Between the First (1726-1742) and Second (1795-1805) Great Awakenings in America, revivalism experienced a radical restructuring. The first national revival in the colonies had been characterized as a spontaneous outpouring of God’s blessings, while the second seemed to give more attention to the role man plays in bringing about widespread spiritual renewal.
During America’s colonial period, the message of the church was largely a Calvinistic message with particular emphasis on man’s total depravity and on election and predestination. The preaching of early revival leaders—Theodore Freylinghuysen, Gilbert Tennet, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield—introduced a new definition for Calvinism’s doctrine of total depravity.
Where earlier Calvinists viewed man as so totally depraved that he could not respond to the gospel in any way before regeneration, revivalist messages indicated that lost men could at least mourn their lostness and yearn for salvation. The content of the message shifted from pure theological dissertation to an emphasis on sin, judgment, and grace.
For the first time, stirring messages like Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” played on men’s emotions as well as their intellect. Now, conviction came not only from what you knew about God, but also from what you felt about God.
By the 19th century, man’s role in revival had increased. Indeed, the very nature of revival had changed. The message had become one of “General Atonement” rather than the earlier Calvinist message of election and predestination. Man could freely respond to the gospel and to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
Taking advantage of this new perception of man’s privilege and responsibility, Charles G. Finney, the great Presbyterian revivalist of the early 19th century, published steps that could be taken to insure revival both in the church and community. He called these preparations for revival, “new measures.”
They included protracted (extended) revival meetings, a mourner’s bench for the lost, an inquiry room, stern warnings of the dangers of rejecting God’s call to redemption, a strong message of General Atonement, and permission for women to lead in prayer in public worship. The latter measure was something of a “first” for American Christianity. This new approach would define American revivalism from the early 19th century to the late 20th century.
About the Writer: William F. Davidson was professor of Church History at Columbia International University, in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Davidson is an alumnus of Peabody College, Welch College, Columbia Bible College, Northern Baptist Seminary, and New Orleans Baptist Seminary. The Ayden, North Carolina, native also served as pastor of Free Will Baptist churches in Kentucky and Virginia.
