Several biographies of Whitefield have been written, chiefly in the nineteenth century, but none of them endeavours to reveal his theology in any extensive fashion. This thesis is an examination of the theological principles and emphases which guided this great preacher who, together with the two Wesleys, stands in the forefront of those men responsible for the Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century. Throughout, an attempt has been made to reflect the theology of the Revivalists as a whole, to discover whether Whitefield's theology followed primarily the same lines as that theology, and, particularly, to set his theology over against the theological trends of the age and to trace his Calvinism as it touched the generally Arminian tendencies of the Wesleyan development of Methodism. It was inevitable that a fairly full account of the well-known controversy between John Wesley and Whitefield over the question of predestination and other allied doctrines, should be given (Chapter Three). In place of the usual "Summary and Conclusion" which, as the final chapter, would normally have recapitulated in a straightforward manner the doctrines dealt with in the previous pages and have entailed much repetition of conclusions already written into the main body of the thesis, it has been thought more profitable to disclose and compare assessments of Whitefield's theology made in his own and later times, and to base a conclusion on these, bearing in mind always the results of the present research. At all times an attempt has been made to let the preacher speak for himself. Hence the rather full and numerous quotations introduced from his own works. It should be noted that the volume of Whitefield's "Sermons" used throughout and quoted in the footnotes etc. is the one entitled "Sermons on Important Subjects by the Rev. George Whitefield, A.M., with the Character of the Author by the Rev. Joseph Smith" (printed London, 1825 - the same reprinted London, 1828). All quotations from Whitefield's works, it will be observed, have been edited as regards punctuation where it has been considered necessary to alter these for the sake of a more fluent and readable text. In doing this, the sense of the passages concerned has been carefully maintained. It is hoped that the first Appendix will be helpful for quick reference to the chronology of Whitefield, if need should arise.

This thesis examines revivalism and reform movements in rural areas of western New York. The bulk of literature on this region in the Second Great Awakening concentrates on middle class, urban people. This thesis argues that revivalism and evangelical fervor was carried to rural portions of the region by migrants from western New England. Evangelical Christianity and revivalism provided emotion succor for rural people grappling with negative social conditions, such as isolation, poverty, crop failure and alcoholism, in the New York frontier. Religious adherence became especially important for women, who were more isolated than men. Religious adherence and revivalism allowed rural evangelicals an opportunity to "purify" society from sinful behavior. Revivalism waned as social conditions improved in rural areas, but the tradition of societal "purification" remained. In this way, rural evangelicals, as well as Quakers and Spiritualists, engaged in moral reform, to eradicate institutions and behaviors they perceived as sinful from society.

“Renewing Homeland and Place” explores the complex intertwining of evangelical Christianity and notions of place and homeland in Algonquian communities in southern New England during the eighteenth century. In particular, this dissertation examines the participation of Algonquian men and women in the Protestant evangelical revivals known generally as the “First Great Awakening,” the adoption of New Light beliefs and practices within Algonquian communities, and the ways in which the Christian faith shaped and informed Algonquian understandings of place and community, and the protection of their lands. Mohegan, Pequot, Niantic, Narragansett, and Montaukett people living in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and on Long Island (New York) struggled continually throughout the eighteenth century to protect their land, resources, and livelihoods from colonial encroachment and dispossession. Christianity provided many Algonquians with beliefs, practices, and rituals that renewed, rather than erased, the spiritual and sustaining values they attached to their lands and that strengthened, rather than diminished, the kinship ties and sense of community that linked their settlements together. Equally as significant, the adoption of Christian beliefs and practices brought to the surface the dynamic and contested nature of community and place, and the varying ways in which Algonquians responded to colonization. As a number of Algonquians attended formal schools, assumed roles as ministers and teachers within their own settlements and among the Haudenosaunee in New York, and formed their own churches, they disagreed within their communities over issues of land use and political authority, and between their communities over the best response to the infringements they continued to suffer. By the 1770s a number of Christian leaders began to consider relocation to Oneida lands in New York as a solution to the land loss and impoverishment they faced in New England. While many Algonquians left their coastal homelands for central New York in the 1780s to form the Christian community of Brotherton, a number of Christians remained behind, highlighting the varying paths of adaptation and survival that Natives tread by the end of the century. / Thesis (Ph.D, History) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-24 13:20:16.449

Current statistics for the evangelical church in North America are less than encouraging. Trends suggest that 95 percent of North American churches have about 100 people in attendance, 80 percent are on a plateau or in decline and thousands die every year. Under similar circumstances, as a central figure in the Second Great Awakening, Asahel Nettleton (1783-1844) developed a reputation as one skilled in church revitalization. The purpose of this research, as described in chapter 1, is to analyze and present Asahel Nettleton as a significant template for modern church revitalization, the primary thesis arguing that this obscure evangelist presents an effective model of renovation for the declining evangelical church. Chapter 2 offers a brief overview of the moral and church declension that gripped America prior to the Second Great Awakening, as well as providing the framework for Nettleton's unique strategy of church revitalization. Chapter 3 of this research project analyzes Asahel Nettleton's theology. The analysis of his theological convictions is examined in light of the stream of Reformed and Puritan theology that ran through Jonathan Edwards, perhaps the most significant influence on Nettleton. A thorough examination of how Nettleton's theology shaped his methodology is provided in chapter 4, including his understanding of the Ministry of the Word, the use of inquiry meetings, frequent visitation, and prayer meetings to promote revival. Using Asahel Nettleton as an historical template, chapter 5 draws practical implications for today's church, in order to develop modern paradigms for church revitalization.

