Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an extremely important and influential clergyman in the New England colonial America. He has been given credit for beginning the Great Awakening and his writings provide insights into colonial thought.   Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father was Reverend Timothy Edwards and his mother, Esther, was the daughter of another Puritan clergyman, Solomon Stoddard. He was sent to Yale College at the age of 13 where he was extremely interested in natural science while there and also read widely including works by John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. John Lockes philosophy had a huge impact on his personal philosophy. After graduating from Yale at 17, he studied theology for two more years before becoming a licensed preacher in the Prsbyterian Church. In 1723, he earned his Master of Theology Degree. He served a New York congregation for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor.   Personal Life In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint. She was the granddaughter of the influential Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. He was the founder of the  Connecticut Colony following a dissent with the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.Together they had eleven children.   Heading His First Congregation   In 1727, Edwards was given a position as the assistant minister under his grandfather on his mothers side, Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. When Stoddard passed away in 1729, Edwards took over as the minister in charge of a congregation that included important political leaders and merchants. He was much more conservative than his grandfather.   Edwardseanism Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding had a huge impact on Edwards theology as he tried to grapple with mans free will combined with his own beliefs in predestination. He believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God could free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only Gods grace could give someone the ability to follow God.   In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of their lives on earth. His goal was a pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that his church members lived according to strict personal standards. He would only allow those he felt truly accepted Gods grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lords Supper in the church.   The Great Awakening As previously stated, Edwards believed in a personal religious experience. From 1734-1735, Edwards preached a number of sermons about justification of faith. This series led to a number of conversions among his congregation. Rumors about his preaching and sermons spread to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Word spread even as far as Long Island Sound.   During this same period, traveling preachers had begun a series of evangelist meetings calling on individuals to turn away from sin throughout the New England colonies. This form of evangelism focused on personal salvation and a correct relationship with God. This era has been called the Great Awakening. The evangelists produced huge emotions. Many churches were disapproving of itinerant preachers. They felt that the charismatic preachers were often not sincere. They didnt like the lack of propriety in the meetings. In fact, there were laws passed in some communities to ban preachers the right to hold revivals unless they had been invited by a licensed minister. Edwards agreed with much of this but did not believe that the results of revivals should be discounted.   Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God   Probably Edwards most well-known sermon is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He not only delivered this at his home parish but also in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. This fiery sermon discusses the pains of hell and the importance of devoting ones life to Christ to avoid this fiery pit. According to Edwards, There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. As Edwards says, All wicked mens  pains  and  contrivance  they use to escape  hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, dont secure em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security....  But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.   However, as Edward says, there is hope for all men. And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners... As he summed up, Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come... [L]et everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed [Genesis 19:17].   Edwards sermon had a huge effect at the time in Enfield, Connecticut. In fact, an eyewitness named Stephen Davis wrote that people were crying out throughout the congregation during his sermon, asking how to avoid hell and be saved. In his today, reaction to Edwards was mixed. However, there is no denying his impact. His sermons are still read and referred to by theologians to this day.   Later Years Some members of Edwards church congregation were not happy with Edwards conservative orthodoxy. As previously stated, he enforced strict rules for his congregation to be considered part of those who could partake in the Lords Supper. In 1750, Edwards attempted to institute discipline on some of the children of prominent families who were caught looking at a midwives manual that was considered a bad book. Over 90% of the members of congregation voted to remove Edwards from his position as minister. He was 47 at the time and was assigned to minister to a mission church on the frontier in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He preached to this small group of Native Americans and at the same time spent the years writing many theological works including Freedom of the Will (1754), The Life of David Brainerd (1759), Original Sin (1758), and The Nature of True Virtue (1765). You can currently read any of Edwards works through the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Further, one of the resid ential colleges at Yale University, Jonathan Edwards College, was named after him.   In 1758, Edwards was hired as the president of the College of New Jersey which is now called Princeton University. Unfortunately, he only served for two years in that position before he died after he had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination. He died on March 22, 1758 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.   Legacy Edwards is seen today as an example of revival preachers and an initiator of the Great Awakening. Many evangelists today still look to his example as a way to preach and create conversions. In addition, many descendants of Edwards went on to be prominent citizens. He was the grandfather of Aaron Burr and an ancestor of  Edith Kermit Carow who was Theodore Roosevelts second wife. In fact, according to George Marsden in Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his progeny included thirteen presidents of colleges and sixty-five professors.   Further Reference Ciment, James. Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. M. E. Sharpe: New York. 2006.

