The Colonial Period in American Literature centered around religion, its works deeply rooted in religious beliefs that were highly valued at the time. Most writers of this period fled to America from their overseas homelands in order to evade religious persecution. With their newfound freedom, they were able to write openly about theological ideas, themes, and subjects. From this came a literary movement that was able to influence and persuade people perceive the world differently using religion.
A good representation of this literary period is Jonathan Edward’s Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God. One line reads, “There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the meer pleasure of God.” The extreme rhetoric caused