...With the development of a civilized society in America during the 1700s and 1800s, the role religion played in an everyday person's life was becoming more and more diminished. To combat this, a series of religious revivals were set in motion: The Great Awakenings. These were a series of large, sweeping religious, social, and political changes that sought to use the basis of religion to revive faith in a neglected belief, bring about numerous social reforms, and use political factions to great effect upon society's mentality. Although most view the First Great Awakening as the first' and greatest' religious, social, and political influence to American society, the second Great Awakening can be considered far more influential in its religious, social, and political aspects of influence. Even though the First and Second Great Awakenings focused its attention on other matters of life later on, religion was the theme upon which they were built. The First Great Awakening started among the American colonial Protestants during the early 1700s, mainly due to the weakening of the strict Puritan tradition of religious doctrine, and in part, the religious decline caused by negative publicity from the Salem witch trials and the Enlightenment (www.wikipedia.org). The movement to correct these problems began with Jonathan Edwards, a strictly Puritan, orthodox theologian from Massachusetts who dedicated his time to bringing the people back to the strict Calvinist roots, and to reawaken the...
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...With the development of a civilized society in America during the 1700s and 1800s, the role religion played in an everyday person's life was becoming more and more diminished. To combat this, a series of religious revivals were set in motion: The Great Awakenings. These were a series of large, sweeping religious, social, and political changes that sought to use the basis of religion to revive faith in a neglected belief, bring about numerous social reforms, and use political factions to great effect upon society's mentality. Although most view the First Great Awakening as the first' and greatest' religious, social, and political influence to American society, the second Great Awakening can be considered far more influential in its religious, social, and political aspects of influence. Even though the First and Second Great Awakenings focused its attention on other matters of life later on, religion was the theme upon which they were built. The First Great Awakening started among the American colonial Protestants during the early 1700s, mainly due to the weakening of the strict Puritan tradition of religious doctrine, and in part, the religious decline caused by negative publicity from the Salem witch trials and the Enlightenment (www.wikipedia.org). The movement to correct these problems began with Jonathan Edwards, a strictly Puritan, orthodox theologian from Massachusetts who dedicated his time to bringing the people back to the strict Calvinist roots, and to reawaken the...
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...Shan Rogers Religion Professor Orr December 1, 2012 The Great Awakening and Its Leaders and Theology The Great Awakening was a revival movement meant to purify religion from material distractions and renew any and every person’s faith in God. The movement was a reaction against the diminishing of religion and the spread of disbelief during the Enlightenment of the 1700’s. During this time, revival ministers stressed the emptiness of material comfort, the corruption of human nature, and the need for immediate repentance for fear that individuals shall receive divine fury. So basically, the Great Awakening was a period in history in the American colonies, where the importance of the church was deemphasized and there was more of a focus on the spirituality of individuals themselves. Among this historical event, were leaders who would help carry the Great Awakening to where it was destined to be. Though there were many leaders, two leaders stood out more than any other and had the greatest impact on the Great Awakening. These two leaders were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. The revival had begun with Jonathan Edwards in Northampton, Massachusetts. Edwards came from Puritan, Calvinist roots, but emphasized the importance and power of a personal religious experience. Edwards’s role in the Awakening was major and crucial in many ways. First, Edwards was a very prominent and effective preacher who not only used his faith as inspiration for his sermons but also from...
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...The Great Awakening: A wave of revivals During the 18th century, the life of the colonists had improved a lot. They had a choice between multitudes of religions, had a growing economy, and were inspired by the movement of Enlightenment in Europe. But with this revival happening in the American colonies, the true Christians got concerned. According to many historians, this wave of revivals was entitled ‘The Great Awakening’. This event revealed many social and economical trends in the colonies. Joseph Tracy, past minister and historian also saw this event as one of the precursor of the American Revolution. With the newly choice of religions, the colonists became little by little less affected by being part of one. In fact, a large number of them were either indifferent about it, deist, or not concerned by being religious. In the leading colonial cities, only 10 to 15% of eligible adults were members of a church (American Promise, p.134). When more religious people realized how few they were, they started to preach people to reconvert them to a more religious lifestyle. This was called the Great Awakening. Ministers were using different ways to lead the revival. The fact that ministers had to make the population go to Church shows an expanding social trend of the population refusing to attend church probably to express their recent ability to be free of choosing and make their own decision concerning religious views. But after many well-known ministers such as Jonathan Edwards...
