Name: ____________________________________Date: _________________ Block: ______
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
by Jonathan Edwards (Pg. 152)
English 11 Honors
After reading the sermon, answer the following questions in complete sentences. Make sure to answer all
parts of the question in order to receive full credit.
1. What about Edwards’ diction make this sermon so effective? Give examples where Edwards’s choice of
words (his diction) helps him persuade his audience.
2. Find an example of repetition in this sermon. What does he repeat and what is the effect he is trying to
create?
3. What do you consider to be the most striking metaphor in this sermon? What makes it effective?
4. Exactly where does the tone of this sermon change? Why did Edwards change the tone there?
5. What was the specific point of this sermon? What exactly was Edwards trying to accomplish?
Tattoo Time!
Let’s have some fun and do something you might actually be considering right now. Everyone talks,
or thinks about, getting a tattoo when they turn 18. We all have our own ideas of what we want to put
on our skin for a lifetime. It is usually representative of the major influences in our lives and is made
up of symbols of those influences. So, today we’re going to look at a sermon that sums up some
important beliefs that influenced the Puritans, then, using symbolic images, make some tattoo
designs for a Puritan tattoo parlor.
I know that from what we see, a Puritan would be more likely to be branded with a mark of shame
than have a tattoo, but let’s be creative and have some fun. Heck, if you’d rather design a brand from
the images, go ahead!
Tattoo Time: Part 1
As you read the selection, focus on the symbolic imagery involved. Symbols represent a concept
greater than itself like the bald eagle represents strength and freedom. Imagery is when the author
uses language that appeals to our five senses to help us experience (see, smell, feel, hear, taste) or
understand the topic. The author uses these symbolic images to appeal to the audience’s
emotions and influence them to accept his argument. Emotional appeals are especially useful in
spoken word because they get people worked up about a cause. Use sticky notes, highlight, or
underline these examples so that you can easily analyze them when you finish.
Review the images you have found.
1. Which, if any, of the images recur?
2. Notice any patterns in the images: similar themes, related ideas, etc.
In the table below, answer the following for six symbolic images you found.
1. What is the image? (Copy the text. Don’t just describe it.)
2. What emotion does the image appeal to?
3. What symbolic meaning does the image have beyond the literal image?
4. What major lesson from the sermon does the image relate to?
Symbols from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Image
(include quote from the text)
What emotion does the
image appeal to?
What symbolic meaning
does the image have
beyond the literal image?
What major lesson from
the sermon does the image
relate to?
Tattoo Time: Part 2
Now it’s time to put all this together to show what you’ve discovered about Puritans, symbolic
imagery, and the strength of emotional appeals. You can work alone, in pairs, or small groups to use
at least four (4) symbolic images from the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and create
a design for a tattoo a Puritan would be proud to own! It should have a strong emotional appeal and
have a cohesion that is clear. It should make sense to anyone viewing the tattoo how the different
images go together to have meaning.
*Make sure the images come from the sermon and are powerful emotionally.
*Make it look good enough to be a lifetime commitment. Put some effort into it!
*Make sure it wouldn’t get you, the tattoo artist, sent to the gallows! Stay true to the message of the
Puritan sermon.
Grading: I will use the questions, the six image analysis and the tattoo for assessment.
I will check the questions and completeness and accuracy of the six images analyzed on the table
provided.
I use the following rubric for the actual tattoo:
4
4 images all from
the text
3
3 images from the
text
2
1-2 images from
the text
1
no images from
the text
Cohesion
all images clearly
relate to a similar
theme/message
most images
relate to a similar
theme/message
images relate to
different themes
or
messages
there is little or no
relationship
between images
Content
the message from
the
text is clear and
each
element adds to
the
viewers
understanding
of the symbolic
meaning
the message is
clear and
developed by the
images and
design
the message is
mostly clear but
not welldeveloped
by the images and
design
the message is
unclear
Creativity
clear effort is
shown
and time was
taken to
create a quality
product
effort is evident
and quality is
satisfactory
effort may not be
clearly reflected in
assignment and/or
quality is lacking
little or no effort or
time is reflected in
the assignment
and quality is
poor.
Completeness
Questions: __________/10
Six Images: __________/24
Tattoo: __________/16
TOTAL: __________/50