Motivation is something we all need a little bit of in life. As humans, it seems impossible to avoid hardship, obstacles and distress. In overcoming these challenges, we all seek motivation, in one form or another. There are many ways to inspire people, depending on his or her personality and the context of the situation. Even centuries ago, Puritan leaders, such as Winthrop, Mathers and Edwards, realized this standard human quality, each using a different type of motivation when addressing followers.
I In 1629, John Winthrop led a group of merchants and devout Puritans to the New World, due to severe economic depression and the ascension of a King sympathetic to the Catholic Church. As the group’s governor, Winthrop delivered his famous sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, at the start of the long journey ahead. His address outlined the ideals of a harmonious Christian community, using the human body as an analogy for Christians being “one body in Christ.” Winthrop also established a goal or standard for his colony to aspire to. “We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us,” Winthrop famously states (158). Winthrop uses this “goal-setting” as a strategic form of motivation for his company. By providing an opportunity to achieve excellence, he hoped to inspire his followers as they embark upon the journey, in search for a better life. Through particular Biblical references, Winthrop depicts a just, selfless, tough, compassionate, loving and merciful God for the Puritans to emulate.
Winthrop’s positive and hopeful motivation was effective based on his own personality and the context of the sermon. At one time, Winthrop almost became a clergyman, and therefore was probably a skilled, eloquent and inspiring orator. Hope was also appropriate and successful, because at the time the sermon was delivered the group had not yet encountered obstacles.
An entire century later, Jonathan Edwards, like Winthrop, delivered a sermon, calling the Puritans to a better life. However, Edwards’ form of motivation is drastically different than that of Winthrop. In a flat, serious tone, Edwards depicted an angry, ominous God, who was upset with the Puritans’ lack of religious commitment and respect for Christ’s authority. Edwards’ audience was deeply and openly moved by his frightening imagery. He describes the gruesome fate of the wicked with, “The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost” (427). Instead of motivating the Puritans with hope and idealism, Edwards uses fear, failure and death as a threatening reality check for one’s spiritual life.
Edward’s source of motivation is understandable and relevant when considering the actions and mindset of his audience. The sermon was directed towards the unregenerate, a group of Puritans holding a firm belief that they were the “elect” and had a secure place in Heaven. This belief perpetuated complacency among the Puritans, distracting them from the importance of loving Earthly actions.
Although the forms of motivation were chosen based on personality and context, I personally believe Winthrop’s positivism and hope is more inspirationally effective, as opposed to Edward’s threatening fear of death. As an idealistic person by nature, I find goal-setting and positive reinforcement the most spiritually beneficial source of motivation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
It is true that Winthrop's sermon appears to be much more effective due to its "goal-setting", more optimistic approach, especially in comparison to Edward's demeaning sermon. In this case, I think that it's not so much which was more effective of better overall, but rather what the audience can actually take from each one. Depending on the place and time, it might have been Edward's sermon that was more effective in getting the Puritans to act. But on a personal note, I would prefer Winthrop's sermon over Edward's.
Edwards' words were probably more motivational to the Puritans given their fundamentalism. Many people today cannot relate with such an overt dedication to faith like the Puritans had (society now has more distractions and has arguably "lightened-up"). Motivation like that offered by Winthrop is more in line with modern thinking, and therefore that is most likely why he is more preferable to us.
Winthrop's appeal, in addition, calls out to our more admirable qualities, which I think appeals more to individuals in all walks of life. My grandmother always said that you catch more flies with honey...an that's true in most appeals for motivation to do something good. If we all assume that we are good, then we begin from a much more inspirational place. Often those who rant at us for our sins forget that if we are all going to Hell anyway, what is the motivation to behave well?
I would agree with you that Edward's sermon is not exactly movitvational. He seems almost obsessed with the idea of predestination... and it seems like he's trying to suck down as many of his fellow men with him as he can. This view does not movitate me, personally, at all. I would much rather work for something I have hope for, a forgiving God who will not drop me the second I make a mistake... why would you want to serve a god who already detests you? It seems almost like a tribal belief...
I agree that Winthrop's motivation tactic is much more appealing than Edwards'. I also think that even though Edwards managed to scare the people that he was speaking to that does not necessarily mean that they were going to permanently change the way that they live. Other than the scare factor, which people ultimately get over, there wasn't any other motivation in Edwards' speech. I am sure after people forgot about his speech they regressed into their former way of living prior to hearing the speech. In contrast, I would think that Winthrop's speech would have a longer lasting affect.
Post a Comment