Cause and Effect Essay- Effects of a College Education

The past has shown time and again that one who has been well educated succeeds in life. If a person attends college limitless doors will open for him or her because one has multiple possibilities in the career field. Since one has the qualifications, particular career options will continue to provide themselves. One will most likely be paid more money because one has a large wealth of knowledge, and have been professionally trained in certain areas of expertise. Financial success, excessive knowledge, and endless career possibilities are a few basic effects of a college education. If one has been trained correctly, life will provide a great deal of optimism, and one will most likely live an additionally comfortable monetarily savvy life.†¦show more content†¦Also, one who has attended college could be trained in numerous, diverse areas, ensuring an excellent vocation. Also, if one attends college, he or she will learn continuous, practical information for life. People who ha ve participated in college and have graduated having accomplished more now than they had ever imagined probable for them. College also teaches people to strengthen their minds, enhance thinking skills as well as improve individual comprehension throughout life. Some say the only meager men are those, who lack intelligence. If one has the opportunity to improve his or her standard of living, and provide a better quality of life for his or her family as well, then why would he or she neglect to accept the opportunity offered? Great opportunities due to a great education arouse daily so one needs to be aware of the lifelong consequences disregarding the attendance in college provides. Going to college would make finding a job in life a fairly effortless task. An individual with a college education could accept a well-earned job, and may even often find better opportunities throughout his or her lifetimes than ever possible dreamed for. When out of work, a university educated individual will get any job faster than someone who is not as qualified due to a lack of college experience. Besides, a person would go to college andShow MoreRelatedThe Necessity Of Postsecondary Education Essay1240 Words   |  5 PagesThe topic of this essay is the necessity of postsecondary education. Robert Perry begins his argument by presenting an opposing argument from author Charles Murray. Perry then points out what is wrong with Murray’s argument, and presents an alternative idea. Perry is arguing that there needs to be more colleges, universities, and community colleges to offer Americans the opportunity to receive a higher education, because people with a post secondary ed ucation are in high demand. Perry assumes thatRead MoreThe Community College Model Works Just Fine1361 Words   |  6 PagesCitizens Voice published an essay written by Dr. Michael MacDowell, in which he gave his opinion on Barack Obama’s recent proposal to make the first two years of community college free of charge. Dr. Michael A. MacDowell, retired president of Misericordia University and a writer for Citizen’s Voice, disagrees with Obama’s plan and makes this clear in his article s title, â€Å"The Community College Model Works Just Fine.† MacDowell’s biggest arguments is that the community college group is not the most effectiveRead MoreThe Effects Of Sleep On Health And Quality Of Life Through Prevention And Treatment Of Disease Essay1589 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will show different sleep interventions that have been used among one of the most sleep deprived generations, college students. An intervention is a way to improve health and quality of life through pre vention and treatment of disease and other physical and mental health conditions. 7 out of every 10 college students say that they get fewer than the suggested amount of sleep each night. While many students aren’t sleeping enough either, 68% of those student’s state that they have troubleRead MoreThe Neoliberal Arts : How Colleges Have Sold Their Soul939 Words   |  4 PagesMagazine published William Deresiewicz’s essay The Neoliberal Arts: How colleges have sold their soul to the market. In this essay, Deresiewicz discusses how colleges have changed their mindset over the last century and how the world’s new neoliberal thinking has changed higher education for the worse. Deresiewicz believes that â€Å"The purpose of education in a neoliberal age is to produce producers.