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Definition:
A revial, in the religious sense, is some event of religious experience or awakening
in which devotion and dedication to the religious community are strengthened. In
Christianity, revivals are common among Protestant evangelical and charismatic groups
and they have played a significant role in the development of Protestant theology in
the United States.
The gospel preachers of the 18th and 19th centuries were important leaders in the American revivalist movements. They traveled from town to town, either by horse or by foot, spreading a message of personal religiosity and intense religious experiences. They spread the Puritan idea that America had a special destiny, designed by God, as if it were a new Zion and Americans were new Israelites. As a consequence, Americans had a special responsibility to uphold God's laws.
In the mid-1700s, they were instrumental in spreading the First Great Awakening throughout the countryside. It started Jonathan Edwards' church in New England, but it eventually had a profound impact on people everywhere in the colonies. During the 19th century there were hundreds of preachers going through the frontier, continuing to arouse religious passion in the people they touched.
Of course, they did have their critics. They undermined traditional religious orthodoxy by upholding a radical version of the Protestant notion that every believer is equally qualified to interpret the Bible. They were called charlatans, wicked, and agents of Satan. Critics said that biblical interpretation and religion should be left to established religious authorities and religious institutions.
Today, Christian revivalism is no longer the spontaneous wave of hysteria as it was in the days of Jonathan Edwards. Instead, it has become big business - organized, structured and scripted. It is promoted as an antidote to the ills of modern, secular culture. It has become a context in which average people can release religious emotions without fear of public censure.
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Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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