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Revival in a Christian context generally refers to a specific period of spiritual renewal in the life of the Church. While elements such as mass conversions and perceived beneficial effects on the moral climate of a given culture may be involved, the key factor in revival is the restoration of the Church to a vital and fervent relationship with God after a period of decline. The word "Church" here refers to the body of believers in Christ as a whole and not to any particular group or denomination among them.

Since the 16th Century Reformation, some writers identify six waves of special revival or "Awakenings" in the church worldwide — from 1727, 1792, 1830, 1857, 1882 and 1904. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of rapid and dramatic Religious revival in Anglo-American religious history generally recognized as beginning in the 1730s Recent revivals of 1906 Azusa Street Revival, 1930s Balokole, and 1970s Jesus people spread in the Americas, Africa, and Asia among Protestants and Catholics. The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal Revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and was led by William J Balokole is an African fundamentalist Christian reform movement that started in the 1930s The Jesus movement was the major Christian element within the Hippie Counterculture, or conversely the major hippie element within some strands of

The Calvinist and Wesleyan revival, called the Great Awakening, established the Congregationalist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and new Methodist churches on competitive footing for social influence in North America. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of rapid and dramatic Religious revival in Anglo-American religious history generally recognized as beginning in the 1730s Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations However, as that great "revival of religion" began to wane, a new era of secularism began to overwhelm the social gains that had been experienced by Evangelical churches. Furthermore, that revival had popularized the strong opinion that Evangelical religions were weakened and divided, primarily due to unreasonable loyalty to creeds and doctrines which made salvation, and Christian unity, seem unattainable. This sentiment gave rise to Restorationism. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and

Contents

First Great Awakening

Main article: First Great Awakening

The First Great Awakening was a wave of religious enthusiasm among Protestants that swept the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. The First Great Awakening (referred to by some historians as the Great Awakening) was a period of heightened religious activity primarily in Great Britain and its The First Great Awakening (referred to by some historians as the Great Awakening) was a period of heightened religious activity primarily in Great Britain and its It resulted from powerful preaching that deeply affected listeners (already church members) with a deep sense of personal guilt and salvation by Christ. Pulling away from ritual and ceremony, the Great Awakening made religion intensely personal to the average person by creating a deep sense of spiritual guilt and redemption. Historian Sydney E. Ahlstrom sees it as part of a "great international Protestant upheaval" that also created Pietism in Germany, the Evangelical Revival and Methodism in England. Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland [1] It brought Christianity to the slaves and was an apocalyptic event in New England that challenged established authority. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the It incited rancor and division between the old traditionalists who insisted on ritual and doctrine and the new revivalists. It had a major impact in reshaping the Congregational, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed, and German Reformed denominations, and strengthened the small Baptist and Methodist denominations. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity Dutch Reformed Church (in Dutch: Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk or NHK was one of many branches of churches coming out of the Protestant Reformation in Europe Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations It had little impact on Anglicans and Quakers. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Unlike the Second Great Awakening that began about 1800 and which reached out to the unchurched, the First Great Awakening focused on people who were already church members. The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival It changed their rituals, their piety, and their self awareness.

The new style of sermons and the way people practiced their faith breathed new life into religion in America. Lightmatter Hsi Lai Temple 4jpg|thumb|200px| Hsi Lai Temple (lit People became passionately and emotionally involved in their religion, rather than passively listening to intellectual discourse in a detached manner. Ministers who used this new style of preaching were generally called "new lights", while the preachers of old were called "old lights". People began to study the Bible at home, which effectively decentralized the means of informing the public on religious manners and was akin to the individualistic trends present in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time

Second Great Awakening

Main article: Second Great Awakening

The Second Great Awakening (1800–30s) was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival meetings. The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival Year -of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar until Friday, but 12 days ahead since Saturday. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Major leaders included Charles Grandison Finney, Lyman Beecher, Barton Stone, Alexander Campbell, Peter Cartwright and James B. Charles Grandison Finney ( August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was a minister of the gospel originally in upstate New York and grew to become Lyman Beecher ( October 12, 1775 &ndash January 10, 1863) was a Presbyterian clergyman temperance movement leader and the father Barton Warren Stone was born on December 24 1772 to John and Mary Stone in Port Tobacco, Maryland. Alexander Campbell, or Alec. or Alex Campbell, may refer to Canadian politicians Alexander Campbell (Upper Canada politician (1770-1834 Peter Cartwright (exhorter was a "hellfire and brimstone" preacher born in Amherst County Virginia Finley.

