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as the “Shakespeare of Puritan Theologians,” and often reiterates
Edwards’s sentiments towards sitmers. In his sermon, “Gods Bounty,”
Adams violently delves into the transgressions of the wealthy, claiming
that the devil will carry those who are “besotted on money and riches” to
hell with him as easily “as the chariot drew Pharaoh into the Red Sea”
(76). Both Edwards and Adams are early proponents of compounding
fear and religion, resulting in a violent yet persuasive rhetorical appeal
often utilized in the Christian conversion process.
Parting from the norm, twentieth-century sermons began to focus
upon “divine redemption and Bible living” rather than “damnation and
hell’s torments,” marking a significant retreat of the scare-tactic (Jackson
51). Though the incorporation of the fear tactic has diminished over the
years, the author of Religion o f Fear: H