This study examines the relationship between the first major religious revival in the New England colonies and the change from psalmody to hymnody in the mid-eighteenth century through an approach which integrates the two fields of theology and church music. The termination date is 1770, and the focus is Protestant congregational song in the three groups most influenced by Puritan thought: the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists.While much has been written separately about the change in eighteenth-century sacred song and the Great Awakening itself, there has been little research that attempts to place the psalmody/hymnody issue within the larger context of the changing theological milieu. This study first examines the theological and ecclesiastical structures which provided the context for Reformed worship, and then explores how fundamental changes in those structures and thought systems impacted congregational song. In order to comprehend the major changes which occurred in the mid-eighteenth century in colonial America, chapters on the Reformed Church and the beginning and spread of psalmody, the New England colonies to 1700, and the beginning of English hymnody are included.Conclusions1. The primary conclusion of this study is that the Great Awakening is the single most important factor in the change from psalmody to hymnody in the New England colonies. It is not a peripheral factor as indicated in much of the research. Rather, it provides both the rationale and the means for the transition in church song. The Great Awakening represented a basic theological change from a theocentric to an anthropocentric viewpoint that subsequently required alterations in sacred song. The revival movement, through its evangelistic spirit, also provided the vehicle by which this change in psalmody was effected.2. The agitation of the 1720s as evidenced in the tracts and treatises did not affect the transition directly. However, it is indicative of the increasing discontent with traditional Calvinist theology.3. The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts were not a primary reason for the change, but met the needs of the new anthropocentric theology of the Great Awakening that required a new language of praise. / School of Music

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-79).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-79).

This thesis contends that youth from age twelve to twenty-five played a pivotal role in the revivals of the Second Great Awakening in New York and New England. Rather than merely being passive onlookers in these religious renewals, the youth were active participants, influencing the frequency, spread, and intensity of the Christian revivals. Relying heavily upon personal accounts written by youth and revival records from various denominations, this work examines adolescent religious experiences during the first half of the nineteenth century. Chapter 1 explores the impact parents had on youth religiosity, showing how the teaching and examples they saw in their homes built the religious foundation for young people. The next chapter discusses how the youth continued to build upon what they were taught in their homes by seeking for personal conversion experiences. This chapter contends that conversion experiences were the crucial spiritual turning point in the lives of young people, and explores how they were prepared for and reacted to these experiences. Chapter 3 outlines personal worship among the youth and describes the specific tactics that churches implemented in helping convert and strengthen the young. As churches used revival meetings and clergy-youth relationships to fortify these converts, young people implemented the same practices in helping their peers. Finally, chapter 4 utilizes revival records and Methodist church data to provide quantitative evidence of the widespread and crucial role that young people had in influencing revivals. Understanding the widespread impact of these youth on nineteenth-century revivals provides new insight into the ways in which young people impacted the greater social, religious, and culture changes sweeping across America at the time.

No description available.

This thesis examines the revivalist writings of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) and George Whitefield (1714-1770) for evidence that the Great Awakening altered their perspective on revival. It is principally based on primary sources written between 1736 and 1743. Six separate chapters explore their background, their understanding of revival, their efforts at propagating it, their techniques in managing the revival, their defense of revival, and their institutionalization of revival. Both their understandings of revival came from their own observations of the revivals that accompanied their evangelistic efforts. Their theological background, heavily influenced by Calvin, insisted that God was responsible for both conversions and revival. The thesis notes that Whitefield�s and Edwards� use of four primary techniques to propagate revival evolved as they experienced revival. Their preaching, their organization of small, religious education groups, their publishing of sermons, and their written narratives of revival all show signs of adaptation to changing circumstances. Both managed revival by using small groups and publications to guide people way from inappropriate spiritual expressions. These groups and documents also provided opportunities to educate new converts about their spiritual experiences. Edwards and Whitefield had the opportunity to clarify their understanding of revival as they defended the revival against those critics who questioned their claims about God�s role in the religious events of 1735-1743. Both institutionalized revival by interacting with the next generation of evangelical ministers and by making available their doctrines and their own experiences in their published narratives. This propensity to publish their reflections on revival allowed future generations access to their revival principles. The overriding hypothesis of this study is that Whitefield�s and Edwards� understanding of revival grew out of their involvement in revival in the eighteenth century religious revivals of colonial North America and that their revival writings and preaching were attempts to codify and transfer the lessons they had learned about revival to future generations of Christians who might, they hoped, themselves experience a God-ordained time of revival. The key conclusions of this study are that 1) Whitefield�s and Edwards� positions on revival issues developed through repeated exposures to revival, 2) Whitefield and Edwards used similar means to propagate, manage, defend, and institutionalize revival, 3) Whitefield�s sermons and journals themselves express a clear and concise theology, 4) a comparison of Whitefield�s and Edwards� theology refutes the suggestion that the lack of a uniform theology throughout the colonies negates the reality of the Great Awakening, 5) a careful study of Whitefield�s and Edwards� revival writings produces a heightened awareness of the nature of their narrative works, 6) Edwards� revival writings show a concern for worship that is too often missed in studies of his work, 7) Edwards and Whitefield were actively involved in developing, recording, and teaching the principles of authentic revival.