Authority v Individualism

Great Awakening 1730’s & 40’s George Whitefield & John Edwards (Evangelical Preachers) 1. Emotion became part of protestant services 2. Ministers lost formal authority (People studied Bible at home) Major schism – Old Lights (trad. Puritans or Congregationalists) v New Lights (Baptists, Methodists)

Increased religious diversity & competition to attract followers >>> challenged political authority Affected all social classes = shared American experience “democratizing” effect – make own decisions without minister >>> questioning political decisions

John Edwards “sinners in the hand of an angry God” God angry w/human sin >>people must express deep penitence or BURN Spreading beliefs creates colonial unity?

George Whitefield If ordinary people have faith and sincerity could understand bible Methodist Travelled all of colonial America 1730’s-60’s

Enlightenment Influence Science, reason, world can be explained Natural rights, equality challenges predetermination Colonists moved away from pious values at the end of the 17 th Century >>>1 st Great Awakening – altered Americans perceptions of the role of religion Ex. – Opposed religious taxes, questioned legitimacy of est. churches, wanted more sep. of church & state

New Lights Presbyterian, Baptists Connecticut Valley, middle colonies Questioned gov’t involvement in religion

Old Lights Conservatives (mostly ministers) feared revivalism would destroy est. churches >> persuaded Leg. Assembly in Conn. To prohibited traveling preachers from speaking to est. congregations (new lights won repeal in 1750)

“Conversion” Gilbert Tennant – pamphlet: “Dangers of an Unconverted Ministry” –Not theological training – “conversion” qualifies preachers –Conversion = experience through which a person came to know the grace of God –Anyone “saved” can preach –dangerous democratic idea?

Great Awakening Emphasized –Piety over theology –Emotions rather than dogma –Lay preaching rather than clerical “wisdom”