†(1) In his introduction, Deresiewicz compares the ideologies of colleges from the 1920s to today’s thoughtsRead MoreGraduation Speech : High School1357 Words   |  6 PagesWhen you think of students in college you think of hard homework assignments, long essays with short due dates, the last minute studying for exams and of course the partying that everyone looks forward to when it comes to being in college. Do you ever think about what happens when you don’t do the homework, not turn in the essay on time and do horrible on the exams and party a little too much? When this happens, grades tend to fall and when grades tend to fall it usually means you’re not doing whatRead MoreAt College And Universities Across America, Students Are1204 Words   |  5 PagesAt college and universities across America, students are being constrained to an increased sense o f political correctness. This is because students are demanding protection from microaggressions. Microaggressions are words and ideas that seem to have no malicious intent from the outside, but are viewed as a kind of violence nonetheless. Furthermore, professors now need to be concerned about trigger warnings and avoid course content if they believe it may cause a strong emotional response. For instanceRead MoreThe Effects Of A College Education On College933 Words   |  4 Pages Cause and Effect Essay: The Effects of a College Education The day has come to move out of the house; the excitement of one s 18th birthday has faded into time that seems as if it were centuries ago. This leaves many students asking where do they go now? Many young adults choose the college path, the path in pursuit of a higher education. As graduating high school students we are fast approaching a theoretical wall known as life, we are in need of a detour. In this day and ageRead MorePersuasive Essay : Free Tuition989 Words   |  4 PagesDorri Raquib 222061 2/27/17 Persuasive Essay rough draft Free Tuition College is a very rewarding life choice for many people in the United States. It allows young adults to transition into adulthood with essential skills and knowledge to prosper in the work force. Giving the equal opportunity of secondary education to all Americans would be the most ideal situation. There would be an obvious increase of people educated adequately to make informed political, economical, and social decisionsRead MoreThe Importance Of A College Education And Why Police Agencies Should Make Dramatic Changes Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesIs sixty college credits reasonable enough to become a police officer? There have been many studies that show the same outcome on why a police officer should need sixty college credits if not more. There are more advantages having a college education than just a high school diploma. Many people ask if sixty college is enough or should they have at least a four-year degree. In this essay, I will list and example some advantage of having a college education and why police agencies should make dramaticRead More Multiculturalism and Technology Essay1225 Words   |  5 Pagesschools, and how some teachers choose to incorporate the different cultures of their students into a way in which the students can learn from each other. In Maxine Hairtstons essay Diversity, Ideology, and Teaching Writing, she writes about the idea of multiculturalism in the classroom, and the positive effect that it has on students. She stated how students could become better writers by learning about the beliefs, experiences, and opinions of others. Hairston writes In an interactive classroom

Animals Don’t Have Enough Rights Free Essays

Animal rights Good morning my friends! how are you today? i’m going to start this discussion with a simple question â€Å" will you go to jail if you kill a human? †. Ofcourse you will, this is because humans have a right to live and to take ones life is a sin right? now let me ask you another question â€Å"will you go to jail if you kill an animal? †. The answer is no, why is this? because humans are more inferior then others? a life is a life whether its a human or an animal. We will write a custom essay sample on Animals Don’t Have Enough Rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now Do you know that in one day an average human kills up to 3 animals? why? just so you can eat a good lunch or dinner at KFC or Mcdonalds. In my opinion animals dont have enough rights this is my topic for today. Did it ever occur to you that maybe animals have rights too? just because they cant speak doesnt mean they cant feel. Every year millions of animals are disected,infected,injected,gassed burned and blinded in hidden labs all over the world and most of the time without painkillers. And what for? ust so you can get the latest perfume or shampoo. Would it kill to use organic items? if they arent killed the animals get traumatised and are shaken up which is worse. The truth is, is that animal testing has endangered the life of humans because the results from animal testing cant be applied to humans. This is because animals and humans are completely different from each other! less than 2% of the diseases in humans appear on animals. In Australia last year, 6. 