In New England, the renewed interest in religion inspired a wave of social activism. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the In western New York, the spirit of revival encouraged the emergence of new Restorationist and other Christian denominations and movements such as the Holiness Movement. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and The Holiness movement in Christianity is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of humanity can be cleansed through Faith Renewed interest in religion even led to new sects and beliefs such as the Mormons. TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon In the west especially—at Cane Ridge, Kentucky and in Tennessee—the revival strengthened the Methodists and the Baptists and saw the birth of the Church of Christ. Cane Ridge, Kentucky, USA was the site in 1801 of a large Camp meeting which drew thousands of people and had a lasting influence as one of the landmark Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. It also introduced into America a new form of religious expression—the Scottish camp meeting. The camp meeting as a Christian gathering originated in the United States of America.

Resurgence

The third Awakening or maybe "resurgence", from 1830, was largely influential in America and many countries worldwide including India and Ceylon. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island The Plymouth Brethren started with John Nelson Darby at this time, a result of disillusionment with denominationalism and clerical hierarchy. The Plymouth Brethren is a Conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland John Nelson Darby, (18 November 1800 - 29 April 1882 was an Anglo-Irish evangelist, and an influential figure among the original Plymouth Brethren.

Het Réveil

Dutch historians of Christianity identify a period in Dutch, eastern French, Swiss, British and south German Protestant history known as "Het Réveil" occurring from 1815 to 1865. In the Netherlands this was begun by Willem Bilderdijk, with Isaäc da Costa, Abraham Capadose, Samuel Iperusz Wiselius, Willem de Clercq and Groen van Prinsterer as his pupils, and in Britain the Wesleys, Wilberforce and Thomas Chalmers. Willem Bilderdijk ( Amsterdam, September 7, 1756 - Haarlem, December 31, 1831) Dutch Poet, the son Isaac da Costa ( January 14, 1798 &ndash April 28, 1860) was a Dutch language Poet. The Revd Dr Abraham Capadose or Capadoce ( 22 August 1795, Amsterdam - 16 December 1874, The Hague was a Dutch physician Samuel Iperusz Knight Wiselius ( 4 February 1769 – 15 May 1845) was a successful Dutch lawyer and a prominent Patriot Willem de Clercq (Amsterdam 15 January 1795 - Amsterdam 4 February 1844 was secretary (1824-, at its foundation and later director (1831-) of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer ( August 21, 1801 - May 19, 1876) Dutch Politician and Historian, was born at The movement was politically influential and actively involved in improving society, and — at the end of the 19th century — brought about anti-revolutionary and Christian historical parties.

Third Great Awakening

Main article: Third Great Awakening

The next Great Awakening (sometimes called the Third Great Awakening) began from 1857 onwards in Canada and spread throughout the world including America and Australia. The Third Great Awakening was a period of religious activism in American history from the late The Third Great Awakening was a period of religious activism in American history from the late Significant names include Dwight L. Moody, Ira D. Sankey, William Booth and Catherine Booth (founders of the Salvation Army), Charles Spurgeon and James Caughey. Early life Dwight Moody was born in Northfield Massachusetts to a large family Ira D Sankey ( August 28, 1840 - August 13, 1908) known as The Sweet Singer of Methodism was an American gospel William Booth ( April 10, 1829 &ndash August 20, 1912) was a British Methodist preacher who founded The Salvation The Salvation Army is a Christian charity and church that is internally organised like a military service. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, commonly CH Spurgeon, ( June 19, 1834 &ndash January 31, 1892) was a British Reformed Hudson Taylor began the China Inland Mission and Thomas John Barnardo founded his famous orphanages. Youth and early work Taylor was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, the son of a chemist ( Pharmacist) and Methodist OMF International (formerly Overseas Missionary Fellowship and before that the China Inland Mission before 1964 is an interdenominational Thomas John Barnardo ( 4 July 1845 — 19 September 1905) Irish Philanthropist, and founder and director of homes for destitute The Keswick Convention movement began out of the British Holiness movement, encouraging a lifestyle of holiness, unity and prayer. The Keswick Convention is an annual gathering of evangelical Christians in Keswick, in the English county of Cumbria. The Higher Life movement was a movement devoted to Christian holiness in England.

