The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America by Thomas S. Kidd

Author: Thomas S. Kidd

Genre: History; Religion

Published: 2007

My edition: Yale University Press, paperback

 

I consider myself an evangelical, though I’d never considered, that at some point, it was a new term, and I’ve heard of The Great Awakening, and could even name two principals figures: George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, but I couldn’t name the dozens more who were involved, nor pinpoint precisely when it occurred.

 

Thomas S. Kidd’s The Great Awakening sheds light on the two mysterious terms. Indeed the first question he addresses is whether there even was such a thing as The Great Awakening. He saves the conclusion till the end, but yes, there was such an event. It began in the 1730s with ebb and flow throughout most of the remaining 18th century. It was primarily an American-Colonial phenomenon, though it had traces to the old world. As I’ve mentioned, one of its most prominent figures was English itinerant preacher George Whitefield.

 

Kidd identifies three main camps that shaped the movement:

 

• Moderate revivalists—the mainstream evangelical core that emphasized order, but accepted some level of fervor or enthusiasm. Whitefield and Edwards were in this camp.
• Radical revivalists—whose meetings were often characterized by chaotic frenzy of the congregation who could simultaneously experience, terror, repentance, joy, evidenced by cries of despair, laughing, singing, fainting, praying, exhorting, and seeing visions.
• Anti-revivalists who staunchly opposed the movement, and its challenge to convention and authority.

 

Kidd portrays all in the historical context, without making heroes or villains.

 

The tenets of this new brand of Protestant Christianity—evangelicalism—include emphasis on personal conversion, or new birth, the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit in conversion, assurance of salvation, and a spiritual equality before God of converts, which in this American story included women, children, African-American slaves and free, and native-Americans.

 

Kidd concludes The Great Awakening was a real historical event. He also offers his own view, which I think may be the popular opinion, that this period, 1730s to 1780s or 90s, is the FIRST Great Awakening, but that there is only an ambiguous break between the First and Second Awakening—and probably continuing with the third as well.

 

Finally, Kidd addresses the Awakening’s relationship to the American Revolution. He sees real cultural and rhetorical connections—ideas of liberty, resistance to tyranny, and individual conscience—without asserting direct cause and effect. He cites numerous examples of moderates, radicals, and anti-revivalists in both the patriot and loyalist causes.

 

I felt the title and subtitle were reversed from the emphasis that I inferred. It seems more about the genesis of evangelicalism in America as it was shaped by the widespread, phenomenal spiritual experiences, known as The Great Awakening. Either way, it was not quite what I was expecting—a Christian perspective celebration. The book is much more historical and documentary. I thought it was very thorough and enlightening.

 

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All of Grace by Charles. H. Spurgeon

If God has justified a man it is well done, it is rightly done, it is justly done, it is everlastingly done. ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

A concise, personal, and powerful plea for sinners to “look to Jesus and live”. Christ-centered and extensively supported by scripture. A Christian classic by the Prince of Preachers.

Spurgeon’s intended readers are unbelievers. His first point is to introduce them to God who... 

…takes to Himself the title of “Him that justifieth the ungodly” Romans 4:5.

 

Upon this foundational truth, Spurgeon exposes the futility of earning salvation by works of righteousness. It is all of grace—exclusively, completely, and eternally the free gift of God offered to any and all who believe.

 

If you do not know that you have peace with God, PLEASE read it!

 

If you are already a Christian, PLEASE read it, and then order extra copies and give them away.

 

Other excerpts:

 

What is faith? It is made up of three things—knowledge, belief, and trust.

 

It is well for us that sin lives and the flesh lives and the devil lives, so Jesus lives; and it is also well that whatever might these may have to ruin us, Jesus has still greater power to save us.

 

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Withstand by Ryan Kimmel & Jonathan Delger

Withstand: The Culture War is a Spiritual Battle

by Ryan Kimmel & Jonathan Delger

 

 

Withstand is Christian non-fiction. The subtitle gives the central premise: that our current culture war is a spiritual battle for Christians. It provides practical advice on how to withstand the weapons of the enemy by donning the “full armor of God” from Ephesians 6:15-17

 

• the belt of truth
• the breastplate of righteousness
• the boots of peace
• the helmet of salvation
• the sword of the Spirit

 

I am a lifelong student of the Bible and found nothing new in this teaching (I’d be dubious if there were something new). But, it has practical applications in our modern context. I found it insightful and helpful.

