Teaching Edwards
Sinners Two-Day Curriculum, Day One
DAY ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS
The purpose of the first day is to provide a thorough context in which to situate the reading of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." This contextualization will be time well spent because it will ultimately render the sermon far more comprehensible to your students.
The purpose of the first day is to provide a thorough context in which to situate the reading of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." This contextualization will be time well spent because it will ultimately render the sermon far more comprehensible to your students.
Part 1: Introducing Students to Edwards' Historical Context
a) Puritan America
Briefly introduce your students to the attitudes and lifestyles of Puritan America. This familiarity will be helpful when discussing Edwards and when reading other Puritan-influenced texts like anything by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, et al.
Teacher Resources
(Both of the below can be used as handouts or as background information for your lesson.)
b) The Life of Jonathan Edwards (Strongly Recommended)
Teacher Resources
Student Resources
Edited
Biography for Students
(This biography can be assigned beforehand, handed out in class, or simply referred to as a resource.)
(This biography can be assigned beforehand, handed out in class, or simply referred to as a resource.)
In discussing Edwards' place in the canon of American literature, you may want to specifically mention several authors whose style he shared or who were influenced by his writing. You can revisit these stylistic comparisons as the year proceeds.
Teacher Resources
Edwards and Transcendentalism
Edwards and Emily Dickinson
Edwards and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edwards and Benjamin Franklin
Part 2: The personal context of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
You might look at:
1. “Personal Narrative” (c. 1739) (Strongly Recommended)
In this spiritual autobiography, Edwards discusses his relationship with God as a young adult. Assign this piece (in full or broken into excerpts) as homework beforehand, or simply read the selected excerpts in class. The texts are accompanied by Critical Questions (see Student Materials), which are intended to spur in-class discussion, although you might also ask your students to also consider these questions before coming to class.
2. “Religious Affections” (Excerpt)
This excerpt can be assigned beforehand, but it is also a convenient length for in-class reading. The Critical Questions can be considered by students as they read and/or during in-class discussion. If you are teaching at a religious school, students might want to incorporate themes from their theology courses in their discussion of this text.
Part Three: Edwards the preacher, or "What is a sermon?"
“Sinners” is often seen as an isolated phenomenon, rather than a piece that is representative of a larger genre of Puritan preaching. You may want to prepare your students for reading “Sinners” by discussing the structure and delivery of a Puritan sermon (see Teacher Resources) or discussing one of the introductory topics relating to Edwards’ worldview (see Teacher Resources).
Part Four: Assignments
Assign your students “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to be read and annotated by the next class. You might also ask them to consider some of the Critical Questions provided (see Student Materials), to be discussed during the next class.
Supplemental Assignment Ideas:
1. Have your students write their own “Personal Narrative” about their spiritual or philosophical development as young adults
2. Have your students write their own sermons, modeled after Puritan sermons.
In this spiritual autobiography, Edwards discusses his relationship with God as a young adult. Assign this piece (in full or broken into excerpts) as homework beforehand, or simply read the selected excerpts in class. The texts are accompanied by Critical Questions (see Student Materials), which are intended to spur in-class discussion, although you might also ask your students to also consider these questions before coming to class.
Teacher Resources:
Student Materials:
Connecting Texts:
- Discuss how this piece
compares and contrasts with Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography. (Also see Teacher
Resource on Edwards and Franklin)
2. “Religious Affections” (Excerpt)
This excerpt can be assigned beforehand, but it is also a convenient length for in-class reading. The Critical Questions can be considered by students as they read and/or during in-class discussion. If you are teaching at a religious school, students might want to incorporate themes from their theology courses in their discussion of this text.
Teacher Resources:
Student Materials:
Part Three: Edwards the preacher, or "What is a sermon?"
“Sinners” is often seen as an isolated phenomenon, rather than a piece that is representative of a larger genre of Puritan preaching. You may want to prepare your students for reading “Sinners” by discussing the structure and delivery of a Puritan sermon (see Teacher Resources) or discussing one of the introductory topics relating to Edwards’ worldview (see Teacher Resources).
Student Materials:
Structure
& Delivery of a Puritan Sermon (Review in-class or use as a handout)
Teacher Resources:
Part Four: Assignments
Assign your students “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to be read and annotated by the next class. You might also ask them to consider some of the Critical Questions provided (see Student Materials), to be discussed during the next class.
Teacher Resources:
An Introduction to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Imagery identified in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
An Introduction to Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Imagery identified in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Student Materials:
Critical
Questions for "Sinners" - Option 1
(These questions are intended as reading guides and/or discussion topics)
(These questions are intended as reading guides and/or discussion topics)
Critical
Questions for "Sinners" - Option 2
(These questions are intended as reading guides and discussion topics. A guide to discussing these questions during the text class is included in the Teacher Resources for Day 2)
(These questions are intended as reading guides and discussion topics. A guide to discussing these questions during the text class is included in the Teacher Resources for Day 2)
Supplemental Assignment Ideas:
1. Have your students write their own “Personal Narrative” about their spiritual or philosophical development as young adults
2. Have your students write their own sermons, modeled after Puritan sermons.
Teacher Resource:
Teacher's Rubric for Student Sermons
Teacher's Rubric for Student Sermons
