1. Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God By: Jonathan Edwards

2. Quick Write Many people would agree that fear is one of the most powerful motivators of human behavior. Fear of injury makes us buckle our seat belts. Fear of failure makes us study or work harder. Edwards and other pastors used harsh warnings in their sermons to make “sinners” understand the precariousness of their situation by actually feeling the fear and horror of their sinful state. Do you think fear is a great motivator? Take a few minutes to write about what motivates you and whether you would use fear to motivate someone else.

3. Background This is Edwards most famous sermon, which he delivered on a visit to the congregation at Enfield, Connecticut, in 1741. The “natural men” he was trying to awaken were those in the congregation who had not been “born again,” meaning they had not accepted Jesus as their savior.

4. Background Cont… Edwards was influenced by the work of John Locke. Locke believed that everything we know comes from experience, and he emphasized that understanding and feeling were two distinct kinds of knowledge. (To Edwards, it is the difference between reading the word fire and actually being burned). Edward’s sermon has a powerful effect; several times he had to ask his shrieking an swooning audience for quiet.

5. Closure Identify 3 figures of speech in the sermon and what exactly Edwards means by this language. HOMEWORK: 1. Explain how this sermon is/is not like the definition in your notes 2. Explain how this sermon is/is not like an oratory.