Great Awakening

Great Awakenings are commonly said to be periods of religious revival in Anglo-American religious history. They have also been described as periodic revolutions in American religious thought.

The Pattern of Great Awakenings

For a recent analysis of the causes and effects of Great Awakenings, see Generations (book).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Great Awakening happens when social change renders traditional religion (or the thesis in Hegel's terminology) no longer able to answer the questions posed by contemporary life. A certain disconnect occurs between religion and the real world. New belief systems attempt to fill the gap, eventually leading to a full Great Awakening. Examples of such precursors to a Great Awakening are the Spiritualism movement, which preceded the Third Great Awakening, and the Beatnik movement, which preceded the Fourth.

Related Topics:
Spiritualism - Third Great Awakening - Beatnik - Fourth

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A Great Awakening consists of the rise of a multitude of new denominations, sects, or even entirely new religions. In addition to completely new belief systems, existing belief systems gain new popularity. Since, by its nature, religion is traditional and hard to change, many of the new beliefs attempt to do an end-run around tradition by appealing to even more ancient (and usually fabricated, or at least distorted) tradition, dismissing current beliefs as innovations. This is why Great Awakenings are often referred to as revivals.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In response to this new antithesis, fundamentalist sects form, which oppose some of the new ideas (while quietly accepting others).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the course of roughly the next 40 years, a form of natural selection takes place, as the more radical sects on both sides are either defeated or merge into a new synthesis of belief. A crucial step is the coming-of-age of a generation raised in the beliefs of the newest Great Awakening. For them, the new beliefs, even if they are not their own, are a fact of life, and not dangerously radical ideas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

But this new synthesis eventually ossifies, becoming the new thesis, starting the cycle over.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~