The Efficacy of Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

The famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” written by American reverend Jonathan Edwards in 1741, is a prime example of the potentially forceful convincing powers of rhetoric. The sermon, even when read silently, is effective in forcefully projecting a specific interpretation of the wrathful nature of God and the sinful nature of man. In crafting his highly effective sermon, Edwards utilizes his authority as a man of God and as an interpreter of the scriptures, a logical and direct organization of arguments, and violent imagery to convince his audience of the vengeance of God against man.

Jonathan Edwards begins his sermon by quoting Deuteronomy 32:35, which reads, "Their foot shall slide in due time." Edwards quotes the verse, and then immediately offers an interpretation of its meaning. He places the verse in context by mentioning the "unbelieving Israelites," then passes judgment on the doctrinal situation by saying that the scripture "seems to imply" the points to be illustrated in the rest of the document (Edwards 194). Edwards is very aware of his audience's loyalties to the Bible as the word of God. He is also aware of the influence his position as a preacher has on the congregation. Edwards makes use of his knowledge of his audience's allegiances in order to add the most impact to his argument. He uses two authorities to which he knows his audience claims allegiance; that is, he exercises both his own authority and the authority of the Bible to make his arguments about the nature of sinners more powerful. The scripture quoted at the beginning of the sermon then becomes irrefutable proof of the precarious nature of sinners in the sight of God. The strong argument in the introduction to Edwards' sermon, which is fortified by the scriptures and Edwards' ability to interpret the scriptures, immediately establishes Edwards as an authoritative figure, thus lending credibility to the rest of the sermon.

As the sermon goes on, Edwards continues to utilize his authority as a man of God, specifically by creating his own interpretation of the nature of God. This interpretation of God becomes the reference point for the rest of the sermon. All of the commands and accusations in the sermon rely on Edwards' portrait of God as an angry, all-powerful being that has no obligation to have mercy upon his creations. By convincing his congregation of God's wrathful character, Edwards is then able to convince the congregation that they are in danger of damnation and severe punishment at the hand of this wrathful God. Edwards characterizes God as a being that "abhors" mortal men and "looks upon [them] as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire" (200). Edwards then uses scriptural references to support his claims about the nature of God. He says, "We often read of the fury of God" (Edwards 201), "How awful are those words, Isaiah 63:3, which are the words of the great God" (Edwards 202), and quotes other scriptures in order to illustrate his point. Once again, he justifies his arguments by relying upon the word of God (scripture) and his own authority to interpret those words.

Edwards' arguments are further strengthened by the overall organization of his sermon. The sermon follows a very logically formulated course. Edwards begins by explaining the situation of the Israelites, as outlined in the Bible. He dictates, in a numbered list, the assumptions that can be made about the Israelites' exposure to "punishment and destruction" (Edwards 194). After outlining the Israelites' situation, he makes a claim that stems from his preceding logical explanation. He claims that "'There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God'" (Edwards 195). He then supports this claim, once again, with a numbered list of fully articulated explanations. Finally, after creating a well-structured argument about the Israelites, Edwards shifts his attention toward the members of his congregation and applies his claims about the Israelites to their present-day situation. His language immediately reflects this directional shift. He says that the subject thus far addressed "may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation" (Edwards 198). Edwards addresses the audience very directly, saying "This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ" (198, emphasis added). Before this shift, Edwards uses generalized language that is not directed at any specific individuals. When speaking of the condemnation of men, he says "the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them," etc. (Edwards 198, emphasis added) By shifting his attention directly to the audience before him, Edwards makes a logical transfer of ideas from the Israelites to the Americans in his congregation. The punishments and dire consequences assigned to the Israelites in the first half of the speech, before the shift, are then applied to the congregation. This sudden shift wastes no time in directly condemning the so-called sinners in Edwards' congregation. The logical progression of Edwards' argument makes his claims directly impactful to his audience.

Edwards also makes direct and powerful arguments by addressing specific groups within his congregation. Near the end of the sermon, Edwards begins to identify groups within the audience, then speaks directly to them. He speaks to older individuals, saying, "Do you not see how generally persons of your years are passed over and left," then turns to the younger audience members, saying, "And you, young men, and young women, will you neglect this precious season which you now enjoy. . .?" Finally, he turns to the youngest members of the audience. He says, "And you, children, who are unconverted . . . Will you be content to be children of the devil . . . ?" Once again, Edwards' methodological presentation creates a strong and convincing argument that applies specifically to the audience. By systematically addressing all age groups of the congregation, Edwards argues that God's wrath will not spare any sinner, regardless of age or experience.

Edwards also appeals to his audience through the use of extreme imagery. After identifying his audience members as sinners, Edwards reemphasizes the gravity of their situation through frightening images of destruction. He directly pinpoints the sins of the congregation, telling them that "wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell" (Edwards 199). Through the use of this image, Edwards creates a notion of hell that is very physical, not merely spiritual or mental. The physical reality of the torture of hell increases the negativity of the consequences of damnation. Edwards continues to use similar imagery in his explanation of the wrath of God. The wrath of God is compared to "black clouds," "fiery floods," a bent bow loaded with an arrow pointed at the heart of the sinner, etc. (Edwards 199) The images used in the second half of the sermon (after the shift towards the audience) parallel those used in the first half of the sermon. The audience members are thus in danger of the punishments directed at the Israelites. They can now picture themselves "held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell" (Edwards 198). Because Ewards has used a familiar image, a hand, the wrath of God becomes a physical, easily recognizable metaphor that can directly influence the audience. Edwards' imagery, as used throughout the sermon, paints an overall picture of man's vulnerability to the furious power of God. The violence of the imagery is incredibly sensational, and thus, incredibly frightening and effective in convincing the audience of God's ability to destroy his creations.

The convincing powers of Edwards' sermon are the result of careful construction. Edwards, in recognizing the influence of his own actions as a preacher, utilizes the audience members' loyalties to the Bible and religious authority in order to establish his argument as an authoritative interpretation of the nature of God. Furthermore, Edwards organizes his argument in such a way that the frightening punishments outlined in the Bible can apply directly to his audience members. The logical construction of the argument maximizes the impact of Biblical evidence of God' wrathful character. Finally, Edwards' use of vivid and violent imagery has the ability to create a strong emotional reaction in the audience, essentially inciting fear and dread so powerful that the audience has no choice but to trust Edwards. The sermon finds its power from the specificity with which it addresses its audience. Edwards draws power from the beliefs of his audience, and in doing so, creates a powerful argument about the relationship between God and man.
 
Works Cited
Edwards, Jonathan. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2008. 194-205. Print.