Read the excerpt I gave you in class to get an idea of what this famous sermon is all about.
Click here for a little background info on Jonathan Edwards. This will help you answer the POV question you're supposed to answer.
In the comments section (as usual), please answer the questions contained in your syllabus. What is Edwards' tone? Also, consider what it may have been like to live in New England during the 1730s and 1740s and to have been able to hear people like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. How do you think you may have reacted?
Due: MIDNIGHT, Wednesday, Sept. 5
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
48 comments:
The theme of Jonathan Edwards's sermon was that those who sin will be eternally punished in hell. His point of view is one that if you are not a born-again christian, then you are in danger of spending a lifetime in the flames of hell. Also that we are all lucky that God has taken pity upon us and still continues to hold us out of hell even though we are shameful in his sight until we are forgiven for our sins. This sermon has very familiar themes of many sermons I have heard all of my life, seeing as how my grandpa, uncle, and father are all preachers in the methodist church. Though the sermons I hear at church are not this extreme, christians today still share the same belief that if you lead a life of sin without forgiveness, you will go to hell. I learned that in these times, God's opinion of you was very important and determined how you lived your life and your fate as a human. Today, there being such diversity in religion, we cannot all live this way and believe the same things. I am confused as to why Mr. Edwards seems so "holier than thou" because as we all know, no one is perfect, so he, in turn, has sinned too.
John Edward's main idea was to basically scare those that are sinners to repent immediately so that they could escape their horrible fate in hell. The sermon talks of how anyone who offends Dog in such ways is dammed eternally. The point of view is Edward's own radical beliefs in the christian faith. He gave the speach to persuade his congregation by using scare tactics to repent and live godly lives. He believes that God could at any minute send us to hell but has been merciful, and we should repay him and show respect by becoming devout in faith. I learned how extreme some of the sermons of this period can be. The usage of strong imagery creates vivd images of how close to hell you are. i agree with Taylor in that none of the sermons i hear ever are this extreme. I think if they were i would probably be scared to death and wouldn't ever leave the house again. The image that people portrayed should not only be important for God's sake but also for their own and others around. i am confused as to why Edwards is preaching about repentence to everyone as if he is flawless in his faith. Just beucase he preaches God's will so strongly does not mean that he too is perfect.
Johnathan Edward's theme was that those who aren't saved will spend eternity in hell. From his point of view anyone who rejects Jesus will be sent to hell after they die. He also states that only by the hand of God are we not thrown into the lake of fire. He seems to be scaring the congregation and telling them how worthless they are, I agree everybody makes their fare share of mistakes but he seems to paint a picture of God that portrays him as a cruel, unjust god that only wants to punish us. If I were listening to this sermon, I would probably walk out of there.
The major point John Edwards is trying to get across is clearly that your salvation is a complete privelige, not a right, and God can instantly drop you to hell if you even irk him just a little bit. Edwards was a Calvinist Congregationalist preacher, with a tendency to preach that God was not well disposed towards humans, and saved them only if they acted just as he liked. These preachings have earned him a place in history, so were to his benefit in the future even if they weren't at the time. One can certainly learn that colonial America was a place open to a great variety and sort of experimentation with Christian theology.
John Edward's tone was very angry. Instead of preaching to people of how they could change their life he yells and says God will drop them into hell without the slightest bit of care. I think if I lived back in the day then I would probably go crazy because it was all work and no play trying to set up the new colonies. If I heard Jonathan and George talking I would have thought they were crazy and walked away because why would God make us just to laugh at us while we burn in hell.
Johnny Edwards, quite the aggressive preacher, posits through his sermon that those "that are out of Christ" are incontrovertibly damned to Hell, which he describes with great gusto and plenty of fire imagery. He is speaking from the point of view of a preacher intent on converting the masses by emotional tatics, much like his fellow crony George Whitefield. I agree with everyone else that I never yet to hear/read a sermon this extreme. Looking at this from a writer's eye, Edwards' imagery is quite consistent and manages to effectively evoke a sense of horror, impending doom, and fear. Nice. Interestingly, he provides no foil--nothing to contrast the fiery wrath of God and the fiery wrath of Hell. Edwards' tone is one of almost contempt; it is definitely unpitying. If I were alive during that time period, I probably would've been terrified--I doubt the birth of much cynicism in that era. I do wonder if Whitefield's sermons were as fiery; the book simply said that they were emotionally intense.
