...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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...1. Describe the Second Great Awakening and why it was important. (Pages 332 -333) The Second Great Awakening was an Evangelist movement in the early nineteenth century. The first notable event in the Second Great Awakening was in 1801 at Cane Ridge, Kentucky. It was an official religious meeting for preachers to get their licenses, baptisms for new converts, and licensing marriages. The non-believers often set up in the outskirts of the event conducting actions of sin. When they had seizures the religious people encouraged it to continue, because they felt it was Christ relieving them of their demons. If they lived they were often converted and had religious zeal. The South had a wider influence; the Second Great Awakening was not as potent in the North. There were few significant Northern preachers. Reverend Timothy Dwight, Nathaniel Taylor, Charles G. Finney, and Lyman Beecher were the most significant preachers of the era. They had the most success in urban areas, but still strove to achieve religious awakening in the cities, New York being a major target. The Second Great Awakening was vital for the religious reformation to take place. The Second Great Awakening produced fruit during the...
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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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...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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...The First Great Awakening Research Paper Submitted to Dr. William Bryant CHHI 302-D01 201340 BY Chris Jones November 21, 2013 Introduction The Great Awakening, which found its beginnings in 1740, was the first event to effectively influence all of the British colonies. In recent years religion had become complacent, and many people were going to church, but not really benefitting from the teachings. Going through the motions and acting like they were gaining something out of it was the main thought of the time. During this time, strong minded evangelists emerged and began preaching with fire-and-brimstone on their tongues; declaring the only way to find salvation was through conversion. This spirited revival became what is known as the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening empowered people to begin thinking on their own, making their own decisions, which brought them closer in relationship with God. The Great Awakening is believed to be one of the reasons the colonists lost favor with the British Empire, and gave rise to the beginnings of the American Revolution. The Great Awakening The Great Awakening had its beginnings in the American colony of New Jersey. Frelinghuysen and Gilbert Tennent are recognized as the first to organize the Awakening. Frelinghuysen, a Dutch pastor raised in the Dutch reformed churches, began teaching the necessity of deep transformation in the 1720’s. Tennent followed his father when he continued organizing the “log colleges” where...
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...sat uneasy in the minds of the settlers of New England. The Great Awakening was a time in when men and women were almost equal. Women were not likely to be seen wearing pants or working in a field, but they were welcome to accept this foreign religion. Hannah Heaton helps us realize what it was like for her to convert religions for a 20 year old women during the 1750’s. In the excerpt from Hannah Heaton’s diary, it sways me to believe that she was not found of a certain religion, but that she did in fact have knowledge of its concepts. She describes the day that she traveled from her home in North Haven to new Haven, to listen to Mr. Tennant and Mr. Whitefield give a sermon. The book states that George Whitefield was perhaps considered the first celebrity in the transatlantic world (p171). Heaton remarks that this was the strangest sermon that she had attended. Religion was not taken very seriously in the new world as it was in other parts of the world. These evangelists described ideas of religion that these people had never heard of before. They could actually have a relationship with their god instead of attending a long boring sermon and then going about their everyday lives. They could worship this god everyday and not just on holy Sunday. These sermons of the Evangelists seemed to frighten Heaton to the point where she could not think during her normal routines. The spread of religion during the Great Awakening could be slightly compared to the spread of trends we have...
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...The Great Awakening was a movement in colonial times influenced by leaders such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards. One of Jonathan edwards’ most influencial sermon was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. In this sermon, he demonstrates how God’s wrath is unstoppable and only Christ can save you from an eternity of misery. In his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’, Jonathan Edwards impacts religious beliefs of colonial American people through rhetoric and persuasion during the Great Awakening. Edwards’ sermon revolutionizes the religious beliefs during the Great Awakening. Edwards uses the simile: “ The God holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like a fire… you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes than the worst venomous serpent is in ours” (Edwards 89). This new idea of God being a God of fury and relentless wrath revolutionized the belief of colonial Americans. William Farley states in his article on the Great Awakening that “Overnight, the town was transformed. The citizens sang hymns in the streets, the tavern closed, young people pursued God in bands, and it...
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...George Whitefield was one of the first people to cause the Great Awakening to rise. George Whitefield was inspired and thought of ideas after a period of illness, which he called “New Birth.” George Whitefield was convinced that true religion was to only be found in God. The Great Awakening was fully started when George Whitefield started to preach and give sermons. He traveled throughout the middle colonies of England and preached. His sermons drew in large crowds of people causing an emotional stir throughout the crowd. A man very moved by George Whitefield’s sermons was Benjamin Franklin. George Whitefield was one of the first religious figures to employ new marketing strategies in his evangelism. George Whitefield distributed printed materials,...