Further resurgence

The next Awakening (1880–1903) has been described as "a period of unusual evangelistic effort and success", and again sometimes more of a "resurgence" of the previous wave. Moody, Sankey and Spurgeon are again notable names. Others included Sam Jones, J. Wilber Chapman and Billy Sunday in North America, Andrew Murray in South Africa, and John McNeil in Australia. William Ashley "Billy" Sunday ( November 19 1862 – November 6 1935) was an American athlete and religious Andrew Murray ( 9 May, 1828 - 18 January, 1917) was a South African writer educationist and Christian Pastor The Faith Mission began in 1886. The Faith Mission is a Protestant evangelical Christian organization founded in Scotland in 1886 by John George Govan.

Welsh and Pentecostal revivals

The final Great Awakening (1904 onwards) had its roots in the Holiness movement which had developed in the late 19C. The Holiness movement in Christianity is composed of people who believe and propagate the belief that the carnal nature of humanity can be cleansed through Faith The Pentecostal revival movement began, out of a passion for more power and a greater outpouring of the Spirit. Pentecostalism is a renewalist religious movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the Baptism In 1902, the American evangelists Reuben Archer Torrey and Charles M. Biography Torrey was born in Hoboken New Jersey, on 28 January, 1856. Alexander conducted meetings in Melbourne, Australia, resulting in over 8,000 converts. News of this revival travelled fast, igniting a passion for prayer and an expectation that God would work in similar ways elsewhere.

Torrey and Alexander were involved in the beginnings of the great Welsh revival (1904) which led Jessie Penn-Lewis to witness the working of Satan during times of revival, and write her book "War on the Saints". The Welsh Revival (1904–1905 was the largest full scale Christian Revival of Wales of the 20th century. Jessie Penn-Lewis (1861-1927 was an English evangelical speaker and author of a number of Christian evangelical works In 1906 the modern Pentecostal Movement was born in Azusa Street, in Los Angeles. The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal Revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and was led by William J

Restorationism

Main article: Restorationism

Restorationism refers to unaffiliated religious movements that attempted to transcend Protestant denominationalism and orthodox Christian creeds to restore Christianity to its original form. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Dispensationalism is a Christian theological view of history and Biblical interpretation that became popular during the 1800s and early 1900s and is This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated " Adventist " Church is a Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service The term applies particularly to movements that arose in the eastern United States and Canada in the early and mid 19th century in the wake of the Second Great Awakening. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of rapid and dramatic Religious revival in Anglo-American religious history generally recognized as beginning in the 1730s The Second Great Awakening made its way across the frontier territories, fed by intense longing for a prominent place for God in the life of the new nation, a new liberal attitude toward fresh interpretations of the Bible, and a contagious experience of zeal for authentic spirituality. The Second Great Awakening  (1790–1840s was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival As these revivals spread, they gathered converts to Protestant sects of the time. However, the revivals eventually moved freely across denominational lines, with practically identical results, and went farther than ever toward breaking down the allegiances which kept adherents to these denominations loyal to their own. Consequently, the revivals were accompanied by a growing dissatisfaction with Evangelical churches and especially with the doctrine of Calvinism, which was nominally accepted or at least tolerated in most Evangelical churches at the time. Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the

Restorationism is historically connected to the Protestant Reformation. For other usages see Restoration (general disambiguation Apokatastasis (universal restoration Christian Zionism (restoration of Israel and [2]

