Awakening for the second time: The Second Great Awakening
The founding father's clearly demonstrated their opposition to the mixture of politics and religion by establishing the separation of church and state in the first amendment, but that didn't mean that individuals didn't have their own faith. A series of religious revivals took the United States by storm from the 1790s into the 1830s. These revivals that transformed the religious basis of the country were known as the Second Great Awakening, since the first was already taken. This spiritual revival fundamentally altered the character of American religion.
At the start of the awakening, the largest denominations were Congregationalists, Anglicans, and Quakers. By 1800, the religions of Evangelical Methodism and Baptism were growing fast.
The Second Great Awakening could be best known for its large camp meetings that led a humongous number of people to convert through a style of preaching and interactive audience participation.
The Evangelical aspect at the height of the awakening shared some of the egalitarian thrust of Revolutionary ideas.
The Second Great Awakening marked a fundamental transition in American religious life. For example, many American religious groups in the Calvinist tradition had emphasized the deep depravity of human beings and believed that they could only be saved through the grace of God. The new movement placed a greater emphasis on people being able to change themselves for the better, instead of just waiting on the decision of God. By asserting this "free will" idea in choosing to be saved and suggesting that salvation was available to everyone instead of the few highly selected, the Second Great Awakening embraced more optimistic views in the long run.
The Second Great Awakening also included bigger public roles for white women and included a much higher African-American participation in religious doings.
(ushistory.org)
At the start of the awakening, the largest denominations were Congregationalists, Anglicans, and Quakers. By 1800, the religions of Evangelical Methodism and Baptism were growing fast.
The Second Great Awakening could be best known for its large camp meetings that led a humongous number of people to convert through a style of preaching and interactive audience participation.
The Evangelical aspect at the height of the awakening shared some of the egalitarian thrust of Revolutionary ideas.
- Had a populist orientation that favored ordinary people over elites.
- Individual piety was seen as more important for salvation than the university training required for ministers in traditional churches.
The Second Great Awakening marked a fundamental transition in American religious life. For example, many American religious groups in the Calvinist tradition had emphasized the deep depravity of human beings and believed that they could only be saved through the grace of God. The new movement placed a greater emphasis on people being able to change themselves for the better, instead of just waiting on the decision of God. By asserting this "free will" idea in choosing to be saved and suggesting that salvation was available to everyone instead of the few highly selected, the Second Great Awakening embraced more optimistic views in the long run.
The Second Great Awakening also included bigger public roles for white women and included a much higher African-American participation in religious doings.
(ushistory.org)