The history of Christianity includes the Protestant branch most represented in America and the most influential in America. Many Protestants, such as the English Puritans, found salvation with the beginning of the colonization of North America, rushing into the colonies, trying to escape from conflicts with Catholics in their homeland. De facto isolation in its diversity of beliefs allowed by Protestantism and the development of churches in lands far from other Christians led to the development of religious revivalism. During periods of a surge in popularity of revivalism in a new light is called The Great Awakening.
The Great Awakening, or commonly called in modern history, The “First Great Awakening,” was a series of loosely interconnected Christian and predominantly Protestant revivals. Awakening occurred in British North America and other British colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, affecting many communities and appearing in Europe (History, 2021). The source of the phenomenon was local preachers, leading their sermons in an extremely emotional and aggressive way and making the essence of the sermons the idea of divine awakening and an imminent second coming. In the New England region, this phenomenon was extremely striking because it became the reason for the formation of authorities that were unexpected for people of that era. After experiencing a sudden and emotionally intense religious awakening, women, Indians, and minorities of color have become leaders in Christian communities. For Christianity, in which predominantly white men were considered religious authorities from the very beginning, this situation was strange. However, for Protestants living in the aggressive and conservative environment of the colonies, the phenomenon of revival had an explosive effect on personal faith, development, and the emergence of new churches and denominations.
Vivid sermons by devoutly believing people from the common people and the resulting change in attitudes towards different strata of society became the basis for the formation of the future American culture. The idea that ordinary people, filled with religious feelings of guilt, remorse, and righteous anger, can be authorities equal to hereditary theologians gave a strong impetus to developing democratic institutions. Religious equality within colonial Christians, expressed during The Great Awakening, also influenced the traditions and practices in the colonies and was one of the reasons for the development of a free press. All of these theological, social and rhetorical views were one of the reasons for the start of the American Revolution. In a sense, for the inhabitants of the British colonies, the awakening became the foundation of America’s future national consciousness.
But the most important can be considered the impact of ideas of Enlightenment on American education, which became defining for American culture. Based on the principles of equality of citizens, united by a common culture and ideals, the concept of Enlightenment became the basis of the future identity of Americans. The culmination of the ideas of Enlightenment was the American Revolution itself, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence confirmed their fundamental nature for American culture. The supremacy of reason, freedom, equality, and justice led to forming a new government ruled by the people through three branches of government. All of this determined the same way of life and thought of America, thereby making education fundamental to the culture of Americans, their state, and their nation.
In summary, The Great Awakening, which began long before the first colonies with Protestantism, emerged sharply and vividly in the 1700s to irrevocably influence the Protestants in the colonies. Ideas of equality within communities, discourse among all Christians, and ideas of personal guilt and remorse became defining America’s future culture of Enlightenment. The culmination of Enlightenment and the great awakening was the American Revolution and forming of a free and independent American nation.
Reference
History. (2021). Great awakening. Web.