Although Restorationists have some basic similarities, their doctrine and practices vary significantly. Restorationists do not usually describe themselves as "reforming" a Christian Church continuously existing from the time of Jesus, but as restoring the Church that they believe was lost at some point. Restorationists include Churches of Christ with 2. The Churches of Christ discussed 6 million members, Disciples of Christ with 800,000 members,[3] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 13 million members,[4] and Jehovah’s Witnesses with 6. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination 6 million members. [5] Restorationist beliefs are sometimes referred to as Christian primitivism (cf. "originalism") which describes a number of movements attempting to return to Early Christianity, including the Baptists, Quakers and before them, the Anabaptists. Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus ( c Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Anabaptists ( Greek ανα (again twice + βαπτιζω (baptize thus "re-baptizers" are Christians of the Radical Reformation The newer term has special application to the Restoration Movement, and by comparison it is applied to other contemporary groups that are similarly motivated but founded separately. This article is about the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement and churches that have a historical and/or theological connection to it (e The name Restoration is also used to describe the Latter Day Saint movement. Please see the talk page for this article and the "See also" list before adding content or adding a hyphen to Latter Day Saint These two movements have a briefly overlapping history. Other groups are also called restorationists because of their comparable goal to re-establish Christianity in its original form, such as some anti-denominational "Restorationists" who arose in the 1970s, in Britain,[6] and others. See Charismatic Restorationism.

History of Christian revival

Many Christian revivals drew inspiration from the missionary work of early monks, from the Protestant Reformation (and Catholic Reformation) and from the uncompromising stance of the Covenanters in 17th century Scotland and Ulster, that came to Virginia and Pennsylvania with Presbyterians and other Non-conformists. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the The Covenanters formed an important movement in the religion and politics of Scotland in the 17th century Its character formed part of the mental framework that led to the American War of Independence and the Civil War.

The 18th century Age of Enlightenment had a chilling effect on spiritual movements, but this was countered by the Methodist revival of John Wesley and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield in Britain and the Great Awakening in America prior to the Revolution. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Methodism is a movement within Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations John Wesley (ˈwɛslɪ ( – March 2, 1791) was an Anglican cleric and Christian theologian who was the founder of the (Evangelical Biography Charles Wesley was the son of Susanna Wesley and Samuel Wesley. The Great Awakenings refer to several periods of rapid and dramatic Religious revival in Anglo-American religious history generally recognized as beginning in the 1730s A similar (but smaller scale) revival in Scotland took place at Cambuslang, then a village and is known as the Cambuslang Work. Cambuslang ( Scottish Gaelic: Camas Long from camas - river bend long - ship is a suburban town on the south-eastern outskirts The Cambuslang Work or ‘ Wark ’ in the Scots language, (February to November 1742 was a period of extraordinary religious activity in Cambuslang, [7]

A new fervor spread within the Anglican Church at the end of the century, when the Evangelical party of John Newton, William Wilberforce and his Clapham sect were inspired to combat social ills at home and slavery abroad, and founded Bible and missionary societies. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel John Henry Newton ( July 24, 1725 &ndash December 21, 1807) was an Englishman Anglican clergyman and former slave-ship captain William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833 was a British Politician, a Philanthropist

Early in the 19th century, the Scottish minister Thomas Chalmers had an important influence on the evangelical revival movement. Thomas Chalmers ( March 17, 1780 - May 31, 1847) Scottish mathematician and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland Chalmers began life as a moderate in the Church of Scotland and an opponent of evangelicalism. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. During the winter of 1803–04, he presented a series of lectures that outlined a reconciliation of the apparent incompatibility between the Genesis account of creation and the findings of the developing science of geology. However, by 1810 he had become an evangelical and would eventually lead the Disruption of 1843 that resulted in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland.