Jonathan Edwards sermon is to scare the people in to audience into repentance. I haven't ever heard a sermon like this before. Edwards point of veiw is coming from his zealous christianity. He is a Calvinist Congregationalist preacher and believes in preaching hell and brimstone a lot. I think i would have focused more on Jesus' love than on hell. I've learned about how back then preachers focused more on hell, than Jesus' love, like now.
And P.S. I think Nate's response was right on the money.
The idea of this sermon by Johnathan Edwards is that if you provoke God the slightest bit you will drop into the fiery pits of hell to burn eternally. He tries to scare people from sin. I agree with Taylor that everyone sins so what is his point. His tone is intimidating and frightening. I might have been mortified and been careful not sin, so I wouldn't burn forever in the fires of Hades.
Jonathan Edward's used "Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God" as a means to scare people into being Christian. He describes his one true God as being one prone to vengeance and wrath. He basically says those who are not "born again" will spend eternity in hell. Edwards states to his congregation that even if they live a strict, obedient life they will be damned to hell if they are not saved. I do not believe, or I at least hope that God does not look at the world as some "spider or loathsome insect." If God makes us in his image and we are all his children why would he ever look at what he created that light? I am confused at how such a "man of God" speaks so hypocritically. He talks as if he is perfect, which, according to Christ, no man could ever be.
Edwards main point in this article is to teach people not to sin. He gets his point across by using fierce language. The point of view is from the mouth of Jonathan Edwards. People in his congregation were probably used to these types of sermons, and thus were probably not too scared by it. It would be a different story however, if you or I were in the congregation. We would probably be scared to death and would certainly not sin for many many months. He reinforces over and over again, the power of God to simply release you from his grip and let you fall into the vast, never ending pit of hell.
John Edwards's sermon conveys the idea that sinners are in the "Hands of an Angry God" and their fate is controlled by God. Edwards is coming from a preacher's point of view; He uses an aggressive, accusing tone to emphasize God's power and the consequences appointed to sinners. During the 1730s and 1740s members who attended Edwards's sermons reacted emotionally by fainting or by displaying other "bodily effects". If I were to have attended one of Edwards's sermons (or George Whitefield's), I'm sure I would have responded emotionally so as not to stand out, but in truth I would have been more scared than anything. Through reading Edwards's dramatic sermon, I have learned that his sermon uses strong religious elements that confirm this piece was presented during the Great Awakening. His sermon is one of many religious pieces given during the Great Awakening, but is the most dramatic I have read so far. After reading his sermon, I do not understand why he does not offer a solution for sinners to eliminate their sins, but instead threatens them with the "plunge into the bottomless gulf".
Oy. Well, it’s good to know that Jonathan Edwards was such a happy fellow. And I’m glad that his sermons were full of loving messages about God’s forgiveness. Really, I am simply touched. Edward’s style could clearly motivate anyone, especially with the lovely images he created. Because, according to Edwards, God will obviously become highly annoyed with all humans at one point (because all humans are sinners, oh wait… except for Edwards himself) and decide He’s had enough of us for now. And, according to Edwards once again, most of us are probably doomed for hell, anyway. At least, by the time he finished his sermon, nobody was safe from the wrath (or fires, or wickedness, or bottomless gulf, of furnace, or wide pit, or all those other cheery things). Edwards wrote his demeaning (and probably very loud) sermon as if the only way to have colonists follow a faith was to; well… completely freak them out. Don’t think about speaking of Heaven or even a loving, forgiving God because hell obviously has a better effect in a sermon. Now this is one of those times where I can not relate this article to anything I know of, since I’m not even sure if my priest has said the word hell in mass, let alone scream about damnation and burning forever and ever and ever in a bottomless pit. Happy thoughts, right?
Jonathan Edward's main point was to tell, more like scream and yell, about how we all are dangling over the flames of hell and the only thing keeping us from falling in is God's merciful hand. He preaches that we need to totally rely on God or we will suffer greatly. Pretty much his tactic is to scare the people into repenting and receiving salvation from God. He makes God out to be this cruel, evil man. If i were at one of these sermons i'd probably just walk out because i know that God is definitely not cruel and that he's kind and just.
