History Discussion - Research Paper Example

Great awakening Introduction The great awakening was a spiritual revival and renewal that was witnessed in the American colonies especially New England in 1730s and 1740s. This movement deemphasized the significance of the church doctrines or teachings and instead emphasized on greater significance on the individual and the spiritual status. In addition, Christians began to deemphasize themselves with the set up approach to worship at a time which resulted to a general sense of resonant and complacency among Christians and instead, they adopted a way comprised of great emotion and fervor in prayer.

The great awakening was started by the Wesley brothers, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield in England and moved to American colonies during the 1770s (Kidd 23-24). The great awakening ushered in new era in that it allowed people to express their emotions in order to experience and feel great intimacy with God during prayers. Causes of the Great awakening The great awakening started at a time when people in America and Europe colonies were questioning the purpose or role of the individual in religion and society.

It started at similar time with the enlightenment movement which emphasized on rationality or logic and emphasized the power of individual to realize and understand the world based on scientific laws (Wallis 55). Therefore, people grew to rely more on personal approach to spirituality and salvation rather church doctrine and dogma. In addition, the fighting between political and religious groups in England came to a halt with the onset of the glorious revolution of 1688, an occurrence which led to establishment of the Church of England as the only church of the country in turn; other religions such as Catholicism and Judaism were oppressed and suppressed.

Politically, it led to stability because of everybody practiced the same religion. However, on religious front, it created complacency and spiritual hunger or dryness among believers. After some decades of religious complacency in America and England colonies, the spiritual revival or renewal of the great awakening was established (Kidd 61).Effects of great awakening The great awakening led to significance change in the American society in that it prepared them for war of independence. Many years before the war, revivalism enlightened people that they should be courageous when confronting religious authority and that when churches were still oppressing the believers and not heeding to their expectations, the people would break off and create new churches (Wallis 45).

Throughout the period of great awakening, Colonist understood that religious power vested in their hands rather than under the authority of the Church of England or any religious authority. In addition, it led to establishment of new denominations which grew in numbers since they stressed on the significance of individual faith and salvation. More so, the great awakening unified the American colonies as it crossed borders and spread through various preachers and revivals. This unification strengthened the American people since it was greater than been realized previously in the colonies (Lambert 33-35).

The great awakening also pushed individual religious experience and feeling over the recognized church teachings and doctrine thus decreasing the significance and weight of the clergy and church in many ways since they had no authority over people. Conclusion Summarily, the great awakening arose with the aim of rejecting the authority of the church and establishing new sense of worship by emphasizing on the importance of individual faith and salvation. In addition, it had great impact on the American and British colonies because it led to unification of American people, established new denominations and decreased the authority of the church.

Works CitedKidd, Thomas. The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America. Virginia: Yale University Press, 2007. Print. Lambert, Frank. Inventing the Great Awakening. New York: Princeton University Press, 2001. Wallis, Jim. The Great Awakening. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print.