George Whitefield

Definition

George Whitefield was an influential British evangelist and a key figure in the Great Awakening religious movement in the American colonies during the 18th century. He was known for his passionate, emotional preaching style and his ability to draw large crowds to his open-air revivals.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. George Whitefield was born in 1714 in Gloucester, England and became an ordained minister in the Church of England.
2. Whitefield's preaching style was characterized by dramatic, emotional appeals that aimed to provoke a personal religious experience and conversion in his listeners.
3. Whitefield played a key role in the First Great Awakening, traveling extensively throughout the American colonies and drawing massive crowds to his open-air revivals.
4. Whitefield's theological views were influenced by Arminianism, which emphasized the role of human free will in salvation, in contrast to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination.
5. Whitefield's popularity and influence sparked tensions with more traditional, Calvinist-leaning ministers, leading to divisions within the colonial Protestant churches.

Review Questions

• Describe George Whitefield's role and impact in the Great Awakening religious movement.
  • George Whitefield was a central figure in the Great Awakening, a period of religious revival that swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. Whitefield was known for his passionate, emotional preaching style that aimed to provoke personal religious experiences and conversions in his listeners. He traveled extensively throughout the colonies, drawing massive crowds to his open-air revivals, and played a key role in spreading the message of the Great Awakening and its emphasis on personal piety, conversion, and evangelical outreach. Whitefield's influence and popularity, however, also sparked tensions with more traditional, Calvinist-leaning ministers, leading to divisions within the colonial Protestant churches.
• Analyze how Whitefield's theological views, particularly his Arminian leanings, influenced the Great Awakening and its impact on colonial society.
  • George Whitefield's theological views were influenced by Arminianism, which emphasized the role of human free will in salvation, in contrast to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination. This Arminian perspective was a significant factor in the Great Awakening, as it encouraged individuals to actively seek their own personal religious experiences and conversions, rather than passively accepting their predetermined fate. Whitefield's Arminian-influenced preaching, which stressed the importance of individual choice and responsibility in salvation, resonated with many colonists and helped drive the emotional, revivalist character of the Great Awakening. At the same time, Whitefield's Arminian views also sparked tensions with more traditional, Calvinist-leaning ministers, contributing to divisions within colonial Protestant churches and the broader religious landscape.
• Evaluate the lasting impact and legacy of George Whitefield and the Great Awakening on the development of American religious and cultural identity.
  • The Great Awakening, led in large part by the influential preaching of George Whitefield, had a profound and lasting impact on the development of American religious and cultural identity. Whitefield's emphasis on personal religious experience, emotional conversion, and evangelical outreach helped shape the rise of American Protestantism and its emphasis on individualism and active faith. The Great Awakening also contributed to the erosion of traditional social and political hierarchies, as it empowered ordinary colonists to seek their own religious experiences, rather than deferring to the authority of established churches and elites. In this way, the Great Awakening and Whitefield's role in it helped lay the groundwork for the American Revolution's emphasis on individual liberty and the rejection of traditional forms of authority. The legacy of Whitefield and the Great Awakening can be seen in the enduring influence of evangelical Protestantism and the continued importance of personal religious experience in American cultural and political life.

Related terms

Great Awakening: A period of religious revival and revitalization that swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, characterized by emotional, evangelical preaching and a renewed focus on personal piety and conversion.

Evangelicalism: A branch of Protestant Christianity that emphasizes the authority of the Bible, the importance of personal conversion and salvation, and the need for evangelism and missionary work to spread the Christian faith.

Arminianism: A theological system that emphasizes the role of human free will in salvation, in contrast to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination.