Although fear
is really the go-to emotion in , guilt certainly does play a part. However, even though he
pays it lip service, Edwards isnt really aiming at the stereotypical sinners guilt. Hes less
concerned with the abject sinner living a life of depravity than he is with those members of the
congregation who put up a righteous appearance but havent had a true conversion of the soul. The
guilt hes invoking in this sense is the guilt of those who have failed to understand Gods will
and have instead relied on their own interpretations of righteousness and correct behavior. By
essentially calling out those who havent had what he would consider to be a personal experience
of God €“ being born again €“ Edwards hopes to plant the seeds of doubt that they are
following the correct path to salvation. Thus he invokes guilt in both the literal sense €“ the
congregants are guilty of having disobeyed and fallen away from the word of God €“ and guilt in
the emotional sense, guilt at displeasing God, deceiving themselves, and failing to understand
and live up to their obligations as Christians.
Friday, February 14, 2014
How does Jonathan's Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" invoke guilt?
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