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...The Second Great Awakening Liberty University CCOU 201 October 5, 2015 Carol Kirby The Second Great Awakening was quiet a big experience for many. It left a huge impact on religion as we know it. The Western Frontier put together “Camp Meetings.” These were religious services that lasted several days. The Pioneers really seem to enjoy these meeting it gave them something to do and filled their social calendar’s up. From the preaching, to the dancing, to the praise and worship, these meetings left many wanting to build churches of their own. The meeting held in Cane Ridge, Kentucky, in 1801, was the second meeting and was very huge. The numbers where phenomenal they had anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 people attended. There was Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist preachers all participating in the revival. This revival then started moving outwards spreading from state to state in the Western area. It went from Kentucky, Tennessee the Ohio. It seemed as though it was a great reward for the Baptist. The Methodist brought forth a group known as the Circuit Riders, they came from the common people. In the 1820’s, Charles Finney, who was a Presbyterian minister, led many revivals. He preached the Gospel in Western New York. He set forth a great planning technique and used his powerful preaching skills. In turn he did many conversions. Finney appealed too many and many converted their lives to Christianity. Finney was such a strong minister, he strength spoke volumes...
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...Enlightenment and the Great Awakening affected American colonists society. The Age of Enlightenment stressed the energy of human motivation to shape the world, to better instruct men and ladies. The Great Awakening bound areas together, and furthermore acknowledgment of religious resistance. These two developments of the eighteenth century significantly affected American culture and how individuals think prior and then afterward these events. The Enlightenment changed individuals' view on national issues, religion, and human instinct, and The Great Awakening acknowledged religious resilience. As a matter of first importance, the Age of Enlightenment primarily impacted taught individuals in the American states. Despite the fact...
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...The Second Great Awakening was a time of great change for America. It brought about many new ideas and saved a lot of people. It also influenced the way that we see religion even today. These series of revivals occurred in all parts of America, but it was more prominent in the Northeast and Midwest. The Second Great Awakening was a widespread religious revival that swept throughout the British American colonies in the 1790’s all the way through the 1830’s. It was The Great Awakening that helped to save multitudes of people including some slaves and even a few native Americans. The Second Great Awakening started because people had quit attending church regularly. These people didn't think that God cared about when they went to church as long...
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...Luis Castro Enlightenment to The Great Awakening The great awakening started in the 1720s and endured until the 1910s. It was a time when almost the entirety of the thirteen colonies had been attending sermons of many popular preachers, preachers such as George Whitefield. But it wasn’t always like that; the great awakening was preceded by a lack of Christianity, and a degradation of moral values. To try to fix this William Stoughton, a minister from New England, in 1688, went to the legislature in Massachusetts and said “O what a sad metamorphasis hath of later years passed upon us in these churches and plantations! Alas! How is New England in danger to be buried in its own ruins”^1. What he tried to say was that throughout time the churches have diminished, and that because of this New England will be sending itself to its grave. The Great Awakening was one of the most swaying religious movements that led people to do good, such as the American Revolution, and in some cases unpleasant acts. To quote Doctor Edwin S. Gaustad “… A revolution, while bringing deprivation and hardship, would bring also a new wholesomeness and vitality to American life.” He said this because he was trying to explain that in the eyes of the colonist’s Britain was starting to become evil, which he showed by quoting John Adams “Calamity will have this good effect, at least: it will inspire Us with many Virtues, which We have not, and correct many Errors, Follies, and Vices, which threaten...
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...that took the most effect was the Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening started the path towards the United States facing some of the most momentous and controversial issues that they would face in the next 200 years. These issues were racism, women's rights, and the rights of workers. This movement was created by the new middle class of that time. The movement advocated the idea of a more caring people, to have more consideration for human life, and it also promoted religion. In the Second Great Awakening the people believed that they could reach salvation by doing good works and working hard. The belief was that humans could choose to do good or evil and if they choose to do good then there would be no more sin. People had to put them self into action during this movement. It seems everyone was looking for a religion at the time. The Christian word became very popular with women and the African Americans, it gave the idea of salvation. This movement had a huge impact on the United States history. Two religions grew to be the two largest churches in the United States by reforming their traditions, which was the Methodist and the Baptist. It is a thought that this movement helped to bring about some economic stability and security, because the successful new middle class interest in religion came from the economics. In my mind there is not modern movement that can even begin to be the equivalent of the Second Great Awakening. This is because all the more modern...
