Jonathan Edwards and The Great Awakening

Honors American Literature

The Great Awakening

The First Great Awakening •  Puritanism was in decline in the early

1700s •  The First Great Awakening began

around 1720 •  It was a spiritual renewal in the colonies •  Thousands converted to other Protestant

groups at this time •  Traditional Puritanism was not revived

Jonathan Edwards

•  Born in East Windsor, CT

•  Went to Yale at 13 – valedictorian

•  M.A. in theology •  Grandfather

Solomon Stoddard also a preacher

Jonathan Edwards, cont.

• Edwards was very orthodox and fervent

• Dismissed from his congregation in 1750 because of conservatism and alienation

• Was president of what is now Princeton University

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

• According to one account, Edwards used a level and calm voice during the sermon

• People reportedly groaned and screamed in terror

•  This is his most famous sermon

Word Size = Word Frequency

Literary Terms and Vocabulary

Sermon

• A speech given from a pulpit in a (Protestant) house of worship

• Expresses an author’s message or point of view

• Can be inspiring or instructional

Sermons v. Homilies • Priests deliver homilies based on

the gospel reading of the day; they intend to explain the meaning of the gospel

• Pastors develop themes for their sermons and support their preaching with scripture verses

Simile • Figurative language which compares two unlike things using like, as or than

Metaphor • Figurative language that directly compares two unlike things

Personification • Figurative Language in which objects are given human characteristics

Omnipotent (adj) • All-powerful

Ineffable (adj) •  Inexpressible;

unable to be spoken

Dolorous (adj) • Sad;

mournful

Abhors (v) • To detest;

loathe