I used to be a part of a church decades ago that believed in Great Awakenings and experiencing the presence of God ( a "felt" faith). And lo and behold, inevitably this sort of topic correlates to a strong personality and authority figure, someone who purports to know and be able to facilitate revival. It becomes a huge mess of destroyed relationships and diminshed faith.

Revivalism is a patented American religion, imported and evolved from the frenzies and fanaticisms of late medeival and Renaissance fringe movements. It always always points back to a charismatic man claiming to be ground zero for a new work of the Spirit. Very similar to all the cult movements in that sense.

The cultural imagination is ripe for these movements because society has shifted from biblical and classical categories of self to modern ones. And one of the biggest influences on culture and society to this day is Jean Jaque Rousseau. He was the first philosopher to "psychologize" the self, so that truth became more of a matter of the inner self and feelings, rather than external reality. Mainstream Christianity was eventually influenced by this when the definition of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit became redefined as emotionally moving experiences, rather than how the bible describes it. Revivals naturally focused on stirring up the emotions of massive crowds to show as evidence of successful ministries. Much of it is really forms of mass psychology hinging upon a charismatic speaker who, consciously or unconsciously, has skills of the power of suggestion and persuasion of what large groups of people would not otherwise do or feel.

I used to be a part of a church decades ago that believed in Great Awakenings and experiencing the presence of God ( a "felt" faith). And lo and behold, inevitably this sort of topic correlates to a strong personality and authority figure, someone who knows and facilitates what revival is. It becomes a huge mess of destroyed relationships and diminshed faith.

Revivalism is a patented American religion, imported and evolved from the frenzies and fanaticisms of late medeival and Renaissance fringe movements. It always always points back to a charismatic man claiming to be ground zero for a new work of the Spirit. Very similar to all the cult movements in that sense.

The cultural imagination is ripe for these movements because society has shifted from biblical and classical categories of self to modern ones. And one of the biggest influences on culture and society to this day is Jean Jaque Rousseau. He was the first philosopher to "psychologize" the self, so that truth became more of a matter of the inner self and feelings, rather than external reality. Mainstream Christianity was eventually influenced by this when the definition of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit became redefined as emotionally moving experiences, rather than how the bible describes it. Revivals naturally focused on stirring up the emotions of massive crowds to show as evidence of successful ministries. Much of it is really forms of mass psychology hinging upon a charismatic speaker who, consciously or unconsciously, has skills of the power of suggestion and persuasion of what large groups of people would not otherwise do or feel.

I used to be a part of a church decades ago that believed in Great Awakenings and experiencing the presence of God ( a "felt" faith). And lo and behold, inevitably this sort of topic correlates to a strong personality and authority figure, someone who knows and facilitates what revival is. It becomes a huge mess of destroyed relationships and diminshed faith.

Revivalism is a patented American religion, imported and evolved from the frenzies and fanaticisms of late medeival and Renaissance fringe movements. It always always points back to a charismatic man claiming to be ground zero for a new work of the Spirit. Very similar to all the cult movements in that sense.

The cultural imagination is ripe for these movements because society has shifted from biblical and classical categories of self to modern ones. And one of the biggest influences on culture and society to this day is Jean Jaque Rousseau. He was the first philosopher to "psychologize" the self, so that truth became more of a matter of the inner self and feelings, rather than external reality. Mainstream Christianity was eventually influenced by this when the definition of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit became redefined as emotionally moving experiences, rather than how the bible describes it. Revivals naturally focused on stirring up the emotions of massive crowds to show as evidence of successful ministries. Much of it is really forms of mass psychology hinging upon a charismatic speaker who, consciously or unconsciously, has skills of the power of suggestion and persuasion of what people would not otherwise do or feel.

I used to be a part of a church decades ago that believed in Great Awakenings and experiencing the presence of God ( a "felt" faith). And lo and behold, inevitably this sort of topic correlates to a strong personality and authority figure, someone who knows and facilitates what revival is. It becomes a huge mess of destroyed relationships and diminshed faith.

Revivalism is a patented American religion, imported and evolved from the "fanaticisms" of late medeival and Renaissance fringe movements. It always always points back to a charismatic man claiming to be ground zero for a new work of the Spirit. Very similar to all the cult movements in that sense.