches the topic of ignorance with ease and softness, using an epic metaphor to compare humans finding self-knowledge to those in a cave. Edwards uses many similes as well, but with a more aggressive impact. “And the fiery…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever heard a motivational speech and while it was going on you felt so motivated, but when it was over you did not know what to do with yourself? In Beyond Scared Straight, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and "Can Kids Be Scared Straight?" all three authors try to persuade people to do the right things in a forceful tone, but there are reasons why appeals to fear is not the best motivational force. Some reasons why appeals to fear is not the best motivational force are that people might not get scared, are not afraid of the negative consequences, and do not want to nor know how to change.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jonathon Edwards was quite known for his most famous sermon "from the sinners in the hands of an angry God." He often called people sinners and scared them in to believing that they were all going to hell. Edwards uses many rhetorical devices in his sermon, such as: figurative language; fear,parallel structure, and lastly repetition.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minister's Black Veil

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Edwards’ style was more effective because he was very descriptive of how God would be angry about the things people do in their everyday lives. Edwards’ style of preaching this sermon was also very hyperbolic, however he got his point across to the audience. The way he presented the text makes the reader second think their decisions at the moment as God looks down on them would he perhaps like the activities he’s seen out of people. When Edwards’ exaggerated in his text it made the text more alive.”His mere pleasure from this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction.”…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “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.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    God had created the world so that there are two different types of people the fortunate and the less fortunate. This is to show who is merciful and who has no heart. There are two rules that people should follow mercy and justice. Both are distinguished in their act and in their object. For example a person should show mercy to a rich man in some sudden danger or distress, and also doing of mere justice to a poor man in regard of some particular contract. Winthrop explains how a person should show respect and help people in need. He also states that no one should pass up an opportunity to help someone or else that person will be cursed. People are a company that follows Christ, and just because everyone is thousands of miles doesn’t mean everyone is alone but knitted together by love. People should do more service for the Lord and should serve…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Damned or not Damned! A unique look at “Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God”…

    • 1121 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A British Colonial Christian wrote a very moving sermon called “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Jonathan Edwards, the British Christian, is a leader trying to persuade people into joining his religious Christian beliefs. He gets his ideas directly from the Bible and spreads the word in persuasion ways. He wanted people to experience salvation. He is a big part of why Europe believes in the teachings of the Bible. His purpose of his sermon was to warn his congregation. He used a lot of fear tactics to…

    • 91 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    individualism is “a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control”. what this means is that the individual has control over what goes on in the society rather than a government or any one force controlling what the individual does, individualism could be shown in many different forms. examples of different forms individualism could be shown is through the way you dress, your moral beliefs, or even your actions.Individualism is shown through romantic, revolutionary, and colonial text in Sinners in the hands of an angry god, speech to Virginia conviction, and self reliance…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is a sermon given by Johnathan Edwards, a preacher and a theologian. Published in 1741, Edwards’ sermon is one of most defining pieces of literature during the First Great Awakening in the United States. The Day of Doom is a poem written by Michael Wigglesworth, a Puritan minister. The poem became wildly popular in Puritan New England when it was published in 1662. Both texts discuss the themes of divine judgement and punishment. Edwards’ sermon illustrates that it is God’s will that keeps evil men from being sent down to hell. Wigglesworth describes the Day of Judgement in which God will decide who will be saved who will be sent to hell. These pieces of religious literature both describe a harsh God who has ultimate judgement and no mercy when it comes to punishment.…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays