Chapter 4/5 test - - The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was a religious revival movement through the Colonies of New England in the 1730's and 1740's. The Great Awakening was set off by a loss of religious passion throughout the colonies. Religion had become just another thing to mark off the "to do list." In fact, an overwhelming majority of the colonists did not even belong to a religious sect. When the colonies were first established there was a huge feel for religious passion, because it ignited the first colonists' effort to establish New England, their means for working came from their religion. After the colonies had been established and people were living comfortable lives, there was no more need for that passion to pull to together and say, "Hey, lets a build a colony in the name of OUR God." Simply because that had already been done for them.

The Great Awakening was ignited by a couple of ministers in particular. Johnathan Edwards, and George Whitefield. Edwards and Whitefield would minister about the tragic turn the colonists were taking in their views on religion. They made it clear that unless the colonists wised up and worshiped, and for the right reasons, they would all be damned to hell. The Great Awakening caused colonists to look at their religious beliefs on a more personal level. It made colonists realize that religion is their own responsibility, and was between themselves and God.

With this new idea the colonists possessed about religion, and how it was religion was on a completely personal level, another new idea emerged. The idea of separation between Church and State. If religion was on a personal level, then why should the State tell the colonists what to worship? If there is a state church, many colonists would just attend church simply because it was almost like a duty to their colony. But, with religion being on a personal level and not being overrun by the State government, colonists could find their own religious beliefs and values. If colonists belonged to some religious sect that they truly felt in sync with, then the colonists would be more passionate about their religion. Their religion would be what they truly believed, not just what the State told them to believe. With colonists believing their true beliefs, they would feel more compelled to worship, and for the right reasons. A State Church just doesn't work because not every single colonist would feel passionate towards the beliefs of the State Church, and many people would worship halfheartedly, and that is the ideal The Great Awakening helped launch.