Rev. Charles Finney, 1792–875 was a key leader of the evangelical revival movement in America. Charles Grandison Finney ( August 29, 1792 – August 16, 1875) was a minister of the gospel originally in upstate New York and grew to become From 1821 onwards he conducted revival meetings across many north-eastern states and won many converts. For him, a revival was not a miracle but a change of mindset that was ultimately a matter for the individual's free will. His revival meetings created anxiety in a penitent's mind that they could only save their souls by unrestricted submission to the will of God, as illustrated by his quotations from the Bible. Finney also conducted revival meetings in England, first in 1849 and later to England and Scotland in 1858–59.

The established churches too, were influenced by the evangelical revival. In 1833, a goup of Anglican clergymen led by John Henry Newman and John Keble began the Oxford Movement. Family John Henry Newman was born in London and was the eldest son of John Newman (d John Keble ( 25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English churchman one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought However its objective was to renew the Church of England by reviving certain Roman Catholic doctrines and rituals, thus distancing themselves as far as possible from evangelical enthusiasm. In Germany on the other hand, a new wave of evangelicalism, the Erweckung, spread across the land, which cross fertilized with British movements, while a parallel development occurred in France and the Netherlands, the Reveil.

Revival movements continue down to the present day. Rev. Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian church was established in 1951. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley (born 6 April 1926 styled The Rt Hon He is a revivalist and preaches evangelistically across Ireland. More recently, in 1977 the Alpha Course movement was started by the Anglican clergyman Charles Marnham. It is a 10 week practical introduction to the Christian faith, designed primarily for non-churchgoers and those who have recently become Christians. A recent manifestation of revivalism, the Toronto Blessing, started at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church on January 20, 1994. The Toronto Blessing is a term coined by the British press to talk about the revival and resulting phenomena that began in January 1994 at Toronto Airport Vineyard Christian Fellowship Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar)

Background to the 1857–1860 Revival in America, Ireland and Great Britain

Dean William Buckland published Reliquae Diluvianae in 1823, describing accumulations of bones found in caves, which were interpreted as relics of the Noachian Deluge. The Very Rev Dr William Buckland DD ( Axminster, 12 March, 1784 – Islip, 14 August, 1856) was an English This started a great debate that set scientists of a religious disposition at loggerheads with pragmatic scientists who were concerned only with evidence that was visible to their own eyes. In the former category Buckland was followed by Hugh Miller (Foot-Prints of the Creator (1849) and "Testimony of the Rocks" (1857)) and Edward Hitchcock The Religion of Geology and its Connected Sciences which attempted to unify and reconcile geology and religion. Hugh Miller (1802 &ndash 1856 was a self-taught Scottish Geologist and writer Folklorist and an Evangelical Christian. Edward Hitchcock ( 24 May 1793 &ndash 27 February 1864) was a noted American Geologist and the third President of Amherst A rising tide of scientific opinion sided with the pragmatists, culminating with the publication in 1859 of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species". Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Charles Darwin 's On the Origin of Species (published 24 November 1859) is a seminal work in Scientific literature and arguably the Unfortunately Hugh Miller was already dead. Unable to reconcile his religious beliefs with the mounting flood of geological evidence that contradicted the creation stories in the Judeo-Christian Bible, he committed suicide in 1856.

On 21st September, 1857 Jeremiah Lanphier began a series of prayer meetings in New York, seeking divine guidance. By the beginning of 1858 his congregation was crowded and prayer became the order of the day. In March, a noon prayer meeting commenced in a large theatre. It was packed out, the great majority being businessmen. The newspapers began to sit up and take notice and to report on the happenings. It became front-page news that over 6,000 were attending various prayer meetings in New York, and 6,000 in Pittsburgh. Daily prayer meetings were held in Washington DC at 5 different times to accommodate the crowds. Other cities followed the pattern. Soon, a common mid-day sign on business premises read, "We will re-open at the close of the prayer meeting". By May, 50,000 of New York's 800,000 people were new converts.