The theme of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is strictly the relationship between Christians and God. To Edwards, it is a very fragile relationship because he believes that all who believe but make mistakes will end up in "the pit of hell". He uses an angry and threatening tone throughout the sermon. If I would have lived in that time period and heard preachers such as Edwards and Whitefield, it would have left me scared and self concious of my own mistakes. I can't say that this sermon reminds me of any document that I have seen or read today. Like Taylor, I am also confused by his self-righteous outlook and his refusal to put himself in as a sinner.
John Edwards' main point seems to be that humans are the scum and slime of the earth and that it is only through the undeserved benevolence of God that humans are not cast into hell. John Edwards was a theologian that was known for his aggressive sermons and had a strong background in the Puritan faith. His purpose is to scare the crap out of the congregation with his condemnatory and damming tone into being "born again" and to stop their awful, sinful ways. This document kind of reminds me of John Winthrop and his forewarning of the wrath of God (although his "city on a hill" was much more muted than Edwards' vociferous sermon). This reading is an example of the impact that one man and his message can have upon a large group of people; when a person can affect other people in a drastic way, it can have a massive impact on the larger majority. I'm sure that during the 1730s and 1740s getting to hear someone speak like John Edwards or Whitefield would be a big deal; after all, life in the eighteenth century was pretty boring and Edwards sounds pretty entertaining (especially if you're into self-mortification). The people probably reacted by...um...everyone converting (Great Awakening), but I don't really know. I agree with Mark and think that at least a few people didn't buy into Edwards' bull because "why would God make us just to laugh at us while we burn in hell." (Very inspiring, Mark)
The main theme of Jonathan Edwards's sermon was that if you are not born again in the eyes of God, you will live eternally in the fires of hell, which is, of course, a bad thing. His point of view is that all people need to be born again Christians and that we're only worthy of being thrown into the fires of hell, but his hand is the only thing keeping us from it. This sermon is very similar to the sermons my grandpa preached during the old-fashion Church of God revival we had a while back. I sort of disagree with Taylor, though, because all of the sermons I've ever heard have been this extreme, so I guess I'm used to it and actually find it amusing. Important details that I found were that the Great Awakening was probably filled with Preachers like this, preaching hellfire and brimstone (as Mrs.Stone puts it), and scaring people into conviction and getting saved, sanctified, or converted, however you look at it. I really don't find anything confusing.
If I had lived back then, I probably would have been scared for my life and immediately "went to the altar" right then, but I probably don't know exactly how I would have reacted.
Jonathan Edwards' sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is pretty much telling the listeners that they are doomed for hell, only temporarily saved by the mightily disgusted God, unless we step up and ask for salvation. He's saying that "[there] is nothing but his hand that [holds] you from falling into the fire every moment." So basically, God can choose at any moment to "drop" you in all you sin and have no more mercy. Edwards, a preacher during the Great Awakening, is highly religious, if you will, and speaks intending to move his audience. His tone beomces more forceful, rather than inviting. If I were to hear this sermon, I would probably run to the alters, begging for forgiveness, not out of true sorrow as much as fright. I have learned that preachers back in the day were really serious about their religion, a lot more so than many of people I know. Still a bit confused at his emphasis that "God holds [us] over the pit of hell"... way to make it seem so graphic.
The main idea or theme of Jon Edwards sermon is that non-born again christians will withe in agony for all eternity. He preches the sermon from his own beliefs, of how we are blessed that God takes mercy on us when we are to be damned. He wants people to give up thier sinful ways and be reborn. I have learned that the people from this time frame are more strict upon religion but alot of churches still preach like this, although many do not. We cannot all be the same. I find his point og God confusing, does he really think that God thinks of us as that bad?
The theme of "Sinners in the hands of an angry God", is that if you sin, and you do not know God you will spend eternity in hell. The sermon, is written by: Jonathan Edwards. It was written to scare people into accepting god. I have heard a lot of sermons like this one Edwards wrote, by going to my grandparents church. I learned that people in 1700's were really religious. They wanted other people that were not as religious to be just as religious as they are.
The main idea of Jonathan Edwards's sermon is to convince all non-Christians that they need to be saved or else they will spend eternity in the glowing flames of hell. Edwards's point of view is that of a preacher who is trying his best to convert people into Christianity before they end up in hell. Edwards strongly believes in his Christian faith and is prepared to convert even if it means scaring them. Many of the pastors during that time period preached "hell-fire and brimstone" messages to their congregations, one of which was George Whitefield. Through the reading of this, I have learned that everyone, no matter what your status was in the town, cares about what God thinks of them. They were willing to convert to find favor with God in order to keep themselves out of hell. The tone of Edwards is very angry and quite scarey throughout his sermon. I would have immediately converted if I had heard such sermons as these during the 1730s and 1740s. I find it very confusing that Edwards only portrayed God as an angry being and one who wants you to be in hell. He doesn't explain the loving side of God whatsoever.
