The Great Awakening The Great Awakening sew a seed of independence in American’s minds because it promoted the religious tolerance, led to the abolishment of the belief of single, authoritarian religious rules, and evoked a sense of self-governance. During this significant period, many charismatic preachers such as Jonathan Edward and George Whitefield emerged, being enthusiastic about delivering their messages with their distinct preaching styles. The increased religious tolerance in the colonies during the Great Awakening resulted in the diversity of the denominations. Before the Great Awakening, the Puritans and the Anglicans dominated the colonies. However, these large, Catholic Churches began to break off into many distinct denominations …show more content…
Consequently, missionaries and preachers found their golden chances to deliver their thoughts. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were two of these preachers who had extraordinary influence on people at that time. Jonathan itinerated around the colonies, conquering colonial people’s minds with his passionate speech. His most famous sermon of “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” converted and inspired many people come to Christ. His remarkable use of awful subjects and the emphasis of God’s anger made him unique and influential. Such furious sermons brought the society in the Connecticut Valley to overwhelming conversion and interior reflection during the 1730s. His appealing nature and personality lead the religious revival spread throughout the colonies. Like Jonathan, George Whitefield was admired for his extraordinary talent and popularity of preaching as well. However, his sermons had a totally different style than those of Jonathan. He spoke to people with a sorrow tone, shouting the word of God, trembling with passion and arising audients’ sympathy. Slaves, Native Americans, and even religious skeptic Benjamin Franklin were attracted by his speech. Preachers like these two outstanding people played an important role to convert people during the Great Awakening period, extending the range of influence of the Great Awakening by itinerating for sermons and delivering their
The Second Great Awakening and the Transcendentalism is a book written by Barry Hankins in 2014. The main idea that the book reflects is that the Second Great Awakening and the Transcendentalism reinforced Americans beliefs in the individual’s importance and support even as it helped to bring a sense of community to a highly nomadic masses. The Second Great Awakening movement transformed the American religion and society in a number of ways. While there was a large growth of the deism in New England. Church’s revolutionary fervor tended to alienate it from its constituency.
This sermon, delivered by Jonathon Edwards, is one of the most renowned throughout the time of the Great Awakening. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was effective and persuasive in nature, so much that it convinced several individuals to convert and repent for their sins. Although Edwards was a theologian and preached among several of his faith, it was not the main factor of the sermon’s appeal; however, the literary contents were and it contributed to the sermon’s credibility as well as its beauty. The main factors of this appeal are the styles in which he writes, the tone in which it was written in, and the content of the sermon.
The Puritans of early America were always helped to remember the outcomes of erring. One such unique minister of the time was Jonathan Edwards whose mission was to change over and persuade his gathering of heathens. He did this through his intense sermons. In "Heathens in the Hands of an Angry God," Edwards utilizes a few expository gadgets that add to the adequacy of his sermon. Edwards utilizes symbolism to portray unceasing condemnation for unsaved souls.
Regardless of a colony’s religious situation, whether they allowed complete freedom of worship or were occupied by strict religious laws, all thirteen colonies were affected by a movement called the Great Awakening. Generally, the Great Awakening is characterized by a fervent revival in religion practice. Although, this movement had a major impact on most aspects of colonial life, it is important to note the effect it had on religion and how that in turn affected the political life of the colonist. Because of The Great Awakening, many ministers lost authority the authority they held over because more people were taking to studying the Bible in their own homes. This idea would have larger implications for the future.
It is 1741. The Enlightenment is spreading worldwide. The puritan people are leaving God. Johnathan Edwards gives a sermon on July 8th , 1741, trying to convince his fellow Puritan people to come back to God. He is going to try and accomplish this by giving his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God '.
During the 1800’s, those who saw social prejudice or corruption started many reform movements to correct the difficulties in America. The Second Great Awakening really helped shape the United States into a religious nation and paved the way through the reform movements, while stressing individual choice that caused an uprising in denominations leading to followers by the masses. Antislavery abolitionism became a movement mostly because of influence from the religious revival that was taking place, and demonstrating to all of those religious that slavery is a sin. Reformists of the antislavery movement transformed their thoughts forward of equality to all people, no matter their race.
The Great Awakening strived to erase the lines between religions by promoting religious pluralism and the concept that all faiths were equal. Primarily, the separation of Church and State was finally in place, which showed the opposition to allowing religion facilitate the decisions of their nation. The Awakening weakened the cultural authority of the upper class and produced a vision of a society drawn in more equal lines. Overall, the thought of finally being equal unified the colonies and created universities that were not controlled by the Church. The new universities promoted different types of curriculum which was not based on religion.
George Whitefiled arrives in the colonies the movement spread like wildfire. He drew huge crods to outdoor meetings because of his “loud” voice. He would speak with enthusiasm and energy. When he would call on sinners to feel or express sincere regret, his voice would ring with feeling.
Thomas S. Kidd wrote the book “The Great Awakening A Brief History with Documents” in a format that allows its readers to study history the way historians do. The book is broken down into two parts. The first part is a detailed introduction of what happened during the The Great Awakening. The second part includes and explores 36 primary source accounts from this era. These primary source accounts range from pastors’ sermons to the spiritual experiences of slaves, Native Americans and farmers, among others.
One of his well-known sermon is “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” preached at the meeting house in the village of Enfield, Connecticut, on Sunday, July 8, 1741, at the height of the great awakening. In this sermon, Edwards focused on the consequences of leading a sinful life, the power of God and repenting of ones sins, in order to be saved from hell. The purpose behind this piece of writing was not to terrorize or dismay the hearers, but to make them repent and believe in God again. This piece was aimed at those who lacked belief in God as well as churches.
People had both the right and the duty to make whatever changes were necessary to come up with a new government or new reforms to that government to better serve their needs. This is basically was the mindset of the people who believed that reform was need in society. The Second Great Awakening refers to a period of religious revivals at occurred in the United States in the 1830s. After this period, many reform movements took place to better serve society and the people in it.
It was during the Great Awakening, when powerful preachers like Jonathan Edwards decided to intensify their ways of broadcasting their religious seriousness. The idea of secularism and religious neglect had been the cause for this religious movement. In his sermon, from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Edwards used strategies to guilt, persuade, and redirect the “sinners” into conversion, and to give a wakeup call to those who overemphasize their own worthiness as holy citizens. Throughout his sermon, Edwards used a variety of figurative language like imagery, metaphors, personification, and allusions to reveal his attitude towards “sinners” as unworthy and insignificant in the eyes of God, and his attitude towards God as being enraged
The Second Great Awakening initiated necessary conversations about social inequalities and helped
The American Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were two very important motivators that changed the colonial society in America through religious beliefs, educational values, and the right to live one’s life according to each individual’s preference. The Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment movements were two events in history that signaled a grand distinction to the teachings among religious believers. New beliefs of how a person should worship in order to be considered in “God’s good graces” soon became an enormous discussion among colonists across the land. “Men of the cloth,” such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were well respected and closely followed when preaching about the love of God and damnation.
Jonathan Edwards, a preacher, wrote the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". In the sermon, Edwards argues that everyone was out of God's favor and they needed to return to a righteous path. The tone of the sermon is indignant and authoritative. Jonathan Edwards uses imagery, logos, and pathos to encourage the unconverted audience to turn to God in order to escape his wrath. Elemental imagery is used in the sermon to inspire fear in the audience.