The Great Awakening: Edwards, Whitefield, and the Theology of Revival

Summary of the Argument

The Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s was the first major religious revival in American history and one of the most significant events in the development of American Christianity. Led by Jonathan Edwards in New England and George Whitefield throughout the colonies, the revival transformed American religious life, contributed to the development of evangelical Christianity, and had significant social and political consequences that shaped the American Revolution.

The Great Awakening raised fundamental questions about the nature of authentic religious experience, the relationship between emotion and reason in religion, and the authority of the institutional church. Edwards's Religious Affections (1746) remains the most sophisticated analysis of religious experience in the English language, arguing that genuine religious experience involves the transformation of the affections—the deep dispositions of the heart—rather than merely the intellect or the emotions.

Critical Evaluation

Edwards's Theology of Revival

Jonathan Edwards's theological analysis of the Great Awakening drew on his Reformed heritage while engaging the Enlightenment's emphasis on empirical observation and rational analysis. The twelve signs of genuine religious affections that Edwards identified, culminating in the practice of Christian virtue, provided a sophisticated framework for evaluating religious experience that remains valuable for contemporary spirituality.

Whitefield and Itinerant Preaching

George Whitefield's contribution to the Great Awakening was primarily practical rather than theological. His extraordinary preaching ability, his willingness to preach in the open air to crowds of thousands, and his transatlantic ministry created a new model of evangelical revivalism that transcended denominational boundaries. His friendship with John Wesley, despite their theological differences over Calvinism and Arminianism, demonstrated that evangelical cooperation was possible across doctrinal divides.

Relevance to Modern Church

Contemporary Significance

The Great Awakening's legacy continues to shape evangelical Christianity worldwide. The emphasis on personal conversion, the new birth, and the transformation of the affections that characterized the revival remains central to evangelical spirituality. Edwards's sophisticated analysis of religious experience provides resources for evaluating contemporary claims of revival and spiritual experience with both theological depth and pastoral wisdom.

For ministry professionals, the Great Awakening's theology of revival provides resources for understanding and evaluating contemporary renewal movements. Edwards's insistence that genuine revival produces lasting transformation of character, not merely temporary emotional excitement, provides a standard for evaluating revival claims. For credentialing in church history and revival theology, Abide University offers programs that engage this important tradition.

Implications for Ministry and Credentialing

Edwards's theology of revival provides resources for evaluating contemporary renewal movements with both theological depth and pastoral wisdom. For credentialing in church history, Abide University offers programs recognizing expertise in revival theology.

For ministry professionals seeking to formalize their expertise, the Abide University Retroactive Assessment Program offers a pathway to academic credentialing that recognizes prior learning and pastoral experience.