The+Second+Great+Awakening+Summary

The Second Great Awakening was a **religious revival** for American society. It’s purpose was to bring back commitment of faith and to renew the importance of religion. It followed a period where church and state were constitutionally separated after the Revolution. As a result of the legal system, the church had to open its arms to a whole range of economic activity, business, interests, and commercialization. With the growth of industrial ideas came the development of personal definition through the church. The revivals began by recognized religious leaders and regular church attendees, but quickly spread outside of the church to the public. Anyone that was interested could be apart of it.

The preaching was exposed in large **revival meetings** where preachers expressed their ideas to the public. The meetings were successful in that they spread the faith and promoted devotion to the church. The evangelistic preachers promised **universal salvation** through faith, and emphasized the right to private judgment in spiritual matters. In the eyes of the church, people had a choice of Christian life or sin. They also had an opportunity to understand the industry and moral behavior. By communicating these ideas, the preachers attracted just about everyone; those in need of salvation, and economic reformers. The Second Great Awakening brought harmony to people of all kind. Mainly it gave Christians a greater sense of **unity** because people were living closer together in cities and working in factories. It also brought together many groups that wouldn’t normally be seen together, whites and blacks, poor and rich. They all listened to a message that emphasized both religion commitment and economic importance. Whether they had disagreements or agreements towards each other, in the revival meetings the people were there for one reason, to repent their sins and recognize God’s saving grace.

Bibliography: "market revolution." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. < [|http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com] >. Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2009

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