The Edwards Research Project

The Edwards Research Project:

Instructions:  Open a new Google Document, titled “Edwards Research Project” and share it with me.   All of your answers for sections A - C below should be placed on your Google document (it may be useful to copy the questions onto your document).  You are to pick a partner and work in groups of two.  You may use Google to look up definitions or terms unfamiliar to you.

Remember:  CTRL C = copy, CTRL V = paste

A.  Research:  Jonathan Edwards and “The Great Awakening”

• 1. Who are the “Puritans”?  What were their beliefs?

  2. What was “The Great Awakening”?

  3. Read the web pages linked below.  Choose the one you think is the best, most comprehensive, authoritative source. Paste the link on your Google Doc along with an explanation  (1 paragraph minimum) of what made it the best choice, in your opinion.  Include a brief description of the criteria you used to judge the pages.

• • http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179857/Jonathan-Edwards

  • http://www.theopedia.com/Jonathan_Edwards

  • http://greatawakeningdocumentary.com/items/show/31

  • http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/edwards/

  • https://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Jonathan_Edwards_(theologian).html

B.  Read:  Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Link to the text of the sermon and additional resources:

https://sites.google.com/site/bibbcoenglish10/literature/jonathan-edwards

C.  Write:  Compose logical, meaningful answers to each of the following questions

Part I: Getting Started - Initial Impressions

1.  What stood out to you the most while you read the sermon?

Part II: “O sinner, consider the fearful danger you are in!”

2.   What are the main images used to express the danger facing the unconverted?

3.  These images are all linked to what major themes?

4.  What feelings does Edwards want his audience to experience by these ideas?

5.  If Edwards gave this sermon today, what imagery do you think he would use to elicit fear?  What would you use, if you were giving this sermon, to convince your congregation they must be born again?

6.  What argument does Edwards predict most unconverted will have as to why they will not go to hell?  How does Edwards address this argument?

7.  What will happen to the unconverted, according to Edwards?

Part III: “This is a day of mercy.”

8.  What do you think the purpose of the sermon?  How is the congregation/audience meant to react/respond to it?

Part IV: Thinking about how the sermon works

9.  What makes this sermon so effective?

10.  How is Edwards a reliable or credible source in the eyes of his audience?  What response do you think Edwards wanted to see in his congregation?  What impressions did he want them to leave with that day?