This sermon is super fierce. Jonathan Edwards gets his point off very clearly: if you sin, God will send you to live in eternal hell. Edwards does this to try to scare people into accepting Jesus as their savior so they will go to heaven. He is scaring the congregation because he believes that God could throw any of them in hell for what they have done and showing him a little bit of respect through faith is the least people could do for him. If I were at that sermon I would have accepted christ out of fear because of his tone. He made hell seem so real and close that nobody would walk out of that church without Jesus in their heart. Edward's spoke in a powerful way that hardly anybody could deny.
The main idea of Jonathan Edward's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is that if you sin, you will spend eternity in hell. Edwards wants sinners to repent so they could escape hell. The point of view is Edwards, it is his beliefs in the Christian faith, and he wants to show non-christians how they will spend the rest of their lives in hell. I can link this document with other sermons I have heard, and I agree with Taylor in that we learn now if you lead a life of sin without forgiveness, you will go to hell. Preachers still preach that today, although they do not hit the extreme Jonathan Edwards did. I learned Edwards's time that the belief in God's opinion was so important, and it decided your fate.
I also agree with Taylor and Donna because I am also confused that Edwards's is preaching that he is flawless, but no one is perfect, so he is sinning by speaking above others.
The main idea of Edward's sermon was to frighten people into living a better life so that they would not end up in hell for all eternity. The point of view is a strong-willed preacher who is wanting to convert his listeners. This sermons is a lot like sermons I heard in church. Although I don't think I have ever heard a sermon as powerful as this one, they have come close. Most of the sermons I hear have the same concept. To accept God into your life and live your life as Christ-like as possible. I feel like Edwards is saying that we are all sinners but that if we sin we will spend eternity in hell. It's almost as if he is saying we should be perfect. I am a little confused as to if he thinks that he is perfect because he is preaching to these people like he is.
Jonathan Edwards was just trying to say in simple that those who do not ask forgiveness of sin will be punished eternally in hell. He definitely got his point across to me. Edwards also talks about how we are worthy of nothing else but to burn in hell forever but because of God's grace we have a choice not too. I think that if I understood old English I would have been very frightened about the words that he said. Edwards is really just giving us a warning to ask forgiveness of our sins before it is too late. I agree with t-dawg about how powerful he spoke that you just really couldn't deny him.
I can see why the people hearing this sermon were a little frightened because what I think of when I hear a sermon like this is some big man wiping his head with a handkerchief while he praises the lord. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" depicts God and Hell in a very different way as many Christians today do. Edwards says the only thing stopping us from falling into the deep,dark pits of hell is God's hand and he is angry because of all our sins. Although Christians today do believe today that one who sins without forgiveness will go to hell, but Edwards depicts the human race as the scum of the earth and people who should never get a chance to escape Hell and he also depicts God as angry and powerful while many Christians depict God as an almighty being who is merciful and kind. Edwards was probably a scary man and I'm sure this sermon converted many people because of just the pure thought of the perils of hell.
The theme John Edwards was trying to established was the that lost sinners should convert to christianity. John Edwards was the author and he was coming across from the christian point of view. It sounds like sermons I have heard at my own church. I learned that religous leaders have always been as pressing in thier beliefs as they are now. I find the fact that Edwards was so ruthless in his view of sinners confusing, how are you suppose to win people over to your side by insulting them?
The main point of Jonathan Edwards's intense sermon titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is that those who don't conform to the all powerful God's every whim, will suffer eternally in "that lake of burning brimstone". Using images laden with fire and other unsettling ideas, he proceeds to scare the pants off of anyone who hears or reads his sermon. Edwards and his colleagues use the strategy of preaching such "hellfire and brimstone" sermons as a means to convert as many people as possible to christianity, more specifically, their denomination of christianity. In his sermon, he states that man must try his best to do what God wills, but ultimately, it's Big Guns upstairs's decision whether or not you perish eternally, or not. I personally found the fact that Edwards really presented no alternative to the hell route. According to this particular sermon there is really only suffering, and no concept of a paradise or heaven was presented.
