Jonathan Edwards was a man who could have turned any eighteenth-century Puritan to stone. He was born in East Windsor, Connecticut and grew up in a family with strict religious beliefs. In 1727 he began his preaching career as assistant to his grandfather, Solomon Stoddard, pastor of the church in Northampton, Massachusetts. When his grandfather died two years later, Edwards became pastor of the Northampton Church and began preaching throughout New England. He then emerged as one of the leaders of the Great Awakening with his determination to return to the orthodoxy of the Puritan faith. It was then that he adopted his emotional “fire and brimstone” sermon style. Although people often ran out of the church in hysteria, most remained in the church enthralled by his speeches. He had always purposely chosen to address his congregation with a sermon, using all the elements of oratory. In Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards displays all the elements of oratory by appealing to the emotions, including expressive and rhythmic language, addressing the needs and concerns of his audience, and inspiring others to take action. Jonathan Edwards used three key emotions to appeal to his audience: fear, pity and guilt. He created fear by showing sinners their future if they continued to sin. The Puritans avidly believed in the afterlife, and when Edwards explains a terrible “long forever, a boundless duration before you, that will swallow up your thoughts and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having a deliverance, an end, a mitigation, a rest..." this exploits the Puritans' worst fears of a bleak afterlife. (Edwards 105). It also gave the "bandwagon effect" to the Puritans, individuals...... middle of paper ......nique once again saying "how terrible it is to be left behind" while all the other Puritans are feasting and singing for joy with God, the sinner burns at 'Hell. (104). He inspires his audience to want to change their ways and acquire salvation. By appealing to the emotions, inspiring others to take action, addressing the needs and concerns of his audience, and including expressive and rhythmic language, Edwards displays all the elements of an oratory. Because of these techniques, Edwards' emotional sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God remains his most famous work and contributed much to the Great Awakening movement. Although the oratory is no longer as popular as it once was, traces of it can still be heard in courtrooms and churches. Oratory will always have an important role in America's history and future.