Posted: January 2nd, 2024

The “Great Awakening” historical readings

This week, you have examined the growth of American identity. One expression of the unity was a colonial-wide revival known as the Great Awakening. The “Great Awakening” historical readings for this week revealed that people had diverse opinions about the Awakening. Drawing evidence from the historical readings for this week, compose an initial post focused on one major theme of the Great Awakening. There are a number of themes you could choose to focus on. Compose the initial post based on a thesis statement. A thesis is a focused argument based on your reading of the historical documents. Make sure to include a bibliography with your post.
Thesis: The religious fervor and spiritual enthusiasm generated by the Great Awakening highlighted tensions between traditional religious authority and individual religious experience that would come to influence the development of American identity.
The Great Awakening of the 1730s-1740s was a period of intense religious revivalism that swept through the American colonies. New England experienced a surge in evangelical Protestantism led by fiery preachers like Jonathan Edwards who emphasized salvation through a personal, emotional experience of faith rather than adherence to religious doctrine or ritual (Edwards, 1741). This emphasis on an individual's direct relationship with God challenged the authority of established churches and their clergy who were seen as lacking spiritual passion and conviction (Gaustad, 2001).
The Awakening inspired both enthusiasm and controversy. Supporters saw it as a refreshing movement that reinvigorated people's faith, while critics viewed it as disorderly and threatening to social stability (Butler, 1990). The experience of religious conversion became intensely personal and emotional rather than guided by clergy, sowing the seeds for later evangelical denominations in America that celebrated individual interpretation of scripture (Noll, 1992).
Tensions also emerged between the new evangelical denominations inspired by the Awakening and older, more traditional churches. The Baptists and Methodists that grew out of the Awakening promoted a more democratic, participatory form of church governance that challenged the authority of ordained ministers (Gaustad & Schmidt, 2015). Over time, this legacy of individualism and populism within American evangelicalism would influence the development of American democratic ideals (Noll, 1992).
In summary, the Great Awakening highlighted the tension between individual religious experience and traditional religious authority that became a defining theme in the development of American identity. The spiritual fervor it generated emphasized the personal interpretation of faith over adherence to religious institutions and doctrine. This influenced the emergence of evangelical denominations promoting democratic ideals and independence from clergy control.
Butler, J. (1990). Awash in a sea of faith: Christianizing the American people. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Edwards, J. (1741). Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New England. Retrieved from https://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.vi.i.html
Gaustad, E. S. (2001). Faith of our fathers: Religion and the new nation. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Gaustad, E. S., & Schmidt, L. E. (2015). The religious history of America: The heart of the American story from colonial times to today. New York, NY: HarperOne.
Noll, M. A. (1992). A history of Christianity in the United States and Canada. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.