 

The authors made one all-important point that I feel is sometimes missed in teachings on this subject:

 

Perhaps one of the most effective strategies of the enemy at this cultural moment is to make us think that other people are our enemy.

 

As Christians, the first thing we think of any person we see should be this – there is a person made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Until we see the humanity in people before we see the difference in our politics, we will never be the sort of people needed to bring the message of peace to the world.

 

Amen!

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 4-7.

 

 

Two local pastors wrote this short book. I don’t believe it is available through normal outlets, though they may be planning a second printing. More information is available at resoundmedia.cc

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis

The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis

     Translated by Rev. William Benham

 

 

The Imitation of Christ is a Christian devotional written anonymously in the early 15th century. Today, it is commonly attributed to Thomas à Kempis, a German-Dutch Catholic priest. It is one of the most widely read Christian works, apart from the Bible.

 

I first learned of this work from a contemporary Christian author who quoted from its text. Then, a fellow believer recommended it, warning that it would challenge my self-perception. Still, later, I learned of noteworthy theologians who thought highly of it.

 

The title alone excites me. It suggests the highest ideal, which I imperfectly aspire to: Christ-likeness. So, I was eager to read this work and had high expectations. However, I was disappointed by certain points and took great exception to one.

 

The author warns about the lure of the world and one’s ego, with little appeal to be like Christ. The author lived and preached a monastic lifestyle and withdrawal from the world, which I cannot reconcile with the Great Commission of Jesus Christ:

 

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you... Matthew 28:19-20

 

Despite these issues, the author made some good points. His words convicted me of my shortcomings in mirroring Christ's ideal. In my prayer life, I often ask the Lord to help me see myself as he sees me. The author gave me much food for thought.

 

However, I have one rather significant issue with the author’s writing. He would often write as if in the words of Christ himself. For example:

 

As I of my own will offered myself unto God the Father on the Cross for thy sins with outstretched hands and naked body, so that nothing remained in Me that did not become altogether a sacrifice for the Divine propitiation; so also oughtest thou every day to offer thyself willingly unto Me for a pure and holy oblation with all thy strength and affections, even to the utmost powers of thine heart.

 

I believe this is a serious offense. We are never free to claim something as the words of Christ that Christ did not say. At the very least, it is presumptuous, as if Christ needs a little help with his message. At worst, it is sacrilege.

 

I am reluctant to censure so strongly since greater minds than mine have quoted and lauded this work. But I am lukewarm at best about this devotional.

 

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Warrior Preachers by David A. Harrell

We must know…the power of sin and the greater power of the gospel to conquer it. ~ narrative

 

This is not your typical Christian life-help book. It is principally for preachers, pastors, and Bible teachers. However, it is still useful to laymen, like myself, since every Christian is in full-time Christian service. I have another, more personal, reason for reading this book, that I will address at the end of my review.

 

The author, Pastor Harrell, believes that 21st Century Christianity is facing “militant unbelief” and that…

 

Christians, especially pastors, must begin with the presupposition that we are vulnerable, prone to being naïve, apathetic, self-righteous, and overconfident.

 

He further asserts that…

 

Satan’s objective is: “to blind men to the truth of the gospel and prevent them from seeing the glory of Christ.

 

…the world is a battleground between two opposing kingdoms: Satan and his demonic horde; and God and His holy angels.

 

Harrell quotes and obviously agrees with the late A. W. Tozer, that…

 

A scared world needs a fearless church.

 

To that end, Harrell instructs preachers on the wiles of the enemy and God-given resources for waging spiritual warfare.

 

He describes the warrior’s: enemy, armor, weaponry, mindset, character, and rewards.

 

It is a powerful message, but as I’ve implied, not for the novice. It isn’t woke; it isn’t politically correct.

 

Harrell repeatedly cites private correspondence with a former Green Beret. This elite U.S. Army Warrior, identified as Joel C., draws parallels between modern physical warfare and spiritual warfare. Joel C. is a former fellow-laborer with the author, and also a dear friend of mine.

 

I’m grateful to the author and brother Joel for their valuable insight. I’m infinitely more thankful and blessed by the sufficiency of the atoning work of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

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The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis

The Abolition of Man: Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools

 

This is a challenging book to review. It is brilliant, profound, and timeless, even though it was published in 1943.

 

It is nearly prophetic.

