In the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, Jonathan Edwards, the sermon’s author, used multiple techniques such as figurative language, image interpretation and use of pathos to ensure his purpose gets through to the audience. Through the uses of figurative languages like metaphors, personification, similes, and oxymorons, Edwards creates vivid, visual images that provoke emotions in the audience, swaying them towards his purpose in which he stresses that people need to change before God, with his almighty power, destroys them all. For example one use of figurative language that illustrates an image for the audience is, “and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.” In this example, Edwards uses a simile, a type of figurative language, to evoke fear and negative emotion in the audience by displaying a visual image of a spider’s web blocking a heavy rock.
The prominent theme that the story, “The Man Who Saw Through Heaven” by Wilbur D. Steele revolves around is how people let the words of others affect/change them as deeply as they do. A pivotal point in the story that exemplifies the theme was when Mr. Krum, a Christian scientist, explained his belief to Reverend Diana about how Earth could merely be a little stone on a ring on another organism's tentacle (315). That thought altered how Reverend Diana saw the world, and Christianity. This consequently changed how he would spend the rest of his life. He replied saying “May be a--ring--a little stone--in a--a--a--ring.” which exemplified his disbelief at the notion of the world being virtually insignificant because he couldn’t even formulate
Langston Hughes starts the setting with a very bold statement. “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen” (203) but then quickly follows it up with, “But not really saved” (203). That makes the reader question what he means by that. It is a good hook. He then sets the setting, and starts off with a time span of a couple weeks, but then later on narrows it down to minutes. This helps the tension build up throughout the piece, and keep the reader’s attention. When Hughes heard that he was going to be saved by Jesus from his aunt he took it quite literally. He thought that Jesus was going to welcome him with open arms, and that he would be able to meet him face to face to be able to be saved.
“Salvation” is a short story by Langston Hughes describing a boy when he discovered a significant truth about faith and religion. The last paragraph of “Salvation” functions as an epiphany for the boy. An epiphany is an experience of sudden and striking realization. It can also mean the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. This event helps shape the boy’s religious understanding far differently from what his Aunt Reed believes. According to his aunt, a light appears if you are saved from sin, and something happens inside of you. The boy hears adults mentioning the same light, which further leads him to believe his aunt. He is the last child in the church along with a boy named Westley to not see the light.
Langston Hughes used rhetoric words in his story “Salvation,” to provide foreshadows, and emotional appeals to his struggles in becoming religiously saved. Hughes began his story by stating “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen (179).” The irony in this opening is that Hughes initially believed in the presence of Jesus, but unexpected pressures pushed him to betray and deceive his faith. The setting of Hughes struggles took place in a religious ceremony in his Auntie Reed’s church. In this service, many young children like Hughes were gathered to be spiritually cleansed by the light of Jesus. Before the start of the service, Auntie Reed, and many church elders told Hughes that when Jesus spiritually exposes himself, he
“As surely as each of them brought a toothbrush with him, he also brought with him his loves and hates, his fears of death and his fears of life, his anxieties, his longings, his pride his doubts…and so did the one who traveled to New Haven to hear them lecture.” This statement from page three of Telling the Truth left me naked and vulnerable as I continued to read the following words of this brilliant work by Fredrick Buechner. As a young college student, pursing ministry, I can’t help but be challenged as I read recognize my self in these words. Every time I get up to preach, I bring with me the world that lives inside of me, and so does everyone who is listening. I am speaking to broken hearts, different personalities and family situations, people who are experiencing extreme financial and marriage trials. Each of who is seeking new life shed on them. Whether they are searching Christ or not, they are undoubtedly searching for and absence or void in their lives to be filled. Thus sets the plot for this work that guides readers on a journey to what it means to tell the truth and
In Hughes’s short essay, which he ironically titles “Salvation,” he tells the reader about one of his most significant childhood memories. Hughes provides background about a huge revival at his aunt’s church. He flashes forward to the day where he was supposed to be called upon by Jesus and greeted by a bright light his aunt repeatedly tells him about. Hughes recalls that he sat on the mourners’ bench right in the front row with the rest of the unsaved children. As the preacher continued to speak of the presence of Jesus, some of Hughes’s peers begin to rush towards the preacher—wailing and crying. While the rest of the children, including
