Early nineteenth century America was a turbulent and influential era in the history of our country. Perhaps one of the most significant factors that caused this was the religious revival known as the second Great Awakening. This religious revival gave rise to a new wave of evangelicalism in the United States, which continues with their strong influence in American society in the modern era. It gave rise to many new religions large, long lasting ones, such as Mormonism, and smaller and short-lived ones like Matthias’ “Kingdom”. “The Kingdom of Matthias” shows the story of Robert Matthews, from upstate New York. The story of how his religious society would wreak havoc on upstate New York society, shows the newfound social changes that occurred. …show more content…
In fact, without Elijah’s wealth, it might not have been possible for Matthew’s to establish his kingdom at all. The importance of money is in sharp contrast with the traditionalist view of religion that had existed for hundreds of years prior. In the traditionalist view, money and religion should be kept separate, because it was a “corrupting influence”. However, Matthias makes use of the religious reforms and shifting views and uses money to his benefit. As Johnson writes “The prophet dressed at Mount Zion much as he had in New York. His hallmark, as ever, was a perfectly tailored green frock coat with a straight, military color. He now had several of these coats…cost a stupendous $14 per yard.” (Johnson 106) In contrast with the modest and anti-money influences that had existed prior to the second great awakening, Matthias made much use of the wealth generated from the market revolution to spur religious interest. As Johnson puts it “The prophets vaguely out-of-fashion clothing proclaimed in part that god the father had come to reassert a swaggering, authoritarian, and resolutely anti-bourgeois way of being a man.” (Johnson 107) This soundly exemplifies the vast changes that took place in American society during this …show more content…
Prior to this point, traditionalist views of religion that had been dominant for centuries guided a strict, patriarchal and moral society. However, as this story illustrates, the Second Great awakening uprooted many social norms of the time. With women becoming more active in the church, a new influence of money and wealth, as well as a new view on human sexuality help to portray the beginning of the shift in American society that began to be explored during this time. Matthias’ Kingdom uses the Second Great Awakening to show the numerous social changes that happened to general American society during this time which had a lasting impact that has impacted us even to this very
During the early 1900s, the south was full of religious fervor. Most small communities were based around two or three church families. Cold Sassy Tree, which is a recounting of Will’s memories, contains many references to religion and God. Rucker Blakeslee,...
In the first chapter of Nathan Hatch’s book, The Democratization of American Christianity, he immediately states his central theme: democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity. In proving the significance of his thesis, he examines five distinct traditions of Christianity that developed in the nineteenth century: the Christian movement, Methodists, Baptists, Mormons and black churches. Despite these groups having diverse structural organization and theological demeanor, they all shared the commonality of the primacy of the individual conscience.
The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America- Paul E. Johnson & Sean Wilentz
Johnson, through the revival, shows a growing Protestant influence within Rochester, New York. Charles Finney came, Bible in hand, proclaiming that the Millennium was in reach, but only through the efforts of the willing: this was a revival for social ch...
The book begins by describing the upbringing of Elijah Pierson, a soon to be member of the Kingdom of Matthias. Elijah Pierson was raised under the influence of a strict Yankee Calvinist community in rural Morristown, New Jersey. The Calvinist community in Morristown was patriarchal and family history and social rank was indispensible in the community’s core value. In this community, Pierson was raised to fear God. However he was constantly reminded that not even a “perfect outward adherence to God’ rules would assure him a place in heaven. For in the Calvinist community, one’s destiny is immutable. Although Morristown was not too far from New York, the world views that both communities were utterly different.
This event changed the role of American religion during the early nineteenth century. Non-traditional religions such as Mormonism resulted from this religious revival movement as well. The religious revivals that emphasized individual choice of humans over predestination of God continuously shook New England Calvinism. The “cult of Matthias” was unlike any other religious groups during the time period.
This paper elaborates on the diverse contributions peoples of African descent have made to the pluralistic religious landscape of America and replicates various passages from our textbook. It focuses on the personal narratives of non-religious to religious leaders—exemplifying their influence on the African American religious movement during slavery and the reconstruction of America. Each section represents different historical periods, regional variations, and non-Christian expressions of African-American religion.
The thesis of this book is that George Whitefield (1714-1770) changed the nature of Christianity by promoting and conducting mass revivals that exploited the weaknesses of institutional Christianity.
People of all groups, social status, and gender realized that they all had voice and they can speak out through their emotional feels of religion. Johnathan Edwards was the first one to initiate this new level of religion tolerance and he states that, “Our people do not so much need to have their heads filled than, as much as have their hearts touched.” Johnathan Edwards first preach led to more individuals to come together and listen. Than after that individual got a sense that you do not need to be a preacher to preach nor you do not need to preach in a church, you can preach wherever you want to. For the first time, you have different people coming together to preach the gospel. You had African American preaching on the roads, Indian preachers preaching and you had women who began to preach. The Great Awakening challenged individuals to find what church meets their needs spiritually and it also let them know about optional choices instead of one. The Great Awakening helped the American colonies come together in growth of a democratic
The Second Great Awakening started the was a religious revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States, it sparked the building and reform of the education system, women's rights and the mental health system. It was also the start of many different denominations of churches such as the, Churches of Christ, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the Evangelical Christian.
During the Second Great Awakening, a mass revival of American society took place. Reformers of every kind emerged to ameliorate women’s rights, education and religious righteousness. At the forefront of the movement were the temperance reformers who fought for a change in alcoholism, and abolitionist who strived for the downfall of slavery.
The Great Awakening was a superior event in American history. The Great Awakening was a time of revivalism that expanded throughout the colonies of New England in the 1730’s through the 1740’s. It reduced the importance of church doctrine and put a larger significance on the individuals and their spiritual encounters. The core outcome of the Great Awakening was a revolt against controlling religious rule which transferred over into other areas of American life. The Great Awakening changed American life on how they thought about and praised the divine, it changed the way people viewed authority, the society, decision making, and it also the way they expressed themselves. Before the Great Awakening life was very strict and people’s minds were
In the North we saw a different religious awakening. Reform was popping up all over the Northeast. This reform came in different faces, depending on which state it wa...
Corp. Catholic Book Publishing. “The New American Bible”. Saint Joseph Edition. New York: NY Catholic Book Publishing, 1992. Print.