The Great Awakening By Difan Li

 

                                                            The Great Awakening

                                                                    By Difan Li 

When one learns of the history of the U.S., at the top of the list as one of the most impactful pre-Revolution periods would be the Great Awakening. By 1775, the two main tax-supported churches in the England colonies were the Anglican and Congregational churches. However, only a few maintained and belonged to established religions. The Church of England was the official faith in several colonies, rendering it a symbol of kingly authority and sparking opposition from the colonies.

The reputation of the Anglican Church began to fall short, and the previous religious fervor, especially that found within the Puritanical New England, started to diminish. Ministers of the Congregational Church in the New England colonies became more involved in political issues. By the 18th century, religion was less fervid in all colonial churches, where liberal ideas challenged old religious ones. Calvinist doctrines were threatened by Arminian ones, with the conflicting belief that salvation was not predestined. 

The Great Awakening took place in the 1730s through 1740s, starting in Massachusetts by Jonathan Edwards, a preacher and philosophical thinker who believed in salvation through good works. English parson George Whitefield similarly played a major role in the Great Awakening, taking on the evangelical preaching of human helplessness and divine omnipotence. He was a powerful speaker that emotionally appealed to the audience. Orthodox clergymen questioned the use of emotionalism but New Light ministers defended the Awakening and its new approach to religion. 

The Great Awakening left lasting effects on the nation. Its ideas of emotive spirituality undermined older clergy members and traditional views. It sparked new vigor for missionary work and encouraged higher education, leading to the establishment of several schools and universities to train new clergy members and young ministers. The Great Awakening was also the first mass movement of Americans, uniting the nation as one under a common purpose.