PUR - The Great Awakening Lesson

As was mentioned in the unit overview presentation, as each generation of Puritans passed, communities spread, making communication and oversight more difficult. Church membership suffered as individuals slowly grew away from their Puritan beliefs and lost the close relationship with God that their forebears had experienced. By the early 1700s, the majority of New England's population was outside the membership of the Puritan church.

Puritan ministers and other leaders sought a return to the values and principles of their Puritan ancestors. In response to these changes, a religious revival began during the 1730s: The Great Awakening. The American colonies were not the only Protestants to feel this awakening, but the movement was stronger in New England than in Europe. It swept through the colonies in the East transforming the religious and social life of the Puritans.

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was one of the most prominent Puritan ministers in New England during the Great Awakening. His sermons were designed to revive interest in the Puritan church and pull his audience back into right relationship with God, often through frightening images of God's punishment of those who disobeyed. These revivals were effective for a time, but they were usually short-lived, and the minister would have to return for another try again and again. One reason the revival spirit may not have lasted is that the religious conversions were based almost entirely on emotions—particularly fear—that did not survive the return to everyday life. Additionally, as we will learn in the next unit, the Enlightenment had reached the New World and had started to cause many to turn from religion to reasoning for answers to the important questions in life.

Edwards is most known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," in which he uses the image of a dangling spider over a fire to describe the human predicament.

Despite the initial popularity of his preaching, Edwards did not remain in favor forever. His downfall occurred when he condemned a group of young people from his pulpit. The parents of these children drove him from his position, and he was exiled to Stockbridge where he worked with Native Americans.

Reading Assignment

Read Edwards' famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."  Print the text and actively read it by underlining key words and phrases, circling main ideas, pointing out examples of figurative language (such as similes and metaphors), etc. Please also note the use of archaisms and allusions. Why do you think so many words aren't a part of Modern English? Do the allusions help you to better understand what Edwards is saying?

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Text Link Links to an external site.

"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Audio Link Links to an external site.

Review

Now that you have read and understood "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," practice your comprehension in the activity below:

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