Church Prior To The Great Awakening example essay topic

The churches and communities of New England in the 1730's and 40's saw mass conversions of individuals led by charismatic ministers, who were sometimes itinerants. The message of the sermons preached during this period contrasted the ecstasy of God's Love with the terrors of Hell. The services and sermons were often followed by emotional release and physical manifestations like jerking, crying, shouting and groaning. The agony and ecstasy of the converted, the mass numbers of conversions, and the incredible interest in religion in many communities later came to be known as the "Great Awakening". Probably the most vital question in exploring this time period is "What caused the Great Awakening?" Was it created by great preachers and / or preaching? Was it due to the decline in the interest in religion and church membership?

Was it caused by conflict in socioeconomic status of that day? Historically, each time period has a predecessor that leads into that particular epoch. The Great Awakening's predecessor was a period known as The Age of Enlight ment. During this period, man was encouraged to think for himself.

John Locke, an English philosopher, suggested that man was empowered by God to acquire knowledge for himself and that man must think independently in order to improve the world in which he lived. Great scientific discoveries and literary works emerged during this period. Although these events occurred during this epoch, early Americans were not aware of the scientific and literary discoveries of their day. Because most of the people of this day were a part of an agrarian society, their days were filled with farm labor and child rearing responsibilities. When time was available, there interests were not in the great literary works of their day. However, the Bible and its teachings were a major part of their lives.

This made them more susceptible to the movement of the Great Awakening. Many historians have seen the Great Awakening not only as an influence in religious history but also as a turning point in the conceptions of authority. When America was discovered and colonized, the pioneers brought the religion of Great Britain into the new territory. Church and state was for the most part, one entity. The church prior to the Great Awakening was one of structure and rules. Only members of the church could observe its ordinances such as communion and baptism of adults and children.

The disparity in the church came about due to the church's strict standards. Issues such as discipline of church members, the requirement that licensed ministers have degrees, and the emphasis placed on rules instead of conversion were feuded over constantly. Members of the church were even required to show some "evidence" of a spiritual conversion. As a result, fewer colonists sought to be members of the church. The church attempted to reconcile the disgruntled members of its society by creating the halfway covenant. This covenant agreement stated that baptized but non-converted adults could have their children baptized by the church.

The result of this covenant was successful as many ministers made it even easier for individuals to be accepted into the church of that day. There are many individuals who are linked to the founding of the Great Awakening. Among those is a gentleman by the name of William Tennent, Sr. He and his four sons felt that the church had a lack of interest in conversion and was more concerned about keeping the "rules" of its organization. As a result, Tennent set up the Log College where he trained his sons and other men to be evangelical ministers. Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist minister, researched the fruits of the revival. The results of the revival were written in letters, preached, and even written in the book, "Religious Affections" by Edwards.

He was not only concerned with just the mental and spiritual state of the awakened, but he sought to discern signs or indicators of those who were truly converted. He also described the various numbers of converts and observed how the conversion experience had impacted their lives. He once quoted, "outwardly the saved abandon old vices and contentious ways; inwardly, they testify to a new or lively sense of a divine presence and a new disposition toward religious things". 1 Another Anglican priest who had experienced the conversion of the Great Awakening was a man by the name of George Whitefield. Whitefield, an itinerant, went from colony to colony and is given credit for combining the scattered revivals into one "Great Awakening". Whitefield was criticized the doctrine of good works and challenged people to examine their souls for the indwelling of Christ.

His sermons differed from those to which the colonists were accustomed. The great following of his preaching caused the religious hierarchy of the day to be done away with at his services. It was the custom of the day for individuals to sit according to their socioeconomic status; with the wealthy sitting closer to the front and the less fortunate sitting in the rear. However, as the crowds grew to hear him, his listeners began sitting on a "first come, first serve basis". One of the things that Whitefield is noted for the most is his dissent from the Church of England and his open opinions regarding other ministers of his day. He once quoted in his journal in defense of his friend, William Tennent: As far as I can find, both he (William Tennent, Sr.) and his Sons are secretly despised by the Generality of the Synod, as Mr. Erskine and his Brethren are hated by the Judicatories of Edinburgh, and as the Methodist Preachers are by their Brethren in England.

Though we are but few, and stand as it were alone like Elijah, and though they, like the priests of Baal, are many in Number, yet I doubt not but the Lord will appear for us, as he did for that Prophet, and make us more than Conquerors. 2 Although there was great exhilaration and joy during the Great Awakening, it also had its share of difficulty and problems. There were frequent disputes and arguments between individuals who had experienced conversion and those who hadn't; for example, the dispute between the New Lights and the Old Lights. Before conversion, individuals would tolerate each other in a spirit of love, even though they differed in their opinions with one another. After conversion, they insisted that they could no longer remain a part of a body, which consisted of sinful members. As a result, the formation of the New Lights and the Old Lights occurred.

A unique difference between Old and New Lights was the control over the laity. The Old Lights wanted strict control over the laity while the New Lights gave them more flexibility and freedom. One of the most well known 21st century denominations, the Baptists, were formed during this time. Southern converts who criticized the wealthy formed the Baptists. The wealthy criticized the Baptists for their direct approach to presenting the Bible to individuals.

They (the wealthy) said of the Baptists: "They could not meet a man upon the road, but they must ram a text of scripture down his throat". 3 Probably the most unique thing about the Baptist is their desire to see all men converted to include slaves. On many occasions, Baptist preachers were beaten while preaching to slaves. In my opinion, not only is history relevant for information, but also it is important to understand the consequences, good or bad, of the events that have transpired in the past. When I look at the results of the Great Awakening, I see several things that have shaped the history of our 21st century society.

First of all, the Great Awakening contributed greatly to the democracy that we enjoy, particularly with the liberty that we have to worship freely in America. We have the right to worship in our own way any God (or god) that we deem necessary. Secondly, it established denominations and denominational doctrines that are still a part of our world. Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists are common names of denominations in our society today and were established and brought about during this period. Thirdly, the Good News began to be shared with Africans who had been brought to America as slaves. Lastly, it established the paradigm on which the idea of democracy was founded.

As individuals began to think independently, our country broke away from England and signed The Declaration of Independence thus establishing America as "the land of the free and the home of the brave".

Bibliography

Coaster. Milton, J, Jr. Gilbert Tennent, Son Of Thunder. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986.
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Early American Literature Spring 1991: 99-119.
Cooper, James, F, Jr. "Enthusiasts or Democrats? Separatism, Church Government, and The Great Awakening in Massachusetts". The New England Quarterly June 1992: 265-282.
Goldfield, Abbott, Anderson, Argersinger, Barney, Weir. American Journey: New Jersey: Practice-Hall, 1998.
Kling, David, W. "Testing the spirits: the heart-stirring revivalism of the Great Awakening... ". Christian History Feb. 2003: 30-35.
Lambert, Frank. "The First Great Awakening: Whose interpretive fiction?" The New England Quarterly Oct. 1982: 650-660.
Lambert, Frank. "The Great Awakening as artifact: George Whitefield and the construction of intercolonial revival, 1739-1745". Church History June 1991: 223-247.
Lucas, Paul, R. "Solomon Stoddard and the origin of the Great Awakening in New England". The Historian Summer 1997: 741-758.
Valeri, Mark. "The Economic Thought of Johnathan Edwards". Church History March 1991: 37-55.