Jonathan Edwards 'The Great Awakening'

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The Great Awakening The Great Awakening was the spread of revivalism in and throughout the colonies during the 1730’s - 1740’s. It was the start of spiritual and personal importance rather than doctrine. The 18th century brought about many transformations and changes, some which included the structure in which church services changed. Most of the churches seemed to reflect the customs and traditions as well as the wealth and social status of the denominations that built them (Library of Congress). In the decades before the war, revivalism taught people that they could be bold when confronting religious authority and that when churches were not living up to the believers’ expectations, the people could break off and form new ones. Through …show more content…
He was a prominent revivalist during The Great awakening. Edwards believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God, could one’s free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only God's grace could give someone the ability to follow God. In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of his or her lives on earth. His ultimate goal was to have pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility as the preacher to ensure that his church members lived according to a strict personal standard. He only allowed those that he felt truly accepted God's grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper in the church (Martin Kelley, …show more content…
Arguably, one of the most revered of the Early Americans, most remembered Benjamin Franklin as a highly clever and gifted individual, who served as political leader, inventor, intellectual, publisher, among other achievements. Considered an example of the exemplary American intellectual, Franklin overcame humble beginnings to establish himself as a genuine member of the upper class and intellectual elite. One can view Franklin to be the first self-made American; Franklin shattered notions of generational inheritance by proving that he did not require his father or any other familial help to succeed. During his lifetime, society functioned in a patrilineal manner, a common practice originating in Great Britain−sons expected to inherit money, land, or titles from their fathers; this inheritance served as a springboard from which to attain greater success. Franklin had no such foundation. In his autobiography, he notes his lack of any sort of inheritance by detailing his family tree. Franklin was the last son of his father, Josiah, who in turn was the last son of Franklin’s grandfather, Thomas.1 In order for Franklin to succeed as an individual, he clearly had to overcome his humble beginnings and lack of any inheritable aid−his success indicates a significant break from prior
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