51 pages • 1 hour read
Jonathan EdwardsSinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1741A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
How does Edwards motivate his audience and counter their resistances to his message? What literary or rhetorical strategies does he use to achieve his ends? What types of emotional appeal does he make in the sermon?
The structure of the classic Puritan sermon typically consists of four parts: biblical text (or epigraph), doctrine, reasons (or proofs), and application. How does Edwards utilize these sections to methodically develop his argument? Consider how he relates the Old Testament verse he chooses as his text to the spiritual situation of his listeners, and the implications and considerations he draws from the biblical text. How effectively does Edwards organize and support his argument?
How does Edwards depict God, and what does he mean in saying that it is only the “pleasure of God” that delays the sinner’s immediate damnation?
The contrast between God’s omnipotence and mankind’s weakness is a major theme in Sinners. What images and literary techniques does Edwards use to represent or emphasize these fundamental qualities?
Another essential opposition in the sermon is that between sin and divine justice. How does Edwards portray the nature and corrupting effect of sin, and the claims of divine justice against the wicked?
Puritan sermons have often been described as exhibiting an iron logic. To what extent is Edwards’s argument addressed to the intellect as opposed to the heart? How do the two different types of appeal work together to achieve his rhetorical goals?
What use does Edwards make of terror in his rhetorical strategy? Why does he try to elicit this emotion, and what obstacles does he face in producing this effect in his listeners?
