📚American Literature – Before 1800 Unit 5 – Great Awakening & Jonathan Edwards

Historical Context

• The Great Awakening emerged in the early to mid-18th century as a religious revival movement that swept through the American colonies
• Occurred during a time of growing secularization and declining religious fervor in the colonies
• Influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, which emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism towards traditional authority
• Coincided with a period of rapid population growth and economic expansion in the colonies
• Reflected a desire for spiritual renewal and a return to a more emotionally engaged form of Christianity
• Challenged the established religious order and the authority of traditional clergy
• Led to the rise of new religious denominations and the proliferation of religious diversity in the colonies

Key Figures and Movements

• Jonathan Edwards, a prominent Puritan theologian and preacher, played a central role in the Great Awakening (Northampton, Massachusetts)
• George Whitefield, an English evangelist, traveled throughout the colonies, delivering powerful sermons that attracted large crowds
• Gilbert Tennent, a Presbyterian minister, helped spread the revival in the Middle Colonies (New Jersey)
• The "New Lights" embraced the emotional and experiential aspects of the revival, while the "Old Lights" opposed it as a threat to religious order and tradition
• The First Great Awakening (1730s-1740s) focused on personal salvation and the need for spiritual rebirth
• The Second Great Awakening (early 19th century) emphasized social reform and the perfectibility of society
• The Awakening contributed to the growth of Baptist and Methodist churches, which emphasized personal conversion and religious experience

Jonathan Edwards: Life and Works

• Born in 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut, into a prominent Puritan family
• Graduated from Yale College at the age of 17 and became a pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1727
• Played a key role in the First Great Awakening through his powerful sermons and theological writings
• Famous for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (1741), which vividly depicted the fate of the unconverted
• Other notable works include "A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections" (1746) and "The Life of David Brainerd" (1749)
• Emphasized the sovereignty of God, the depravity of human nature, and the necessity of divine grace for salvation
• Served as a missionary to the Housatonic Indians and became president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) in 1758
• Died from a smallpox inoculation in 1758 at the age of 54

Theological Concepts

• Emphasized the doctrine of predestination, which held that God had predetermined who would be saved and who would be damned
• Stressed the importance of personal conversion and the need for a direct, transformative encounter with God
• Believed in the total depravity of human nature and the inability of humans to save themselves through good works alone
• Taught that salvation was entirely dependent on God's sovereign grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer
• Emphasized the importance of religious affections, or the emotional and experiential dimensions of faith
• Rejected the idea of "means of grace," or the notion that certain religious practices (sacraments, prayer) could automatically confer divine favor
• Believed in the necessity of a "new birth" or spiritual regeneration as a prerequisite for true faith and salvation

Literary Style and Techniques

• Edwards' writing style was characterized by vivid imagery, metaphorical language, and powerful emotional appeals
• Used the "plain style" of Puritan preaching, which emphasized clarity, simplicity, and directness
• Employed rhetorical devices such as repetition, antithesis, and climax to heighten the impact of his message
• Drew on the language of sensation and feeling to convey the intensity of religious experience (sweetness, delight, terror)
• Used biblical typology and allegory to interpret contemporary events in light of scriptural narratives
• Incorporated Enlightenment ideas and scientific language into his theological arguments (Newton's laws, Locke's psychology)
• Developed a distinctive form of philosophical theology that blended Puritan doctrine with Enlightenment rationalism

Impact on American Literature

• Edwards' vivid language and rhetorical style influenced the development of American literary prose
• His emphasis on personal experience and the inner life of the individual anticipated the Romantic movement in American literature
• The Great Awakening helped create a distinctively American form of religious expression that emphasized emotion, individualism, and democratic participation
• Edwards' theological writings helped shape the intellectual culture of colonial America and laid the groundwork for later developments in American philosophy and literature
• The Awakening's challenge to traditional authority and emphasis on individual conscience influenced the American Revolution and the formation of a new national identity
• Edwards' legacy can be seen in the works of later American writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville, who grappled with similar themes of sin, redemption, and the human condition

Cultural and Social Significance

• The Great Awakening helped break down social and cultural barriers in colonial America by bringing together people from different classes and regions
• The revival's emphasis on personal conversion and spiritual equality challenged the hierarchical structure of colonial society
• The Awakening contributed to the growth of religious pluralism and the proliferation of new religious movements and denominations
• The revival's challenge to traditional clerical authority helped lay the groundwork for the separation of church and state in America
• The Awakening's emphasis on individual conscience and moral responsibility influenced the development of American political thought and the ideology of the American Revolution
• The revival helped create a new sense of American identity and destiny, as colonists began to see themselves as a chosen people with a special mission in the world

Legacy and Modern Interpretations

• Edwards is widely regarded as one of the greatest theologians and intellectuals in American history
• His theological writings continue to be studied and debated by scholars of religion, philosophy, and literature
• The Great Awakening is seen as a key moment in the development of American religious culture and the formation of a distinct American identity
• Edwards' emphasis on personal religious experience and the primacy of emotion has been seen as a precursor to later developments in American evangelicalism and revivalism
• Some scholars have criticized Edwards' theology as overly harsh and deterministic, while others have praised his intellectual rigor and spiritual depth
• Edwards' views on race and slavery have been the subject of much debate, with some seeing him as complicit in the institution of slavery and others arguing that he laid the groundwork for later abolitionist movements
• The legacy of the Great Awakening can be seen in the ongoing importance of religion in American public life and the enduring tension between individual conscience and institutional authority