Jacqueline Torres

Michael Karnavas
Essay #1
February 20, 2016
The Second Great Awakening was a period of religious upheaval that
helped transform American Christianity in the nineteenth century. It gave rise to
many denominations, especially the Baptists, Methodists, Mormons, and
Disciples of Christ (Hollitz, 150). Historians, past and present, continue to
disagree on the causation of the Second Great Awakening. In his essay, The
Second Great Awakening and the Transformation of American Christianity,
Nathan Hatch successfully argues that three common themes of the Second
Great Awakening were democratic ideology, moral guidance, and grievances
against Calvinist orthodoxy.
The American Revolution was a crucial event in history as it resulted in
America shifting to a more Democratic society (Hollitz, 151). It led to the
democratization of American Christianity and empowered the public to shape
their culture as opposed to what was outlined in the Constitution. Religion in the
early nineteenth century was directly specific for the elite upper class. In A
Defense of Camp Meetings, Lorenzo Dow chastised the Orthodox preachers on
being hypocrites for preaching that all men were equal but deeming worshiping
alongside the poor beneath them (Hollitz, 159). The public demanded their
leaders be unpretentious, their doctrines plain and clear, and their churches in
the hands of the locals (Hollitz, 151).
Continuing with the theme of democracy, more and more people began to
see themselves as capable of thinking for themselves on subjects like freedom,

Jacqueline Torres
Michael Karnavas
Essay #1
February 20, 2016
equality, and representation (Hollitz, 151). This caused many Americans to reject
slavery. As stated by Hatch and in A Former Slave Discusses the Appeal of
Methodism as well as in the painting, Negro Methodists Holding a Meeting in
Philadelphia, many slaves experienced religion for the first time. The Methodist
and Baptist churches were among the several congregations that condemned
slavery and accepted blacks as equals in their churches (Hollitz, 164).
By the early nineteenth century many Americans had grown tired of the
Calvinist clergy and their tyranny over personal religious experience and
doctrines on predestination (Hollitz, 154). The secondary sources, The
Methodist Discipline and On Predestination both attest to Hatchs argument
that Americans had begun to reject the Calvinist tradition that stated only a select
few were destined for heaven. The Methodist Discipline was a code of behavior
for members of the church, which basically stated that anyone who abstained
from doing evil and just a good person over all could go to heaven. The Book of
Mormon also directly calls out the clergy when it states, because of false
teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted...(Hollitz,
160). In A Methodist Circuit-Rider Discusses Education and the Ministry, Peter
Cartwright was a convert who went on to serve as a presiding elder in the
Methodist Episcopal Church (Hollitz, 162). Likewise, Hatch states that religious
leadership shifted from the clergy to members of the public. Leaders without
formal training were able to develop large followings due to their interesting

Jacqueline Torres
Michael Karnavas
Essay #1
February 20, 2016
personalities and their ability to inspire and motivate the public like the clergy
could not (Hollitz, 153).
In conclusion, despite the historians disagreement on the causation of the
Second Great Awakening, there are three key themes present in all accounts for
explanation. The democratic ideology, moral guidance, and criticisms against
Calvinist orthodoxy helped transform American Christianity in the first decades of
the nineteenth century.

Jacqueline Torres
Michael Karnavas
Essay #1
February 20, 2016

WORKS CITED
Hollitz, John. Thinking Through the Past: A Critical Thinking Approach
to U.S. History, Volume I: To 1877. 5th ed. Cengage Learning,
2010. Print.