APUSH—Kind
Great Awakening
American Religion
•The Great Awakening
Evolving State of Religion
•Only 1 in 7 Northerners were members of a church, even fewer in the South;
•Growth of Deism arose out of the Age of Reason & the Enlightenment;
•Rights of dissenters formally recognized even in colonies with Established churches;
•Campaign for full rights, regardless of religion, began Separation of Church & State;
and
•Growing religious tolerance & diversity.
•Great Awakening is a response to the above, but…
–Was it a progressive response? -or–Was it a reactionary response?
Anglican Church in America
•Growing separation from the Church of England, though a branch of royal authority, no
Bishop in America:
–Allowed for religious freedom, but
–Left many Congregants feeling disrespected.
•Established church of VA, MD, NC, SC, GA & portions of NY;
•Faith was less fierce & more worldly;
•College of William & Mary established to train ministers in 1693.
Congregational Church
•Grew out of the Puritan faith, represented a more formal, final split from Anglican
Church;
•Prominent in New England where it was Established;
•Recognized 2 Sacraments: Infant Baptism & Eucharist;
•Emphasized the Church of Christ’s existence in each individual denomination:
–Represented a decentralized power structure; but
–Posed problems for theological coherence.
•Represented a major cultural touchstone in New England, but
•Membership continued to decline despite the Halfway Covenant.
Presbyterian Church
•Calvinist theology, associated with the Congregational Church, as both allowed to form
churches in England under Edict of Toleration (1689);
•Established church of Scotland where they are called Presbyterian--called Protestant
Reformed Church in rest of Europe;
•Churches governed by a representative assembly of ministers and lay members
–No Bishops or other hierarchy;
–Each minister seen as equal.
•Brought to America by Scottish immigrant but never Established;
•Independence led to even greater church autonomy.
APUSH—Kind
Great Awakening
Baptist Church
•Emphasized the role of adult baptism
–Confirmation of the conversion experience;
–“Believer’s Baptism,” meaning only those who had accepted Christ as Savior could be
baptized;
–“Born Again,” meaning one must recognize one’s sinful condition, accept God’s gift of
Salvation & be Born Again.
•Bible as final authority, no creed or liturgy formally interprets;
–Vast range of interpretations possible;
–Emphasized “Priesthood of all Believers,” meaning any member is capable of
ministering to another;
–Recognized leadership within independent congregations, but often many churches
organized into regional or national associations.
Baptist Church, continued...
•Emphasized personal relationship with God:
–Evangelical nature intended to instill fervent, heartfelt faith in Jesus;
–Public Meetings & Revivals were more important than regular services.
•Had the greatest impact in South & Backcountry:
–Many adherents among the powerless: women, poor and African American slaves;
–Never an Established church, however.
•Impact & Influence has waxed & waned throughout American history.
Great Awakening: Religious Crisis
•Arose out of the European reaction to the Enlightenment:
–The Age of Faith, or Pietism;
–Stressed trusting the heart over the head & relying on divine revelation rather than
human reason.
•Arose in all regions of the American colonies:
–Among Presbyterians in PA & NJ, spread by Freylinhuysen & Tennent family;
–Spread throughout South with George Whitefield;
–Jonathan Edwards refined its ultimate impact in New England.
•Common Concerns: Personal Faith, Church Practices, and Public Face of Religion.
Religious Crisis Further Defined
•Denominational Questions within the clergy:
–To what degree should organizational, theological purity be maintained?
–How to draw people to the Church while insuring that all members are Saved?
•Denominational Conflicts Between the Clergy & the Laity:
–Who shall have spiritual influence over members?
–Who shall have political & economic control of the Church?
Manifestations of Crisis
–Reaction against elaborate theological doctrines that led to emotional stagnation.
–Reaction against liberal doctrine such as the Covenant of Works found in
Arminiansim.
–Struggles within the clergy to maintain organizational purity.
APUSH—Kind
Great Awakening
–Attempts by Laity to increase political control of church through increased spiritual
influence & threats to minister’s autonomy (Minister’s salaries).
–Prominent role played by Enthusiasts who believed themselves the direct beneficiaries
of direct inspiration from God.
Interpretations of the Great Awakening
•Democratic⇒Means to challenge religious authority:
–Increased power of enthusiasts and laity;
–Religion brought to many “outsiders”;
–Specific challenges to slavery & class privileges arose but dissipated;
–Perhaps more so in the South where itinerant preachers such as Whitefield held sway.
•Reactionary ⇒Means for authority to re-establish itself:
–Meant to reinvigorate earlier religious traditions;
–Re-established Covenant of Grace through emphasis on pre-destination & damnation;
–Edwards & others clearly connected with religious hierarchy;
–More so in the North, especially New England.
Recognized Impacts of Great Awakening
•Denominational Explosion:
–Growth of non-established churches, especially Baptists, Presbyterians and Reformed;
–Schisms within churches led to new churches & realignment with other denominations.
•“Old Light” vs. “New Light” Schism
–Old Lights were orthodox and liberal clergy deeply skeptical of emotionalism &
theatrical antics of revivalists
•Believed such things diluted the message;
•Challenged the usefulness of their spiritual authority.
–New Lights supported the revitalizing nature of the Great Awakening
•Emotionalism was a tool of conversion;
•God did not intend for his word to be filtered.
–Founding of Dartmouth, Brown, Rutgers & Princeton, the New Light colleges.
•Rise of competitiveness & anti-intellectualism in religion.
Great Awakening & American Revolution
•Two Social/Cultural ways to understand the coming of the American Revolution:
–Based on the growing incorporation of the American Colonies into the British
Empire⇒American claims based on the “Rights of all Englishmen”
–Based on the evolving American character of the colonies ⇒American claims based on
Shared American Colonial Identity
•Great Awakening as the first Colony-wide social movement:
–An “American” movement, represented a common frame of reference for New
Englanders & Southerners alike;
–Represented a participatory, democratic social movement;
–Represented the contested relationship between everyday Americans & authority-British & American alike.
APUSH—Kind
Great Awakening