Deism: The Cause Of The Great Awakening

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.

The Great Awakening helped people determine that religious power can be reseeded and revivals promoted political society. The Great Awakening brought the renewal to revivalism which made the American Revolution

The Second Great Awakening was a religious revival that began in the late 18th century and continued until the middle of the 19th century. It occurred mostly in the United States but spread to other countries as well. It was best known for its large camp meetings that led a remarkable number of people to convert to Christianity. This was done through an enthusiastic style of preaching and audience participation. The Second Great Awakening included roles for white women and African Americans in the Christian religion.

Decades before the war, revivalism taught people that they can be brave or bod when it comes to their religious authority (or power), and when the church did not meet the expectation of the people, the people could break off and make their own church. That spread throughout colonial life. Other people also started to believe that the government or church didn't have as much power as the colonists did.” “By 1775, even though the colonists did not all share the same religious beliefs, they did share the same vision of freedom from the British control. The Great Awakening brought about a climate which made the American Revolution possible.”

Devotion in different religions were found valued by most again. During the Great Awakening ordinary people were heavily encouraged to make personal connections with God instead of relying on the minister(s). There were major fractions in the Catholic Church and because of this many other religions other than christianity were spread in America during the Great Awakening. Two other religions that became very popular were Methodists and Baptists. The spiritual devotion that happened during the Great Awakening altered the religious environment in America for everyone living there.

Edwards was known as the one that started the First Great Awakening 1741 he got most of his glory by one of his most known sermons “Sinners in the Hands of an angry god” its became an American Literature classic. George Whitefield belonged to the Anglican Church. He along sides his friend Edward with his powerful personality and persuasive peaching spread the Great Awakening. They travelled all through the colonies from Georgia to the Hamptons many converted after meeting with these two. The states that got the most people to join in on their new moment were, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

The Second Great Awakening was extremely influential in shifting the minds towards reform in people across America. The mentality of the people at this time was closed minded and had acceoted their way of living. Among other factors, Charles Finney played and important role in the success of the Second Great Awakening. “Much of the impulse towards reform was rooted in the revivals of the broad religious movement that swept the Untied States after 1790.” Revivals during the Second Great Awakening awakened the faith of people during the 1790s with emotional preaching and strategic actions from Charles Finney and many other influential preachers, which later helped influence the reforms of the mid-1800s throughout America.

The Influence of Puritanism In the eighteenth century, a passionate interest in religion and salvation developed in the American colonies. This period became known as the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was an evangelical and revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, especially the American colonies leaving a permanent impact on American Protestantism. Many emotions were let out during this awakening and many ethos, logos, and pathos were used to persuade the audience of the American Colonists.

Richard Kaplan also said, “the theological belief in the potential mutability, indeed perfectibility, of people also encouraged a reforming attitude toward social institutions. Humanity and earthly society were not inherently sinful and, thus, could and should be reformed.” With the new quantity of religious people, the belief that there should no longer be sinful or unjust things grew tremendously. With this belief, people began to believe that things that needed to be reformed, should be reformed. The Second Great Awakening sparked a nationwide wave of reform movements that had a huge impact on American society throughout the 19th century.

The Protestant Reformation began with a movement made by a monk simply to criticize and challenge the actions of the Church. From the disapproval of selling indulgence to the demand of equality, multiple forces have sparked the inception of the Protestant Revolution. Martin Luther’s decision to take public stand against the Church was revolutionary to the society. A movement for religious reforms, known as the Protestant Reformation, was born. Luther’s beliefs were soon adopted by and appealed to every levels of society.

Despite the intricate positions on abolition, the Second Great Awakening influenced many leaders and developed new principles that radiated throughout the country. Christianity was the one unifying factor that most Americans could identify with at the time. The Enlightenment Era challenged old ideas of divine authority and stimulated a more progressive church aiming for equality. With leaders in the church declaring that slavery was a sin, and promoting the idea of a forgiving God, many northerners began to reach out and spread the word of God and secure their eternal salvation. These values were preached to most Americans from a very young age through song and childrens books.

The religious movement came over from Europe. The Enlightenment focused on reasons, science, rationality, and progress. The Enlightenment believed God made all men equal and that governor is born by the people. The Great Awakening cut across social, economic, and educational lines. It encouraged people to question the moral and

Followers, who had once felt unfulfilled and disheartened during sermons, suddenly felt and experienced the spiritual connection to God that they had each been longing for after attending preachings from these two men. The Great Awakening brought about religious freedom and free will (Smith, 2011) that would grant all

Different factors had a part to play in starting or even propelling ‘the Age of Enlightenment’, including the rule of the Church and State which experienced a power struggle among them, in addition to the Western discovery of latest societies with noticeably exclusive cultural traditions and norms. Many intellectuals felt unhappy with the fixed social styles amongst their very own collectives, and angry at their governments' refusal to provide non-public rights. The lasting political effect of the Enlightenment can't be overstated. At the least three fundamental political revolutions came about throughout this time period in Britain, America, and France.

In conclusion, the Enlightenment was vital to the American Revolution and the creation of American Government. The Enlightenment beliefs that influenced the American Revolution were natural rights, the social contract, and the right to overthrow the government if the social contract was violated. The Enlightenment beliefs that aided to the creation of the American government were separation of powers, checks and balances, and limited government. As stated before, without the Enlightenment there would not have been a revolution, resulting in no American Government. The Enlightenment’s influence on the creation of America is irrefutable.