The main idea for "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is that if you do not truely live your lives in a Christian way then you will go straight to hell. The point of view of the sermon is that if you have not heard or be reborn in Christ then you will go straight to hell. Jonathan Edwards wrote this sermon to give people a reawakening about their faith towards God. The purpose was to get people to become serious about their sins and live a Christian life. I read this in my English II Honors my 10th grade year in high school. Also I read it last year in my IB History class last year in IB. I learned that he was very serious in preaching his sermons to people in the New England colonies and Middle colonies. I am not that confused at all because I have seen it last year and my 10th grade year.
Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angy God," he is basically saying to the people that if they do not get saved and convert to Christianity they will burn in the fires of hell. He basically is just trying to put fear into these people in order to get them to convert. Edwards tone is very aggressive and forceful. The point of view is coming from Jonathan Edwards and he is portraying a violent or scary picture of what may happen in result to not following what he or god says. He also says, "-as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you us for your own preservation," he basically is saying that humans are selfish. If I were listening to his sermon I would most definatly get offended because of how aggressive he is to get his ideas and beliefs across. I do not agree today with the way some people try to force their beliefs on me, and I do not think they have a right to tell me my beliefs are wrong, and their way is the only way. I do not think it is righ to try and show the punishment god would lay upon them to convert them, instead I would try to explain the goodness and grace that god would lay upon them.
Hello my name is Kayla, and I can't proofread things before I submit them.
I personally found the fact that Edwards really presented no alternative to the hell route interesting. According to this particular sermon there is really only suffering, and no concept of a paradise or heaven was presented.
Last two sentences, fixed.
Edwards main purpose was to scare each of the people in the congregation into salvation. He stated that if you didn't have salvation you would burn in hell for all of eternity. Using scare tactics he persuaded his congregation that if they didn't repent immediately then they were at the mercy of a very angry God who at any minute would strike them down. But they were lucky because God was also merciful and that if they repented then they were safe. The objective in preaching during this era was to use vivid images and extreme scare tactics. In the churches i've been to, I've never witnessed a sermon as terrifying as this one, if i did I'd probably never leave my house again or go find another church.
This sermon most definitely would convince many listeners to convert. His purpose, besides sharing his ideas, was most likely to gain as many converts as possible. His point of view is a common person telling other common people the fury that awaits them if they don't obey God. Obviously, Johnathan Edwards wrote this sermon and he wrote it to spread his ideas about sinners. This seems like one of the common sermons that someone would preach at a revival. I have never been to a revival myself but i know enough to say that he most likely smacked someone on the forehead and yelled "be healed!" after this. He definitely has a serious tone throughout the sermon and if i had been there i would've been convinced! Nothing about this sermon is very confusing to me, but i do think its funny to picture someone doing a sermon such as this.
Jonathan Edwards' sermon is basically a condemnation of all people in order to scare them into salvation. This hell fire and brimstone preachment makes the audience afraid to do anything wrong at any time in fear that God will drop them from his protecting hand into the fiery flames of hell.
Because Jonathan Edwards was very successful in bringing people to believe in every word of his sermons, he is a well-known preacher from history. This makes me relate the sermon type to my last preacher's sermons. Not too fun to listen to, although they are interesting to evaluate. From the reading, all I have done is think about how insecure the faith of the audience must have been back in the day. Im pretty sure me and Jackson would be running away during one of these sermons, considering that he probably was a scary little dude.
shazam.
I view Edwards' sermon as a type of propaganda, to almost scare people into converting. And considering the great religious revival that occurred during this period, his sermons obviously worked.
Edwards doesn't hold back when he speaks about the "wrath of Almighty God." He portrays God as a relentless, hateful God, and not as the forgiving, loving God we all know. His main point is to first draw his audience in, using frightening language like "The God that holds you over the pit of hell...abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked," "his wrath towards you burns like fire," "how dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been born again..." Then Edwards hits them with the statement that conversion is the only way to save their souls.
Edwards uses a harsh tone to push religious revival and almost scares his audience to conversion. I kind of feel sorry for those who fell into his trap and converted. If this period emphasized individual choice and resistance to authority, then why did so many people follow the ideas of this man? I guess it was just something different and props to Edwards because he's pretty convincing. I think that if it were me, I probably would have converted to, out of fear mainly, but also out of confusion about what I believed.