 

It is Lewis’ defense of Natural Law versus Subjectivism and derived from a series of lectures he delivered at King’s College Newcastle. The lectures directly responded to a contemporary book espousing subjectivism in education, but I infer Lewis’ lectures and book were also in response to subjectivism as a whole.

 

It’s a short book but too big to synopsize into a few paragraphs. It is surprisingly lacking in Christian ideology. This was Lewis’ expressed intent. He makes a purely logical case, the conclusion being that when subjectivism has its way…

 

Man’s final conquest has proved to be the abolition of man.

 

I’ve not read That Hideous Strength by Lewis, but I understand it to be a fictional rendering of The Abolition of Man.

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Doing Life with your Adult Children by Jim Burns

Doing Life with your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out by Jim
Burns

 

Lord, teach me to parent the children I have, not the kids I thought I would have.

 

God, I relinquish my children to your loving care and tender mercies.

 

 

Jim Burns’ purpose is to help parents navigate their changing and challenging role when their children become adults. He writes from a Christian worldview and addresses specific situations where the old parental authority approach is likely no longer appropriate or effective.

 

As difficult as it can be, sometimes it’s best to hold back on the parent-to-child dynamic and try to have more of an adult-to-adult experience.

 

He addresses situations such as failure to launch, financial irresponsibility, lifestyle choices inconsistent with the parents’ values, or the child forsaking the faith the parents thought they faithfully instilled.

 

It mainly instructs parents on finding their place in the “messy middle.”

 

The messy middle is where we find ourselves when we hold on to a solid moral base that we believe in while loving our kids and others who have chosen a different way.

 

In navigating the messy middle, the author asserts that we can and should…

 

Convey love without giving approval.

 

And

 

show love as your children suffer the natural outcome of their actions.

 

He cites his mother as an example of one the next generation trusted, respected, and listened to. He says she treated the younger generation with a sense of AWE: affection, warmth, and encouragement.

 

A few of the Biblical passages cited:

 

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: James 1:19

 

Where there is no vision, the people perish…Proverbs 29:18

 

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

 

This book can be beneficial to parents entering this stage of parenting. It is easy to read, well thought out, and logically organized.

 

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2021 Bible Reading and other Spiritual Food

I completed year three of a five-year Bible study: Thru the Bible, Vol. 3: Proverbs - Malachi by J. Vernon McGee, thus finishing the Old Testament.

 

J. Vernon McGee was an ordained Presbyterian minister, a non-denominational pastor, and Doctor of Divinity – though I never heard him addressed as Doctor (he probably wouldn’t have it). He was also a radio Bible teacher. His Thru the Bible broadcast was a daily study of every chapter of the Bible that took five years to complete (and then, he’d just start again).

 

If you never heard J. Vernon, well friend, I’m sorry you missed something special. He had a fatherly, mmm…make it grandfatherly, kindly voice full of warmth, humor, and wisdom. Fortunately, audio files of the broadcasts are available for free download at the Thru the Bible website:  https://www.ttb.org

 

I think listening to J. Vernon is the best way to experience Thru the Bible, but, I’m old school about reading, and like to – you know – read. So, I’m using the printed version to go through the Bible in five years – reading thru the Bible, along with J. Vernon’s corresponding commentary. 

 

Year Three covered the remaining poetic books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, as well as all the prophetic books.

 

I’ve been reading the Bible for over 40 years, but J. Vernon still manages to enlighten and inform. In 2022, the study will move to the New Testament. 

 

I also read three non-fiction books on Christian topics. 

 

The Consequence of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Changed Our World by R. C. Sproul. According to Sproul it is a “…sketch of leading voices in the History of Western thought”. It is an accessible introduction to the great philosophers, and thinkers, who have shaped the Western World.

 

Wild at Heart Revised and Updated: Discovering the Secrets of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge. The author helps men face the fundamental question: “Do I have what it takes?”

 

Fathered by God: Learning What Your Dad Could Never Teach You by John Eldredge. The follow-up to Wild at Heart, this book explores six stages of the masculine journey:

 

• Beloved Son
• Cowboy
• Warrior
• Lover
• King
• Sage

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Fathered by God by John Eldredge

This Christian non-fiction book is a follow-up to Wild at Heart. Either can be read alone, but they will probably be more meaningful if read in order. In Wild at Heart, Eldredge posited the idea that all men face a common core question: “Do I have what it takes?” In Fathered by God, he lays out a path or journey – the God designed ideal journey – to help the boy, the man answer that question. He uses a series of similes to describe six stages of masculine development. These stages are not mutually exclusive. They overlap, but ideally, they should occur in order.