5 million animals were used in experiments. In these research labs just imagine how these animals would feel they are shoved in cages that are so small they get grazes and cuts on their skin from trying to get comfy, also when an animal dies it is kept in a wheelbarrow near the cages. The animals get scared and even sometimes attack each other. Despite the death of these animals before they even get tested, lab workers continue to stuff them in tiny cages, each animal branded with a barcode number instead of a name. In conclusion, animal testing is unreliable and sick, and now that there are alternatives to this (synthetic human skin, vitro testing) I suggest the government fully ban animal testing, we can help too! next time you go shopping buy animal friendly products only and then animal testing labs will be forced to shut down and try not to eat too much of meat so that the killing of animals can be reduced. lets make the world a better, safer, happier place for humans and animals Remember animals have rights too! How to cite Animals Don’t Have Enough Rights, Papers

Analysis Of Crooks in Of Mice and Men free essay sample

Answer: Crooks is so mean to Lennie because although he and Lennie are quite similar (they are both categorised as the ‘weak ones’) Lennie has the better life, simply because he is white. Lennie is allowed in the dorm room and allowed to play cards should he choose to (if he even knew how to) whereas Crooks cannot. Throughout the conversation, we see Crooks’ character come out of his shell, and be nice to people whom he normally wouldn’t conversate with except Slim and the boss. Obviously, because he’s black and because of segregation, he is mean to those who disregard him because of his colour, but maybe there is another reason he is mean to Lennie, such as he is jealous of his lifestyle or he wishes he were white. Also, he is pretty low on the societal totem pole and Lennie is an easy target for him. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis Of Crooks in Of Mice and Men or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Crooks’ first reaction when Lennie visits him is that he wants to prove a point: if he as a black man can’t enter white men’s houses, then whites aren’t allowed in his room. He wants Lennie to know that he has to have some sorts of rights. But Lennie’s inviting smile and Crooks’ desire for company means that Lennie can enter, and thus starts the convo where we learn all about Crooks. Like Curley’s wife, Crooks is a powerless character, and it seems that he seeks vulnerable characters to make himself feel good – He starts â€Å"suggesting† that maybe George will never come back and only stops the cruel game when Lennie threatens him with physical violence. He shows us that his loneliness means he often has no-one to talk to and his character would like sympathy. He is also interested once Candy and Lennie start conversating and forgets all about his mean self. He has seen men of all sorts come on and off the ranch and no-one has actually fulfilled the American Dream which he is doubtful of because it seems this â€Å"Dream† does not apply to him due to the colour of his skin. This is why he scrutinizes others. Question 2) Are there any similarities between Lennie and Crooks? Answer: Lennie and Crooks are both marginalised from society – Lennie’s lack of mental abilities keep him isolated and Crooks’ skin colour keep him isolated. For this, they are classed as ‘the weak ones’. When Lennie comes by, Crooks is immediately unfriendly. â€Å"You go one get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house; you ain’t wanted in my room. † However, both men long for company, and so begin talking. Their similarities wipe out any awkward silences and end their isolation. Crooks understands that Lennie has the better life and uses this against him to compare himself. â€Å"I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets lonely an’ he gets sick. † Both men can be seen as lonely, not only are they marginalised, and even though Lennie has George, his mental challenges keep him alone because no-one can completely understand him which emphasises his differences and Crooks’ colour leaves him excluded from the dorms. Question 3) What does this conversation tell us about the relationship of Crooks with other men? Answer: Crooks’ relationships are built around the fact that he is a victim of racism and is outcasted from companionship. We know from the start that Crooks takes a liking to Skinner and the boss, and since we don’t get to know him until Chapter 4, this outlines his lack of status, credibility and power. We as readers are able to emphasise with Crooks because we are shown how black people were treated in the time of the Great Depression. We see how Crooks is able to open up to Lennie and he confesses all his feelings and thoughts because he sees him as a figure of trust as he is unable to remember what he is told. His relationship with Slim is tight because we admire Slim as a good, supporting member of society.