Rhetorical Analysis Of Sinners On The Hand Of An Angry God

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Rhetorical Analysis: Sinners on the Hand of an Angry God

Listeners: There were two prominent movements occurring in the time period corresponding to the deliverance of Edward’s sermon. The first movement was the Enlightenment period, which brought emphasis and attention on science over God. However, as the Enlightenment period went on during this time, it was noticeable that Christianity was suffering. The Enlightenment movement was counteracted with the second movement of the time, the Great Awakening, which brought back the focus of people to religion and God. The immediate audience was to the Puritans (or the women in the church), which we discussed in class.

Exigence: Jonathan Edwards was a preacher who felt strongly about the Great Awakening …show more content…

He uses the Pathos effect by giving examples of imagery of hell, making the audience fearful as well as tampering with their consciences. However, he also uses Ethos in the sermon. Edwards bases his sermon on the authority of the Bible. He uses many different scriptures and analogies from the Bible to reinforce his …show more content…

It is clear that Edwards chose this particular sermon because it was an effective and relative way to convey his message of condemnation. It was the easier way he could reach the audience that his message was targeting. It instilled the fear of what is to come and the unknown futures if they continue to remain stagnant. After the audience had been instilled with fear, he once again brings back the thought of repentance. He explains that the time to come back and repent is now, as they were created to serve God and fulfill his purpose. He completes his sermon on a note that brings hope to the