The Methodist Movement in America Essay - 4411 Words

From the time it was introduced to America in 1766, by Phillip Embury in New York and Robert Strawbridge in Maryland (Methodism 2) until the middle of the 19th century, Methodism enjoyed a meteoric rise. At the time of the American Revolution Methodists comprised a very small percentage of the American religious population, and yet by the mid 1800s Methodism was a dominant religious movement. In fact, historian William Warren Sweet claims that while â€Å"of all the religious bodies in America at the close of the American Revolution, the Methodists were the most insignificant,† it can now safely be said that â€Å"Methodism was to the West what Puritanism was to New England,† (3) that is, the dominant cultural and religious force. In fact, he†¦show more content†¦In the midst of this fierce conflict Samuel Wesley was jailed for some debts. While he was in jail, it seems, his congregation burned his fields and killed his livestock. Later, on February 9, 1709, th ey set fire to his rectory. John Wesley’s earliest experiences in this world were of this conflict between the unyielding stubbornness of a worldly people and the uncompromising claims of a man of God. This conflict undoubtedly shaped the course of his life and religious views, but, even more influential was his experience of the fire at the rectory. He was just five years old when the only home he had ever known was set on fire, with him still in it. His father, â€Å"unable to go back through the fire to the boy’s room,† gave up on him, and â€Å"prayed for God to receive him,† (Heydt 1). But John Wesley was not yet ready to leave this world he had only just begun to experience, and God was not yet ready to receive him. When all hope seemed lost, he jumped out of a window into the arms of his mother, â€Å"just as the building’s roof collapsed,† (Heydt 2). His father found him and Susanah together, then, â€Å"having accounted for the saf ety of his entire family, he†¦ told those who had gathered to lend assistance, ‘Let the house go, I am rich enough,’† (Heydt 2). This experience obviously left an indelible mark on John Wesley. He would, for the rest of his life,Show MoreRelatedImpact of Second Great Awakening on Modern Society1415 Words   |  6 PagesChristianity. Starting on the Southern frontier and soon spreading to the Northeast, the Second Great Awakening has also been associated as a response against the growing liberalism in religion - skepticism, deism, and rational Christianity.2 Although the movement is well-known to be just a period of religious revival, its tremendous effects still influence the nation even up to now. The lasting impacts of the revolution include the shift of the dominating Christian theology from predestination to salvationRead MoreThe First Great Awakening By George Whitefield1709 Words   |  7 Pagestheir own good works. This is the reason that self-righte ous people are so angry with gospel preachers, because the gospel does not spare those who will not submit to the righteousness of Jesus Christ!† (AZQuotes.com). The First Great Awakening was a movement away from the Roman Catholic Church which is part of the reformation. It was initially led by George Whitefield, Johnathan Edwards, and Martin Luther who started churches as early as the 1300s. The First Great Awakening was characterized by fieryRead More John Wesley and the Methodist Church- Analysis of â€Å"Methodism and the Christian Heritage in England†1249 Words   |  5 Pagespreacher, would shortly become the leader of an evangelical revival that would, during his lifetime, spread across the lands and become a trans-Atlantic movement† (p. 1, Heitzenrater). How many present at St. Michael’s on that June 11 Sunday morning in 1738 realized just how important this day would be in the history of the Church in the British Isle, America and throughout th e world. How the step taken by the monarch’s of England influenced the Church in England to be transformed into the Church ofRead MoreMy Family : A Christian Family1463 Words   |  6 Pagesschool when I learned more about what being a Christian means. Moreover, I didn’t really knew really well how the my religion was formed until now. By looking at Jacob Neusner (2009), I confirmed that the Evangelical religion is part of the Protestant movement. Like 5 centuries ago, the Catholic Church was more like a monopoly in Europe and some leaders claimed that it needed a moral reform. The Catholics were against other religions like the Jews and Muslims; even the priests and the Church system wereRead MoreForces for and against Black Freedom731 Words   |  3 Pagesshaping the America today but also changed the outlook of many other countries. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were many forces and institutions activate who were playing role in the freedom of blacks. O ther than the international forces, the most influential institutions were activated for and against the Black freedom in America. It is the result of those events that America is now called the United States. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the movement of blackRead MoreThe Early Anti-Slavery Movement1027 Words   |  5 Pages1860s The Anti-Slavery Movement begins in America by providing a clear history of slavery. Certainly, slavery advocated racism against African American in North America. Since the 1619 salves arrived in the Chesapeake and dark-skinned people were considered of lower status by Europeans. However, until the 1680s few African slaves were left in the American colonies, and they were not treated harshly. During this time some slaves became landowners and politically movement and independently men.Read MoreThe Second Great Awakening Essay531 Words   |  3 Pageslife in America. In essence, the Great Awakening was a religious awakening. It started in the South. Tent camps were set up that revolve around high spirited meetings that would last for days. These camp meetings were highly emotional and multitudes of people were filled with the Spirit of God. These meeting, were sponsored mainly by Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterians, and met social needs as well as spiritual needs on the frontier. Since it was hard for the Baptist and Methodist to sustainRead MoreStanding On The Shoulder Of Giants1712 Words   |  7 PagesTwo of the six movements/ traditions within the history of the church timelines are the contemplative and the holiness tradition. The contemplative tradition started in the fourth century and emphasis was placed on solitude, meditation, and prayer. The contemplative move is traced back to monks living as hermits in the desert in the Middle East. In history, they are known as â€Å"Desert Fathers,† Antony of Egypt was an early le ader of the movement. The holiness tradition or movement started in theRead MoreSlavery And The Black Slavery1214 Words   |  5 PagesFROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM CHAPTERS 4, 5 and 6 Slave Societies in this chapter includes people with similar characteristics who lived together in a well or less organized community. Slave societies in eighteenth -century were common in North America in New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Lower Mississippi Valley. The black slavery experience was not unique, that is not the same in these areas, was influenced by local conditions, nation of the colonizers, composition of men and women, statistical characteristicsRead MoreAbolitionist And The Civil War995 Words   |  4 PagesCivil War Three decades before the Civil War, a movement wanted Emancipation for all slaves. The Abolitionists were wanting slavery to be abolished due to moral causes along with courage. Tis movement became and Evangelical crusade in the 1830s. Their main focus and pus was to end the sin-filled behaviors against the slaves everywhere. Personal freedom was exceedingly important and a belief that, â€Å"all men are created,† (Abolitionist Movement,† History, N.p.,n.d.). There were religious, political