A Series of Religious Revivals in the 18th Century

• Series of religious revivals which swept the colonies 1720-1750

• Divided New England area into 1. “Old Lights” who opposed the movement and 2. “New Light” who supported the movement

• “Old Lights” warned against unchecked enthusiasm or emotion, emphasized rationalism

• “New Lights” emphasized primacy of emotions

• A. Jonathan Edwards

• Famous for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

• Concerned about the lack of piety and decline in church attendance

• Puritans had come to found a “Biblical Commonwealth” but that vision was not working out.

B. George Whitefield

Itinerant preacher from England.

Thousands flocked to hear him

Emphasized an emotional response to faith

1. Read the summarized version of his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

2. React to the sermon of Edwards. You can do this from one of two perspectives. 2 strong paragraphs minimum.

A. Either compare the tone and content of his sermon to the tone and content of a sermon you recall from your minister.

B. Or, give your personal reaction to what he said. Think about why people would be so emotional in their response to what he said. Think about how the sermon made you feel or think and respond.

Charles Chauncey

Minister of First Church, Boston

Famous for sermon: “Enthusiasm Described and Cautioned Against”

• Dramatic growth among Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist faiths

• Greater emphasis placed on education and founding of many colleges: Princeton, Brown, Rutgers and Dartmouth.

• Encouraged a democratic spirit in religion and this carries over into political scene. (supports Am. Revolution)

• Encouraged the movement against slavery.• Social leveling