Langston Hughes short story “Salvation” epitomizes what is an internal struggle for many people, especially children, who want so badly to believe what they have been taught all their lives by their relatives, elders in the church and the preacher; that to have a relationship with God, you must be saved and only then will you be able to see him. Hughes’ Aunt Reed paints such a vivid picture of that idea beginning in the story’s second chapter: “My aunt told me that when you were saved you saw a light, and something happened to you inside! And Jesus came into your life! And God was with you from then on! She said you could see and hear and feel Jesus in your soul.” (Hughes)
Matthew and Luke were both evangelists. They both helped to spread the Gospel, the good news of Jesus. Their telling of the Gospel is very similar, yet very different at the same time. They are similar because they both tell the same story. Meanwhile they are different because the events aside from the fact that Jesus was born are all very different. Specifically the infancy narratives differ in particular ways that may cause the audience to question which infancy narrative is more correct. This essay will compare the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke and will show how the infancy narrative of Luke previews the themes of Luke’s Gospel.
Lisa Harper is a popular bible teacher, speaker, and author. In her book “ A perfect Mess”, she shines light on how the bible connects to modern life. She goes about telling her experiences that exemplify how in “not so great” moments, God sees his child in need of his perfect love. In the article “ How Should I Live Life as a Christian Teen?” written by Catiana Nak Kheiyn, she discusses how even though we face hardships, God is on our side guiding us through it all.
Fundamentally, idolatry is the worship of an image or object or the excessive devotion towards a person or item. From a religious perspective, idolatry is the worship of images and representations other than the true God. Idolatry is a practice whose scope is often misunderstood, prompting the efforts by different people to demystify the practice both in the past and in the world today. Martin Luther, for instance, explores his understanding of the practice in his Large Catechism, a text meant to guide Lutheran clergymen in their service. This essay discusses idolatry, with specific emphasis on Luther’s ideas and presentation of the same and its prevalence in the modern world.
On July 8, 1741 Jonathan Edwards delivered the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” During this time many people were moving away from their Puritan beliefs and did not make God a priority. In the message he talked about how everyone was a sinner and how everyone belongs in hell. He also talked about how if God wanted to He would throw everyone in Hell, but since He gave us His Son we should take Him and repent. While delivering this message many people began to repent and ask for forgiveness. Sometimes it is easy to take the gift of salvation for granite, which is why we should review how and why it was given to us.
Through biblical allusion, religious analogy, and symbolism O 'Connor expresses the need for god and a savior. She writes the perspective of a young child named Harry who lives in a household without religion. The young man is given the mentality and ideology of Christianity and the value of baptism. He grows for a need to belong to something from his small world and gives his life to Christ.
Writing about controversial subjects can often be difficult; however Hughes executed his story, Salvation, in an intriguing manner that is suitable to all audiences and religions. In this story, the writer retells an experience from his childhood describing his journey to Jesus Christ. Discussing the complications, the main character, Hughes, faced while trying to come to Jesus is what makes the story interesting to read. On many occasions, you will read a story or watch a movie that shows the main character coming to Jesus and having an immediate and obvious realization of their Savior. For this reason, I found this story to be unique and relatable in the way that it shows a journey that countless Christians face, but you are not often granted the opportunity to read about this type of experience.
One of the themes in the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, is that one should persevere even in the most challenging situations. The old man’s, Santiago’s, lone struggle with the fishes and the forces of nature over a period of almost three months demonstrated an almost mythical persistence. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate whether this theme has any value compared to God’s word. The Bible often discusses the theme of perseverance in the midst of adversity. Even though one views Santiago’s endurance and tenacity with admiration, the root causes of that perseverance is different from the reasons for a Christian’s perseverance in the world.