Now I'm not saying Edwards completely misrepresented God because yes, I do believe humans are sinful and we must ask for forgiveness. But I do not believe that we are dangling over the fiery pits of hell and one slip up could result in eternal damnation.
The main idea of Johnathan Edwards' sermon was to inform the congregation that just because they do good deeds doesn't mean that they are immune to the wrath of God! Edwards states that God has no debt to us mortals and if we are not saved we are damned to hell. The point of view is that of a "saved" Christian trying to convince unsaved believers to be re-born. Edwards wrote this to point out the flaws in "modern day" church in the 1700's. He wrote this in hopes to save all the unsaved "Christians" from their inevitable damnation to hell. This reminds me of how my preacher preaches. He is very much into the debts we have to God and that God has no reason to save us from hell. I guess it resembles the Bible considering its about Hell and God. I learned that Edwards was very much into helping unsaved people find their way to Christ and that he knew an effective way to encourage being re-born! Edward's tone is forceful! If I lived in New England back in the 1700's and I was unaware of these views, hearing this sermon would have opened my eyes and scared tha crap out of me and scared me into being saved!
The theme of this sermon was that if you didn't repent of your sins you would burn in hell forever. The point of view was that of many puritan preachers of that time, they thought that if didn't repent of your sins you'd burn forever. Sermons like these aren't familiar to me because in my church we don't preach sermons as harsh as these, they get the same point across but it isn't so "in your face". His tone is angry one he wants to convey the anger God has with us, that's why this sermon is written this way. I agree with him though, but i wouldn't deliver the sermon in such a way as to say that i am perfect and now you need to get your life straight.
I believe that old Jonathan Edwards here exaggerates just a little bit too much.
The main idea of his "sermon" was to scare or force people to turn to God and repent of their sins. I can agree with Jonathan Edwards for the most part but i believe that he took his point too far and became quite extreme with it. Edwards was a leader for revivals and which used a newer, more in your face type of sermon. He was all about emotions which led him to get very emotional in his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." I don't think i have read any other documents like this even though i hear a sermon every week at church i never hear anything this extreme and i have even visited churches with very emotional pastor and have not experienced anything quite like this. I like the analogies and synonyms he uses in this sermon but once again he goes to far to say that we are all falling boulders on our way to hell and the only thing to catch us is a spider web. I can agree though that this relates to some revivals I have been to. They have not been as extreme but they only have a weekend to get their point across and that is what he did. He only had one chance to get his point across and he got very emotional. The only thing that confuses me is whether or not he believes that he is perfect. Nobody is perfect in their faith and Edwards acts like he is.
oo and i have the same username but i couldnt remember my password so if that matters than i have a different account but a the same name if not than i just wasted 17 seconds of my life...goodnight
Johnathan Edwards' main point was that god would be happy to drop you into the fires of hell for pretty much any little offense. this was a pretty new view on things and brought a new tactic to recruiting Christians , fear. i think that these new crazy ways of thinking of god were in part due to the turbulent times in which these people lived, if you made everybody think that god would rip off your arms for forgetting to say "god bless you" them you would probably get rid of many of the lawlessness affecting the people of this time. i really hope I've answered all the questions because i don't want to screw this grade up really i finished this thing like three lines ago now im just typing and listening to music. wow im going crazy look how much ive written i should get a medal
In his sermon, Jonathan Edwards outlines what he and all Puritan followers believed, which was that your fate in heaven or hell is predetermined and that no matter what good deeds you have done, nothing can replace the importance of being "born again". The point of view is of a man very fervent in his beliefs and very determined to gain converts and renewed, strengthened faith in his followers. The purpose, as demonstrated by the sermon's tone, is meant to scare people into submission to the Puritan doctrine, and it was written during the Great Awakening, so it may have given Edwards a competitive edge over the other denominations. after all, those who heard his sermons, along with those of George whitefield, were often overcome by emotion, a factor proven to be effective in determining one's religious fervor and the denomination one followed. This document reminds me of Tetzel's powerfully persuasive sermons in favor of indulgences, warning those who did not purchase them that their loved ones were burning in hell. I've learned that shock tactics have been going on for much longer than we might have believed, and that the horrifying details about hell sure work people into a frenzy better than the details about God's compassion. It makes the religion seem almost entirely selfish, with everyone out to save themselves. I also am wondering what Edwards' stance on his own damnation was...