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...The Great Awakening created the separation of church and state in America like the old lights and the new lights, what state it started in, and it’s competitiveness that it has started between churches which made a big movement among the american people. First of all, The Great Awakening split the church and state in America because on (page 91) it states, ”Orthodox clergymen, known as “old lights,” were deeply skeptical of the emotionalism and the theatrical antics of the revivalists. “New light” ministers, on the other hand, defended the Awakening for its role in revitalizing American religion.” This shows that the old lights which were people who didn’t want the Awakening but on the other side is the new lights people who defended the Awakening....
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...Second Great Awakening was an explosion of religious fervor in the 19th century. It was one of the most important social religious and cultural aspects in the United States. During that time, many people had conversion experiences and they want to change their ways to become a more religious individual and give up their ways as sinners. Many people joined churches and particularly women. The Second Awakening lasted around 1970 to 1850. There are many factors that lead to the Second Great Awakening, such as, Market Revolution and Preachers trying to convert people. In addition, there are also consequences of the Second Great Awakening, such as, religious experimentation and Reform movements. One of the causes that lead to the Second Great Awakening was that preachers “circuit riders” would create camp meetings in the frontiers and they would gather thousands of people to listen to them preach. These preachers would attempt to convert the audiences to a more active and particularly evangelical form of Christianity. Two of the famous preachers were Lyman Beecher and Charles Grandison Finney and they both didn’t get along with each other because Finney approved of women preaching in public which was forbidden...
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...The American Enlightenment was a time period where people started to question how things were made and why they were made. Instead of believing what rulers or high ranked people said, they started to use their reason and intelligence. It gave rise to the American Revolution, development of education, and question religion. The development of the American Enlightenment came also the Great Awakening which made religion revive in the lives of the colonists because they were focusing more on money and materialism and forgetting that Christ wanted them to come before him. The Great Awakening brought people back to their feet and understanding that Christ was essential. Both the American Enlightenment and the Great Awakening, gave rise to conflicts...
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...The Great Awakening The Great Awakening was the evangelical revival in America during the 18th Century that lasted for thirty years. The Awakening combined unsophisticated mass evangelism with the Enlightenment. In 1842, Joseph Tracey came up with the term “Great Awakening.” This widespread social movement grew because of dissatisfaction in the White American community. The community had a deterministic and formalistic Protestantism style, which denied a lot of people salvation. Basing on the fact that America was a Protestant nation; the Anglican Church purged emotional Christian Faith. Christianity at that time in America was ceremonial. The Great Awakening, following a new commitment that dictated religion in the heart- a personal and emotional Christianity, united the American people. John Edwards, a Congregationalist in western Massachusetts, began a participatory and emotional ministry that purposed to bring more followers to the church. This ministry began in early 1730s. Edwards became a remarkable intellectual personality in America whose main message was love. He believed love was fundamental for any religious experience. Remembered through his encouraging wisdom; one should do Good, live a Godly life and at the same time assist others in attaining the same. Later in the same decade, an Englishman George Whitefield together with John Wesley, carried the evangelical Christianity style to the colonies in the mainland and founded the Methodist Church. Whitefield’s sermons...
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...Charles Finney was an important person during the Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening was another religious revival. Finney influenced change in converting people to religion. Finney was a lawyer who became a Presbyterian minister. His conversion was by his “own consent to give up [his] sins and accept Christ” (Corrigan 130). Finney was a commanding figure when he talked. He “talked about things that the preachers preached about, but he did it with a bluntness few could evade” (Corrigan 130). Finney also was one that used the anxious bench; this is where people who struggled with their faith would sit. Finney came up with new methods of speeding up the rate of converting people. Finney preached that people could make...
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...of this American clergymen started schools that were for preachers and that initiated revivals (Davidson, Gienapp, Heyrman, Lytle, & Stoff, 2005). The Great Awakening was a revitalization of religious piety that flowed through each colony like a river, though this was not unanimous. The Great Awakening movement was made up of people who had a democratic ideal; some believed that a valuable quality in a person was spiritual conversion. Perfectionism is what this was known as, it was the want to have a society that was equal and perfect. The position of women and African Americans who were second rate citizens, started to be questioned because of this belief. They were even able to, in some churches, gain the right to speak, preach, and vote on matters of the church (Davidson, et al., 2005). Though some of them were gaining rights within the church during this period not all the churches agreed with this change. Even though some of them gained their rights in the church, they had little to no rights once they left the church. During this time the abolitionist movement was trying to put a halt to slavery due to moral principles. Though little did anyone know that a second great awakening would be coming and bring about more changes to society. The Second Great Awakening started roughly the same way as the Great Awakening did, another attempt to expand religious...
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