Before The Great Awakening Summary
Joe Marchand 2/17/09
The American Religious Experience Dr. Jeremy Bonner Book Review Question Before the Great Awakening even occurred in New England, Jonathan Edwards brought about a great revival in his own town of Northampton that helped spark the awakening. In the town the young people were disrespecting authority, and because of the difficult economic situation many were living in their parent’s homes well into their twenties. When Edwards first began preaching he could sense that the town was regaining its vitality, however the revival was slow and it was not until three years later that his patient cultivation began to bloom. This revival was helped greatly, but unintentionally, by the sudden death of a young …show more content…
From his speeches, to the way that he led his own personal life, Edwards was constantly leading a people who were in search of an answer. Perhaps what made him such a great leader was that he never allowed another person tell him what to think, and only preached what he believed to be the truth. Case in point, when the awakening first started Edwards was a big supporter of it and did his best to spread the word. However, when Edwards began to see the corruption and disarray that the Awakening was falling into, he withdrew his endorsement of it. He also blamed the Awakening for the division that had occurred all across New England between the New lights and the Old Lights. He claimed that supporters of the New Lights had been corrupted by what they had seen and heard in other places where there was greater commotion. In other words, people were joining the Awakening simply because of the fervor of having their body overcome with the spirit, as opposed to joining because of their love for God. Jonathan Edwards was a great man, preacher, and man of God, who grabbed the attention of the people of New England through his sermons and leadership. It is unlikely that there ever will be another person who will have such an effect on the religion of the United States as
The American Religious Experience Dr. Jeremy Bonner Book Review Question Before the Great Awakening even occurred in New England, Jonathan Edwards brought about a great revival in his own town of Northampton that helped spark the awakening. In the town the young people were disrespecting authority, and because of the difficult economic situation many were living in their parent’s homes well into their twenties. When Edwards first began preaching he could sense that the town was regaining its vitality, however the revival was slow and it was not until three years later that his patient cultivation began to bloom. This revival was helped greatly, but unintentionally, by the sudden death of a young …show more content…
From his speeches, to the way that he led his own personal life, Edwards was constantly leading a people who were in search of an answer. Perhaps what made him such a great leader was that he never allowed another person tell him what to think, and only preached what he believed to be the truth. Case in point, when the awakening first started Edwards was a big supporter of it and did his best to spread the word. However, when Edwards began to see the corruption and disarray that the Awakening was falling into, he withdrew his endorsement of it. He also blamed the Awakening for the division that had occurred all across New England between the New lights and the Old Lights. He claimed that supporters of the New Lights had been corrupted by what they had seen and heard in other places where there was greater commotion. In other words, people were joining the Awakening simply because of the fervor of having their body overcome with the spirit, as opposed to joining because of their love for God. Jonathan Edwards was a great man, preacher, and man of God, who grabbed the attention of the people of New England through his sermons and leadership. It is unlikely that there ever will be another person who will have such an effect on the religion of the United States as