4.10 The Second Great Awakening

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Explain the causes of the Second Great Awakening

  • Religious revial swept through US during late 18th century and through first half of 19th century

    • Second Great Awakening marked reassertion of traditional puritan teachings of orginal sin and predestination

      - other revival represented new developed in Christistianity

CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS REFORM

  • Several factors fostered religious reform

    • Growing emphasis on democracy and individualism

      - worshippers were attracted to services less formal and participatory

    • Rational apprach to religion prompted reaction towards emotional expressions in beliefs ad services

    • Market evolution—→ fear that growing industrialization and commercialization would lead to sin and greed

    • Market revolution and mobility of people led them to worship settings outside of formal churches

REVIVALS

  • Second great awakening started with highly educated leaders

    • Timothy Dwight (Presidents of Yale College)

      - saw himself and others as traditional calvinist

      - aimed to counter liberal religious views

    • Preachers

      - spoke about opportunity for salvation for all (attuned to democracy)

      - attraced thousands to chruches and established new religious organizations

REVIVALISM ON THE FRONTIER

  • Charles Grandison Finney started series of rivials in upstate New York

    • Appealed to people’s emotions and fear of damnation instead of sermons on rational arguements

      - preached for faith and hardwork (strongly appealed to rising middle class)

      - Western New York became known as the “burned-over district” for “hell-and-brimstone” revivals.

BABTISTS AND METHODIST

  • Babtist and Methodist circuit preachers traveled from one location to another

    • Preached at dramatic outdoor revivals/camp meetings

      - activated faith of many who never belonged to church

      - became largest protestant domination in the country

NEW DOMINATIONS

  • Religious fervor at the time fostered the growth of new ones

MILLENNIALISM

  • Religious enthusiam of the time was based on belief that world was about to end with second coming of Jesus

    • William Miller gained thousands of followers for predicting date

      - nothing happened, but Millerites—→ the Seventh-Day Adventist

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

  • Found by Joseph Smith

    • Based his belifs on book of Scripture—The Book of Mormon

      - traced connections between Natives and lost tribes of Israel

      - Smith’s followers faced persecution and moved around a lot.

      - Smith was eventually murdered by a local mob in Illinois

    • Church Members migrated to the western frontier

      - led by Brigham Young

      - settled in Utah, and became the New Zion

      - faced strong oppostion due to the practice of polygamy (Latter-day sainted prohibited polygamy and is no longer affiliated w groups that practice it)

REFORMED BACKED BY RELIGION

  • Second great awakening—→ divisions between newer evangelical sects and older protestant churches

    • Also led to several social reforms

      - efforts to reduce drinking, end slavery, and provide better treatment to mentally ill

      - activist religious groups provided voluntary societies that drove many reform movements.