Finney wrote of this revival, "This winter of 1857–58 will be remembered as the time when a great revival prevailed. It swept across the land with such power that at the time it was estimated that not less than 50,000 conversions occurred weekly. "

Coincidentally, the very month that Jeremiah Lanphier began his prayer meeting in New York, four young Irishmen began a weekly prayer meeting in a village near Ballymena. This meeting is generally regarded as the origin of the 1859 revival that swept through most of the towns and villages in the north of Ireland and in due course brought 100,000 converts into the churches. It was also ignited by a young preacher, Henry Grattan Guinness, who drew thousands at a time to hear his preaching. Irish roots Guinness was born in Kingstown In Taney, Dublin, Ireland. So great was the interest in the American movement that in 1858 the Presbyterian General Assembly meeting in Londonderry appointed two of their ministers, Dr. William Gibson and Rev. William McClure to visit North America. Upon their return the two deputies had many public opportunities to bear testimony to what they had witnessed of the remarkable outpouring of the Spirit across the Atlantic, and to fan the flames in their homeland yet further. Such was the strength of emotion generated by the preachers' oratory that many made spontaneous confessions seeking to be relieved of their burdens of sin. Others suffered complete nervous breakdown.

The movement spread to Wales, Scotland and England, with estimates that a million people were converted in the United Kingdom. Missionaries carried the movement abroad and the consequences of the revival are still being felt right down to the present day. They contribute significantly to various recognizable national characteristics.

Revival hymns

Following the Protestant Reformation, from about 1700 to 1850, many non-conformist churches produced lively popular hymns that expressed one's personal relationship with God, like Cecil Frances Alexander's "All things bright and beautiful" that contains the lines:

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
God made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time Nonconformism is the refusal to conform to common standards conventions rules customs traditions norms or laws A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander (Early April 1818 Dublin – 12 October 1895) was a hymn-writer and poetess

Later hymns were written in a movement called "revivalist" (1850–1920). Songs such as "Washed in the blood of the Lamb" came from Moody and Sankey's Hymn Book. "The Land where you Never Grow Old" dates from 1914 and "Gospel songs" have been recorded by the Carter Family, Johnny Cash. The Carter Family was a Country music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956 Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. The churches which promoted these songs were generally followers of literal interpretations of the bible, temperance-inclined and often Baptist.

Further Reading and Recent Revivals

The books Revival Fires and Awakenings - 30 Moves of the Holy Spirit (2006) [1]and Revival and the Great Commission - 36 Revivals from the Mission Field (2007)- both by Mathew Backholer [2] together document a combined total of 66 revivals spanning 400 years on 6 contients from more than 30 countries.

The book 150 Years of Revival documents 12 revivals from 1857-2007 [3]:

Other significant moves of the Holy Spirit in relatively recent times include:

See also

References

  1. ^ Sydney E. The Latter Rain was a post-World War II movement within Pentecostal Christianity which remains controversial to this day The Welsh Revival (1904–1905 was the largest full scale Christian Revival of Wales of the 20th century. The Welsh Methodist revival of the 18th century was one of the most significant religious and social movements in the history of Wales. A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a religious body and to gain new converts Armstrong, A Religious History of the American People. (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1972) p. 263
  2. ^ Ahlstrom's summary is as follows: Restorationism has its genesis with Thomas and Alexander Campbell, whose movement is connected to the German Reformed Church through Otterbein, Albright, and Winebrenner (p. 212). American Millennialism and Adventism, which arose from Evangelical Protestantism, produced certain groups such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (p. 387, 501–9), the Jehovah's Witness movement (p. 807), and, as a reaction specifically to William Miller, Seventh Day Adventism (p. 381).
  3. ^ Statistical Report: Annual Council of the General Conference Committee Silver Spring, Marlyand, October 6–11, 2006]
  4. ^ Press Release, LDS Church, "Official Numbers Attract Media Interest", 16 January 2008.
  5. ^ JW-Media. org Membership 2005
  6. ^ Evangelicalism in modern Britain: a history from the 1730s to the 1980s, David W. Bebbington, pub 1995, Routledge (UK), ISBN 0415104645, pp. 230–1; 245–9
  7. ^ A. Fawcett, The Cambuslang Revival: the Scottish Evangelical Revival of the eighteenth century (Banner of Truth Trust, London, 1971)

External links

Dictionary

revivalism

-noun

  1. The spiritual fervour of a religious revival
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