Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God rhetorical devices

In the sermon "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God" Jonathon Edwards uses various rhetorical devices to persuade his audience. The sermon was made on July 8, 1741 at a time were everyone believed in God and everything revolved around the bible. In his sermon, Edwards used allusions, similes, and personification to show God's anger towards humans. In the 17th century people's beliefs were all based on the bible. Everyone could refer to the bible as one of the only books they knew. Edwards makes many allusions in his sermon talking about the bible, so that people could relate. For example, "You are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours." People can relate to the serpent from the story…show more content…
For example, "Your wickedness makes you as it were as heavy as lead and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell." Here, he compares a persons wickedness to lead, and the more wicked you are the heavier you get. The heavier you get means you will plunge into hell faster. Another simile used by Edwards in his sermon is when he says, "His wrath towards you burns like fire." This compares God's anger to fire. Fire is found in hell, so this is a strong comparison that says his hatred is almost devil like towards sinners. Personification is used to give human characteristics to other nonliving things. Edwards uses personification in his sermon many times to create a picture in peoples heads. For example, "A boundless duration before you, which will swallow up you thoughts, and amaze your soul." Here, he says swallow up your thoughts. That is not possible but it makes the listeners reflect on themselves. He is trying to say that your thoughts can ruin your conscience, and eating you alive not literally. Overall, Jonathan Edwards uses rhetorical devices such as allusions, similes, and personification in his sermon to make people reflect on themselves and show God's anger towards

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Edwards uses logos, ethos, and pathos are used in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” through different ways to pack a bigger punch into his argument. Logos is the logistical side of his argument, speaking of the minister’s logic being; if you are a sinner who has not been reborn, you are going to hell. Ethos is a little harder to find in this text. It uses his position as a minister to provide more credibility by his testimony and allusion to the Bible to back up his arguments. The most persuasive example of pathos is that he makes everyone extremely fearful of God sending them to hell, while also allowing them an offer of hope by saying that they don’t have to go to hell if they are reborn. The main argument that is strongest is the claim that God is angry if you are a sinner and that he will send you to hell. Without all three of these methods mixed together, his argument would not be nearly as strong and persuasive.

Speaking in terms of logos, one example from the text is when Edwards says “They shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction. (Norton 391)” This passage from the fourth point in his writing shows logically that if you are a sinner, God will not hold you up any longer once you die. He will logically allow you to slip through into hell. This provides a logical argument to back up his original claim.

Speaking in terms of ethos in “Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God,” he uses first person and Biblical passages to show his expertise in this area. By doing this, the reader believes that what he is saying is worth listening to. He does this in the first and second point as he references Psalm. He also shows his expertise by being knowledgeable of pastoral works. “Jonathan Edwards continues to loom large over the evangelical world. In celebration of the tercentenary of Edwards’s birth, the thirteen essays in The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards examine the vision, theology, and influence of this theological giant within the context of contemporary American Protestantism. (Hart).” This shows how he is credible to speak of his main claim.

Finally, in terms of pathos, there is a lot in his writings. The touchy topic of ‘burning in hell’ can be pushed onto people easily using their emotions. He does this many times by speaking of two thing: people sinning and God being angry at sin. By preying on peoples emotions through the point out of their sins, Edwards is able to make them feel like they need to be reborn so they are saved from those sins. If not, by these means, Edwards convinces them by saying that if they are not reborn and sinners, they will burn in hell. This attacks the sinners’ fear emotion and causes them to pay more attention to what Edwards is saying. This causes Edwards original claim to have a more impactful meaning.

Overall, Edwards uses of logos, ethos, and pathos provide a very compelling argument in “Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God.” He uses these three rhetoric devices to make his claim, that is that if you are a sinner and not reborn then you will burn in hell, more convincing throughout his writing. By using all three of these devices, Edwards is able to make his argument much more compelling than if he were to have only used one or two of these devices. 

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What are some metaphors in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

This metaphor compares God holding back his wrath with a floodgate holding back a river. If God decides to “let himself go,” his wrath would be as devastating as a flood resulting from the opening of a dam.

What is the anaphora in the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

Topic Sentence: Edwards uses anaphora to repeatedly enforce the concept that everyone is inherently a sinner and that there is little they can do to change their fate.

What rhetorical devices did Lincoln use to convey his message?

In his speech, Lincoln used various types of rhetorical devices, including: pathos, biblical allusions, logos and parallelism to convey hi to convey his message.

What are some personification in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?

It is also talking about how the flash would lay hold on them , but given the fact the flash is not human, as said before, it is a personification. Edwards used it to explain that after death, for most of the congregation, that there was nothing but horror awaiting them bevause they had angeried God.