The Enlightenment and the great awakening free essay sample

The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason introduced a new spirit of thought and inventive analysis in 17th and 18th century Europe. Theories and ideas that had previously been accepted were now being challenged to be looked upon with an eye of reason rather than tradition. Key leaders in this movement of new thinking included Copernicus, Galileo, Locke, Franklin and Newton. Englishman, John Locke, was one of whose political works had the greatest direct impact on the revolutionary spirit in the colonies during the Enlightenment. In his essay An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke explained that humans learn only from experience. We as humans experience things with our senses and through reflection. His revolutionary view was that we are born knowing nothing at all. At birth, our minds are completely blank, a tabula rasa. Which is why being completely empty can be filled with what we know to be true through experience (History in the Making). The Enlightenment focused on the role of religion and divine right. This helped colonial America see that it was okay to challenge the King and divine rights. The role of God was challenged in this movement and allowed people to see that they were important. Also allowing people to realize they had the ability to shape their own lives. The movement resulted in new interests in literature, schooling and science. Newspapers and book publications increased and schools became synonymous with new towns and villages due to the enlightenment. Something interesting about the Enlightenment is that it was centered on the scientific method. It was also an absolute development in the knowledge and application of power that changed nature and the natural world to what it is known today (Russell J. Stevens). Back to Contents New colleges were established as a consequence. In my opinion, the building of new colleges is what brought these two movements together. The great awakening was a series of revivals in the first half of the 18th century. One outcome of the Great Awakening was the building of new churches to accommodate new members. Colleges like Harvard and Yale were built to train men for the ministry. In about a month or so, a very considerable work of God appeared among those that were very young; and the revival of religion continued to increase; so that in the spring an engagedness of spirit about things of religion was become very general among young people and children, and religious subjects almost wholly took up their conversation when they were together (Edwards: On the Great Awakening). This movement brought independence from the clergy. I learned that people began to take control of their own faith and religion in Europe. Many felt they could find God on their own without the church. I feel like this is what helped us better understand American History. If it weren’t for the church’s teachings, we probably wouldn’t be the way we are today. Mostly because if we didn’t know what they did wrong in the past, how could we know what changes needed to be made. The importance of European thoughts was spread to colonies through pamphlets and reaches beyond elites. This lead to ideas of equality. This questioning of the church leadership is what led to the questioning of other leaders. There was also religious conflict. One being the â€Å"old lights† versus the â€Å"new lights†. The old lights opposed the new worship style. While the new lights are in favor of this new style of preaching. John Locke once stated, â€Å"The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men. It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter. It is all pure. † The Great Awakening was responsible for bringing about the acceptance of religious tolerance. Also, it made more churches rise, prepared Americans for the civil war, and helped shape the Americas. That is the most interesting thing about the Great Awakening to me. The fact that this movement helped shape the Americas is surprising. It focused on the emotional satisfaction of German pietists and stagnation in New England. Reassurance, direction and religious purpose was fulfilled by this movement. Christian faith and life united the people. This movement ended up reducing the relevance of clergy as believers and started to depend on their own conclusions. So that it is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and don’t resent it, that he don’t let loose his hand and cut them off. God is not altogether such an one as themselves, tho’ they may imagine him to be so. The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation don’t slumber, the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened her mouth under them (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God). Both movements had great significance in changing the way people saw the world. They both were also centered on religion (History in the Making). Not only that, but they are both large spiritual movements that happened around the 1700’s. There were also many differences in the two movements as well. The Great Awakening was more emotional. The Enlightenment however, was full of logic and reasoning.