The Great Awakening

For us to see the significance of the religious revivals known as the “Great Awakening,” we need to take a brief glance as to what caused it to happen. Going back into the 17th century, we will notice that fighting has ceased between political and religious leaders. This is due to the fact that the Church of England has come to establish a State religion. As a result of an establishment of a State religion, other religions such as Catholicism, Judaism and Puritanism were repressed. While having a State religion is a good idea for the political leaders, it created a dry, boring and complacent attitude among the citizens. Worshipping now became just an act. Going through the motions of worshipping, but not actually coming from the heart. This brings us to the spark of the “First Great Awakening,” which was the first of colonial America’s major religious revivals.
There were four major “Great Awakenings” each lasting approximately 100 years in length. Each “Great Awakening” has a cycle, which shows us various technological advances and human abilities to cope with various ethical and practical difficulties that these technological advances bring. These “Great Awakenings” are a combination of both religious and political revivals.
The “First Great Awakening” occurred somewhere between 1730 and 1830 and set The United States on a course towards spiritual growth and national identity. It began in England and soon spread across the Atlantic. The Methodist minister George Whitfield teaches the colonists about God the judge, Christ the King, and the ever-loving God who is ready to save anyone who lifts their heads towards heaven. Evangelists also begin teaching that many may be predestined to salvation. Revival meetings emphasize the spiritual rebirth. The revivalism brought people closer to God, as they began to see that they could develop their own spiritual life. The colonists began to realize that they held their spirituality in their own hands. They

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