Great Awakening Quotes

“Finally, the work of the minister tended to be judged by his success in a single area - the saving of souls in measurable numbers. The local minister was judged either by his charismatic powers or by his ability to prepare his congregation for the preaching of some itinerant ministerial charmer who would really awaken its members. The 'star' system prevailed in religion before it reached the theater. As the evangelical impulse became more widespread and more dominant, the selection and training of ministers was increasingly shaped by the revivalist criterion of ministerial merit. The Puritan ideal of the minister as an intellectual and educational leader was steadily weakened in the face of the evangelical ideal of the minister as a popular crusader and exhorter. Theological education itself became more instrumental. Simple dogmatic formulations were considered sufficient. In considerable measure the churches withdrew from intellectual encounters with the secular world, gave up the idea that religion is a part of the whole life of intellectual experience, and often abandoned the field of rational studies on the assumption that they were the natural province of science alone. By 1853 an outstanding clergyman complained that there was 'an impression, somewhat general, that an intellectual clergyman is deficient in piety, and that an eminently pious minister is deficient in intellect.”
― Richard Hofstadter, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

“We are, as a culture and as a specias, in the midst of a great awakening, remembering that there is a nature of things, an inherent, Divine design. The more aware of and in alignment with that design we can become, the more we will experience the deep desires of our hearts and souls, and perhaps, together, we can truly create a world that works for everyone.”
― Jeffrey R. Anderson, The Nature of Things - Navigating Everyday Life with Grace

“I suggest we restore the church as it was in the New Testament day, rooting it firmly in the pattern set by the early disciples. With its roots there, it can sway and bend to adjust to the times, but fundamentally it would always be the same. A strong tree is still a tree whatever winds blow. And the church would still be the church despite men’s opinions blowing about it.”
― Barton W. Stone (1772-1844)

“For each of us, there comes a time when we must awaken and become what we were born to become.”
― Seth Adam Smith, Rip Van Winkle and the Pumpkin Lantern

“Solvitur ambulando"
Edward nodded and translated, "The solution comes through walking. I like it....”
― Bill Bright, Jack Gavanaugh

“The spiritual awakening process is like rebirth. Gradually, the false pretenses that had once blinded us is replaced with a great awakening to our Savior. To His true nature. To His wonderful character. To His faithfulness.”
― Dana Arcuri, Sacred Wandering: Growing Your Faith In The Dark

“This is a great awakening moment, let us be grateful to God.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

“Swept along by the religious revivalism known as America's Great Awakening, scores of charismatic preachers had descended upon the communities surrounding the Erie Canal to win the souls of its citizens and convert them to a variety of evangelical and radical sects.”
― Nancy Rubin Stuart, The Reluctant Spiritualist: A Life of Maggie Fox

“We are in the midst of a great spiritual awakening.”
― Ora Nadrich, Time To Awaken

“We have no system of our own, nor of others to substitute in lieu of the reigning systems. We only aim at substituting the New Testament in lieu of every creed in existence; whether Mohammedan, Pagan, Jewish or Presbyterian. We wish to call Christians to consider that Jesus Christ has made them kings and priests to God. We neither advocate Calvinism, Arminianism, Arianism, Trinitarianism, Unitarianism, Deism or Sectarianism, but New Testamentism. We wish, we cordially wish, to take the New Testament out of the abuses of the clergy, and put it into the hands of the people” (Men of Yesterday, p. 78).”
― Alexander Campbell