• The Beloved Son of the Father (this one, not a simile)
  
• Cowboy
• Warrior
• Lover
• King
• Sage

 

The Beloved Son:

For we must remember that above all else, boyhood is the time of Affirmation, the time when a boy comes to learn and learn deeply he is the beloved son.

 

A boy yearns to know that he is prized.

 

Life is hard. While he is the beloved son, a boy is largely shielded from this reality.

 

Cowboy:

This is what the heart of a boy longs for – daring adventures, battles, uncharted territory to be discovered.

 

Warrior:

It may take time, and require repeated provocation, but eventually a man must come to realize that there are certain things in life worth fighting for.

 

Take anything good, true, or beautiful upon this earth and ask yourself, “Can this be protected without a fight?”

 

Lover:

Down through its history the church has held up the good, the true, and the beautiful as a sort of trinity of virtues. As we think over the stages of the masculine journey, we find that the boy begins to understand Good as he learns right from wrong, and the warrior fights for what is True, but when a man comes to see that the Beautiful is the best of the three, then is the lover awakened.

 

King:

There are many offices a man might fulfill as a king – father of a household, manager of a department, pastor of a church, coach of a team, prime minister of a nation – but the heart required is the same.

 

Sage:

The sage, on the other hand, communes with God…

 

One last excerpt:

Our life is a quest, my brothers, arranged by our Father, for our initiation. There are gifts along the way to remind us that we are his beloved sons. Adventures to call for the cowboy, and battles to train the warrior. There is Beauty to awaken the lover, and power on behalf of others to prepare the king. A lifetime of experience from which the sage will speak. The masculine journey, traveled for millennia by men before us. And now, my brother, the trail calls us on.

 

All of these stages have physical and spiritual meaning. They are also the ideal. The author believes nearly all men, have been wounded along this journey causing them to stray from, or completely abandon the path. But that the Lord, the Heavenly Father, is ready and able to heal the wound, fill the gap, and guide the way back onto the path.

 

Eldredge is not always politically correct. He espouses some unpopular ideas: that life is hard, that we live in a fallen world, that the Universe is at war, that there is such a thing as masculinity. I won’t persuade anyone with this brief review, but I found his points well supported and logically applied.  He frequently cites popular movies and books as examples, which also makes it a fun read. I recommend this book wholeheartedly. It resonated deeply and powerfully with me.

 

The highest heavens belong to the Lord,

but the earth he has given to man. ~ Psalm 115:16

 

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Wild at Heart Revised and Updated: Discovering the Secrets of a Man’s Soul by John Eldredge

…adventure is written into the heart of a man.

 

I read the wrong book.

 

I was looking for a book that I’d heard of that describes the natural development of manhood in six stages: boyhood, cowboy, warrior, lover, king, and sage. Someone told me they’d read that book and it was titled: Wild at Heart

 

Not quite. The book I was thinking of is called Fathered by God, which the author intends as a follow-up to Wild at Heart. I’ve started reading Fathered by God, and it isn’t essential to read Wild at Heart first, but since the author recommends it that way, my mistake was a happy accident.

 

Both books are along similar themes. WARNING – they are not politically correct, but I am more interested in what is simply correct (sans qualifier).

 

I would describe the theme something like: There are character traits that are distinctly male, and by implication, others that are distinctly female. That’s actually more of a premise rather than a theme. The theme then is to understand and nurture those masculine traits to the benefit of the man himself, his family, society, and to the service of God his creator.

 

And without apology, I concur. I won’t belabor the point here, or argue it. Read the book.

 

Eldredge asserts that every man is driven by three primal desires.

 

They may be misplaced, forgotten, or misdirected, but in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to love.

 

That definitely resonates with me.

 

Eldredge also states...

 

Man is not born into a sitcom or a soap opera; he is born into a world at war.

 

That intrigued me, and I had to think about it, but I believe it is true in both a physical and spiritual sense. I remembered something Eldredge said earlier in the book. Paraphrasing now – in the Bible picture of creation, the Garden of Eden is a pristine and peaceful setting. It is not immediately apparent, but the Universe was already at war, and has been ever since. Lucifer had rebelled, and along with his demon hordes wages spiritual warfare against God and his saints. In the physical realm, the  world has been at peace for less than 10 percent of recorded human history.

