A Closer Look At Jonathan Edwards

The Great Awakening was a powerful movement led by ministers like Jonathan Edwards. These ministers were often depicted as captivating orators and soap box preachers but Edwards offers us a different view. Although one would picture Edwards as a fire and brimstones-type preacher, he was known for his relatively calm manner during his sermons. In fact, he would typically sit in front of the audience and read off his sermons. Why am I spending time sharing this with you?

Well, quite frankly, I wasn't very fond of Edward's ideas of Christianity when I first read his sermon "Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God." I felt that he was missing important pieces to Christianity. He hardly mentioned God's love for his people despite their sinning ways. After a discussion in class, I started to understand where he was coming from. He knew that preaching about God's wrath and anger would get the attention of his congregation and instill a fiery passion for Christ. Edward's honesty and willingness to stir emotions are several reasons why he is remembered to this day. He realized that the important thing was for his congregation to seek a relationship with God from the heart.