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...century in the United States, marked an important change in the way that minorities viewed themselves within their society. The period beforehand was marked by Deism, the belief that God was a "remote being who created the universe but stopped being involved in it," a strong separation of church and government, and an overall belief in "rational religions" that supported the intellectual knowledge of that time (Dave, 2009). The tides quickly began to change during the first Great Awakening. Ideas began to spread in regards being non-Calvinistic, or pre-ordained, which lead to the expansion of Protestantism from simply being Puritanical or Unitarian (Matthet, 2006). As a result, a majority of Americans had a greater understanding of Christianity as current Americans experience it today (Matthet, 2006). Also, there was a greater concern for ensuring that Native Americans and black slaves had an understanding of Christianity, and they were ministered to as a result (Matthet, 2006). While the first Great Awakening had no significant effect on women, the foundations were being set for women to make a momentous movement towards gaining more rights within United States society. The Perfection Era was characterized by the expansion of the lifestyles of women, who at that time were housewives (Priebe, 2009). Women began to expand their rights in society through their literary works, which were becoming the norm (Priebe, 2009). This allowed most middle-class white women to reach out to the...
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...The Great Awakening and the Second Awakening were less of a rebellion and more of a mind shift for Christians. These two events caused people to rely on their faith. In previous centuries people relied on their religion. The two Awakenings were similar in their goals but very different in the way they came about and the individual tasks that were accomplished. The first movement, the Great Awakening, was focused on people. In the past preachers would read a sermon to the crowd of believers which often took hours. In the Great Awakening a preacher named George Whitefield got down from his pulpit and into the crowd. He preached from court steps, street corners and tree stumps. He brought the message down to the people. It was often said that he could be heard from a great distance due to his incredible blast of a voice. Benjamin Franklin even tested this. (Franklin) He talked to the people rather than at the people, an act unheard of and not always well accepted. George was determined to help bring God down out of the rafters and into the hands of the believers. Another change in the way we worship came about with Jonathan Edwards. He changed the way the Lord’s Supper was taken. Rather than waiting an entire year to partake of the Lord’s blood and body, he offered it on a regulatory basis. He also offered it to non church members. This was a great coop in a time when religion and regimen were synonymous. The Second Awakening was most responsible...
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...of an Angry God.”(1741) The First Great Awakening also gained impetus from the wide-ranging American travels of an English preacher, George Whitefield. Although Whitefield had been ordained as a minister in the Church of England, he later allied with other Anglican clergymen who shared his evangelical bent, most notably John and Charles Wesley. Together they led a movement to reform the Church of England (much as the Puritans had attempted earlier to reform that church) which resulted in the founding of the Methodist Church late in the eighteenth century. During his several trips across the Atlantic after 1739, Whitefield preached everywhere in the American colonies, often drawing audiences so large that he was obliged to preach outdoors. What Whitefield preached was nothing more than what other Calvinists had been proclaiming for centuries that sinful men and women were totally dependent for salvation on the mercy of a pure, all-powerful God. But Whitefield and many American preachers who eagerly imitated his style presented that message in novel ways. Gesturing dramatically, sometimes weeping openly or thundering out threats of hellfire-and-brimstone, (1741) they turned the sermon into a gripping theatrical performance. But not all looked on with approval. Throughout the colonies, conservative and moderate clergymen questioned the emotionalism of evangelicals and charged that disorder and discord attended the revivals. They took great exception to itinerants, ministers...
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...The great awakening was a religious movement in history taking place in the 1700s through many colonies and Europe. It began to further peoples religious beliefs. This movement brought major religious growth not only among people, but with in the churches as well. This movement was caused by "dryness", and poor knowledge of religion. Actions taken were among the lines of avaggelism in the city, and people publicly accepting Christ. While many people participated George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were the two big names related to the movement. Though both men had diffrent breaching styles such as Edwards famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” preaching that their is a real God who has made himself known within the Bible....
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...religion, freethinking, and the mixture of culture changed society in America. More people began to be interested in religion when preachers convinced the Americans to be part of the church. A lot of people had a lot of freethinking because of religion. Immigration mixed culture in the colonies and started unification in the colonies. Religion in the colonies changed the views of many colonists. Many preachers convinced the colonist to join the church to be with God. This is known as the First Great Awakening. George Whitefield and John Wesley started the movement in the late 1730s, after they tried to convince colonist to be involved with the church. The colonist believed every word the preachers said and many of began to follow the preachers. Most of the movement happened in the New England region, Pennsylvania and New York. In 1775, about 74% of the population was a member of a church in the colonies. The Congregationalist church was the most popular church in the colonies. In...
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...The Great Awakening generated many Biblical truths during its time and is considered phenomena to today’s church. Some of these Biblical truths are salvation and a conversion of the heart, that all men and women can be saved. We can have an understanding of Gods truth and His word. Moreover we can have freedom of sin from the guilt and shame. Furthermore mankind can be transformed by His word. Edwards’s vision went beyond salvation, redemption is another Biblical truth. Edwards also stressed that God’s grace extends to everyone that will call on Him. The manifestation of God’s grace, and the bestowal of His richest blessings. All of these Biblical truths can be found in His Holy word. These truths are so essential to the Christians Faith....
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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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