The Great Awakening The Great Awakening Religious Revival

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening = Religious Revival What is a religious revival? • a reviving, renewing attention or interest • a new presentation of religion • an effort to restore the animating force of religion

By 1730, religion in America was struggling to maintain membership and attract new converts Why? § many older, established religious denominations were often very intellectual (more lecture than sermon), and thus boring § impact of the Enlightenment § many people were more focused on making money, given with new opportunities

Great Awakening: A new message and technique Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were enormously popular revival leaders during the Great Awakening Ministers. . . § made sermons easier to understand § made sermons more emotional § focused on an angry God § stressed the ease of your sins! conversion and a personal Acknowledge Ask forgiveness! Accept God’s mercy! relationship with God You are saved!!

Political Impact of the Great Awakening § It simplified religion – especially the conversion process. § By stressing the personal relationship with God and the Bible, many questioned the authority of the clergy. § Emotion became an important part of some religious services. § Major divisions among Protestant denominations appeared. (The new Methodists and Baptists began to compete with the older, established denominations. ) § By emphasizing the individual nature of conversion and individual control over a believer’s soul, the Great Awakening contributed to the democratizing trend of questioning authority and established institutions.