The Great Awakening - drscottseay.com · The Great Awakening Early stirrings of revivalism...
Transcript of The Great Awakening - drscottseay.com · The Great Awakening Early stirrings of revivalism...
The Great Awakening
The Origins of 18th Century Evangelicalism
The Anglo-American Context for Ongoing Reformation
The material prosperity of England and her North American colonies;
Early industrialization and its attendant social problems (esp. poverty, expansion of slavery);
“Anglicanization” of colonial New England and a sense of “declension” among church leaders;
Dominance of rational religion in England (Deism, universalism, and latitudinarianism);
Churches continued to be entangled in partisan politics (Anglicans = Tories; Non-conformists = Whigs)
The Great Awakening
Early stirrings of revivalism
Subscription Controversy among Presbyterians
The contribution of the Tennents
A “great and general awakening” (1739-1742)
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Presbyterian revivalist Gilbert Tennent(1703-1764 ) warned people about the “dangers of an unconverted ministry”
The Grand Itinerant: George Whitefield
“I am verily persuaded, the generality of preachers talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ. And the Reasons why congregations have been so dead, is because dead men preach to them.”
Sermon at Harvard College, 1740
Anglican revivalist George Whitefield (1714-1770) conducted seven preaching tours in
England’s North American colonies.
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The Morphology of Conversion
Preparationism
Election
Humiliation
Contrition
Vocation
Sanctification
Exaltation
“New Birth”
Callousness
Contrition
Affective Response
Salvation
The evangelical “new birth” is not premised on God’s election, represents an immediate transformation of the individual by God, and is accompanied by effervescent emotions.
An Evangelical Apologist
A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1737)
The Distinguishing Marks of the Spirit of God (1741)
Seasonable Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival (1742)
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1746) Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was
the leading apologist for the Great Awakening in colonial North America
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The Southern Phase of the Great Awakening
The Baptist background
Shubal Stearns (1706-1771) and Daniel Marshall (1706-1784)
Distinctive practices: “nine Christian rites”
Preaching style: the “holy whine”
Mission among enslaved Africans
Anglican oppositionAndrew Bryan (1737-1812) was among the earliest “slave preachers” among the Baptists
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Evangelical Protestantism among Slaves in the South, 1780-1810
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
1780 1795 1810
Presbyterians
Methodists
Baptists
The Success of 18th
Century Evangelicalism
Appealed to Native Americans and enslaved Africans
Expanded role for women to exercise leadership
Affirmed popular piety against institutional religion
Made 17th c. “intolerance” less defensible because of its sheer popularity
Re-oriented power away from the clergy toward lay people