Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God By Jonathan Edwards

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Puritanism was a movement that arose towards the end of the 16th century. It was a direct result of the split of the Catholic Church. The Anglicans became the dominant Protestant religion in England and disapproved of the Puritan beliefs. To escape the religious persecution that followed, they escaped to the New World. (Religion of the American Republic)
Puritans saw God as an omniscient and omnipotent being. They expressed His authority over all humans by preserving their covenant with God and by their righteousness within the aspects of church, religion, and community. The manipulation of the Puritan’s deep passion for righteousness within the social aspects of their community, through the fear based preaching of Jonathan Edwards, led to …show more content…

For instance, he made his audience aware that they could be cast into hell at any time and of the damnation God could cause. To show that human beings were still at the mercy of God, Edward's states, “There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment" (Edwards, p. 5). In spite of this, Edwards still believed that humans had the power to save themselves by overcoming their corruption. This is done by an individual's actions and his work done throughout his life. To Edwards, sinners are kept on earth because God is not ready to take them yet. He proceeds to take these threats and direct them towards individuals. Edward indicates, “Yea God is a great deal more angry with great Numbers that are now on Earth, yea doubtless with many that are now in this Congregation" (Edwards, p.7). He is attempting to inspire them to become better individuals and have a rebirth in their actions. This was different from many Puritan texts. They chose to believe Edwards when he stated that God’s goodness is the one thing that saves them. The fear of denouncement to hell terrified them and focused them on their path for righteousness. The thought that “hell is gaping for them” creates a strong motivation to do God’s will (Edwards, p.11). Their life, therefore, becomes a mission and they must live their life trying their best to pursue the highest form of