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Jonathan Edwards Rhetoric

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Jonathan Edwards began to implement the ideals of the “Great Awakening” in his sermons as a response to the Enlightenment, solidifying his place as a “fire and brimstone” preacher. Jonathan Edwards’ intellect, exceptional writing abilities, and masterful use of persuasive, sentiment-driven rhetoric have allowed his works the blessing of endurance, yet his words leave a disturbing impact. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” demonstrates Edwards’ inability to preach in an innocuous manner; his intensity furthers an individual into religious precarity and a state of detriment. Edwards’ sensationalist works are an effective mechanism for fear mongering; however, they prove ineffectual long-term as it diminishes the value of Christianity. With his utilization of persuasive diction, harsh …show more content…
While Edwards does an excellent job at conveying his Christian ideology, his blistering attempts at persuasion lessen his impact and prove to be a mechanism of self-sabotage. For instance, Edwards writes that men “have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God” (214). Edwards employs the word “refuge” to exploit the listener and imply that God is the only option for obtaining sanctuary. Edwards is using words such as “unobliged,” “forbearance,” and “incensed” to further persuade the listener into the belief that salvation isn’t an inevitability, rather it is a privilege. The listeners’ salvation is reliant on their unabashed belief in Him, their aversion to Hell and the anger of God, and the recognition that being saved is a result of merciful restraint. The cost of religious ineptitude may be too great of one for Edwards, but his use of foreboding, definitive diction does little to portray the catharsis and compassion of Christianity

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