Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Outline 1. Introduction a. Hook - “Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering.” ( A quote from Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”) b. Thesis – Jonathan Edwards’s sermon portrayed Puritans as sinners of their religion through the use of rhetorical strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos. 2. Body Points c. Body 1 i. Topic Sentence - Ethos is referred to as the trustworthiness or credibility of the speaker and their tone of the literature. d. Body 2 ii. Topic Sentence – Pathos is referred to as the literature’s emotional appeal to the audience’s senses or imagination. e. Body 3 iii. Topic Sentence – Logos is referred to as clear the message is and how effective it is to the audience. 3. Conclusion f. Re-Stated Thesis – Through the use of the rhetorical triangle, Puritans are portrayed as sinful people of their own religion in Jonathan Edwards’s sermon. g. Clincher – “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (A quote from the bible Matthew 6: 14-15)

“Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering” (Edwards, Jonathan). The Puritans of early America were constantly reminded of the consequences of sinning. They were told that sinning would lead them directly to hell where they would rot. Jonathan Edwards was a very dynamic preacher of his time and his mission was to convert and persuade his audience of sinners. He ensured this through his authoritative sermons with “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” being one of his most famous sermons. In "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards uses several rhetorical devices that contribute to the effectiveness of his sermon. Jonathan Edwards’s sermon portrayed Puritans as sinners of their religion through the use of rhetorical

Cited: Edwards, Jonathan. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Pub., 1992. Print.