The theme of the sermon by Johnathan Edwards was that those without Christ would be punished in hell. His point of view is that all non-christians were risking there eternity in hell. The purpose of this sermon is to warn these non-christians and try to scare them into repenting. This sermon kind of reminds me of the sermons i used to hear growing up at my old church because they emphasized repenting a lot. It is obvious to me that his sermon probably did result with a lot of conversions because people were probably so terrified of hell they repented their sins. I think all of my classmates understood the sermon and what it meant.
the theme of his sermon, was either commit to god and do good or go to the firey pits of hell. Edwards used scare tactics during his sermon to make the audience feel as though they needed to listen to what he was saying.
-jake
Blair's response:
The purpose of Jonathan Edwards's, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was used to be a scare tatic. In his sermon he was basically saying if sinners do not repent in God, they will go to the dreadful pit of the glowing flames. He uses very dark and fierce words to describe hell. Jonathon Edwards's point of view of this sermon is his own beliefs. Jonathon Edwards's is a preacher He believes that God can come down from Heaven any minute, so every time you sin you need to repent quickly or the sinners will spend the rest of their life in the glowing flames of hell. He is very blunt in this sermon and like donna lynn and taylor both said I've never experienced a sermon like that. Its almost as Edwards's is trying to push you and in most sermons today they try to connect with you, not scare you. If I lived in this time, I think I might have fainted or cried after hearing this sermon. It would make me feel horrible and would not cause me to want to repent.
MacKenzie's response:
The main idea of Jonathan Edward's sermon,"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is to show the consequences of being sinful. When you commit sins God will remove his hand and let you suffer in "that world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone". The point of view is Jonathan Edward's extreme Puritan beliefs. The purpose for writing this sermon was to scare the congregation into being saved. People should not want to be saved out of fear but because they love God. This document reminds me of all the English stories and poems that we read when we studied the Puritan era. Jonathan Edward's may have addressed the subject of sin but he didn’t leave room for forgiveness. God is a very loving and compassionate God. I agree with Nate when he says salvation is a complete privilege, not a right. God didn’t have to send Jesus to die on the cross for our sins but he did and it is completely up to us to accept his gift.
The main theme in Jonathan Edwards', "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", is that anyone who doesn't believe in Christ will eternally burn in hell. The point of view is of a preacher who is trying to hit people emotionally, in an attempt to convert them and save them from the fires of hell. This document is similar to other religious documents i've read, but this one is much more in your face about things. From reading this I learned how fearful the people were of God's wrath. This document was easy to read and i found nothing really confusing about it, except for the word abhors.
The main idea of the excerpt from "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," a sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards in 1941, is that everyone who has not been "born again" into the Calvinist, Christian faith is wicked and hated by God, and held by him "by a slender thread" above the fire of hell. Edwards, a Calvinist, wrote and preached the sermon to inspire religious experiences and conversions in his audience. This document really doesn't link to any other documents I have read. An important detail that I have learned from the document is the severity with which Edwards viewed hell. Edwards' tone is one of intensity and warning, but not necessarily condemnation. I am glad you linked us to the Wikipedia entry about Edwards; if I had not read that I would have written him off as just another scary preacher man. However, after reading about his life and self-discipline, it seems he was a scary preacher man that genuinely cared about his audience and believed in what he was saying. I think that if I had been alive in New England during the 1730s and 1740s and heard someone like Jonathan Edwards preaching, I would have stayed away because I just don't agree with his beliefs. At all.
On a personal note, this reminds me of one time in second grade when I went to church with a friend (I didn't really go to church growing up) and experienced a complete culture shock (having been raised in a pretty hippie-esque household up to this point). It consisted of going into this tiny church building, everyone that was a member greeting each other and completely ignoring me, and sitting uncomfortably for at least an hour while the preacher yelled at us very loudly about something. I suspect it was similar to Edwards' sermon, though probably not as well-written. I remember being freaked out (not because I was afraid of hell but because I didn't know how to respond to the yelling, something I rarely experienced at home or really anywhere), annoyed, and generally miserable. The point of that little story being that yes, I'm fairly positive that this isn't one of those situations where it seems like we couldn't relate to this but then we'd be surprised. Then again, maybe we'd be more likely to connect to this sermon if we were alive in the 1730s and 1740s.
Post a Comment