 

Setting the purpose for the warrior heart of man.

 

We need to heal the warrior heart in men, to be sure; set it in the service of goodness.

 

Amen!

 

And now I’m off to read Fathered by God, also by Eldredge.

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The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World by R. C. Sproul

If there is no God, all things are permissible ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
 

Whenever the words “I think, therefore I am” by René Descartes come up, I tend to roll my eyes, and dismiss the obvious as pointless navel gazing.

 

No longer, thanks to theologian R. C. Sproul and this wonderfully accessible book, which he describes as a

 

…sketch of leading voices in the History of Western thought.

 

I am encouraged that a great mind like Sproul, also had a change of mind about philosophy

 

What I once ridiculed now absorbs me and carries me to the brink of holy apprehension, where I tremble at my own inadequacy.

 

His book is a look at the thinkers of Western history, from the first philosophers: Thales, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno, Empedocles, Anaxagoras; to the three pillars: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle; and those who followed: Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, René Descartes, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Charles Darwin, and Sigmund Freud. (not all philosophers, but all thinkers)

 

I cannot adequately review this book, and I am loathe to post excerpts, because most require pages of context to be rightly understood.

 

I will again state that is it quite accessible. I understand now that Descartes, was not navel-gazing. He quite logically concluded that before beginning an investigation of truth, he must have a building block – an indisputable, logical truth from which to start. Consequently, when starting with the undeniable “I think, therefore I am”, it led Descartes to: “I think, therefore God is”

 

Indeed, most of these thinkers came to logical conclusions of God, or the one whom Aristotle named the “unmoved mover”

 

Aristotle is chiefly responsible for two fundamental laws of logic:

 

The Law of noncontradiction – nothing can be what it is, and not be what it is at the same time and in the same relationship

 

The Law of causality – nothing can be its own cause

 

Most of the thinkers accepted these laws, and most concluded, like Aristotle, there MUST BE…an unmoved mover.

 

It should be obvious that not all these thinkers were Deists. Indeed Nietzsche declares himself the personal enemy of God. There is no doubt Sproul stands opposed to their views, but I felt he gave them fair trial by the Aristotelian laws of logic.

 

Sproul opines:

 

We live in perhaps the most anti-intellectual period of Christian history. We affirm technology and education, but we demean the role of the mind or intellect, particularly in the religious realm.

 

For me, this book was an indictment of modern thought, or in more positive terms, an admonishment to return to classical thought. We learn to do, but we are ignorant and untrained in how to think. Education is focused almost entirely on utility, ignoring virtue that Socrates asserts should be inseparable from knowledge.

 

In conclusion, Sproul writes:

 

We need to reconstruct the classical synthesis by which natural theology bridges the special revelation of Scripture and the general revelation of nature. Such a reconstruction could end the war between science and theology. The thinking person could embrace nature without embracing naturalism. All of life, in its unity and diversity could be lived coram Deo, before the face of God, under his authority and to his glory.

 

 

Attributes or quotations of some of the thinkers:

 

Whatever is; is ~ Parmenides

 

Socrates: The savior of Western Civilization. Asserted that knowledge and virtue are inseparable…

 

Plato: student of Socrates, mentor to Aristotle

 

Aristotle: posited the “unmoved mover”, that God is logically necessary.

 

Augustine: the greatest Christian philosopher-theologian of the first millennium, arguably of the entire Christian era. Achieved philosophical synthesis between Platonism and Christianity.

 

Thomas Aquinas: a giant in all the intellectual world. Produced a synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology, asserted that philosophy apart from the Bible, can rationally demonstrate God’s existence.

 

René Descartes: the father of modern philosophy, asserted “I think, therefore I am”

 

John Locke: The father of modern empiricism

 

To be is to be perceived ~ David Hume

 

Immanuel Kant: Theistic empiricist. Nothing could destroy his personal belief in God but he also believed that a knowledge of God cannot be demonstrated by “pure reason”

 

Søren Kierkegaard: Father of modern existentialism

 

Friedrich Nietzsche: Father of atheistic existentialism, asserted “God is Dead”

 

Jean-Paul Sartre – describes man as a “useless passion”. Declared he was not happy with his own conclusion that God does not exist.

 

Charles Darwin: Proponent of macroevolution

 

Sigmund Freud: Founder of psychoanalysis

 

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