Many opponents of the Awakening viewed assurance of salvation as delusional, that believers can never be certain of God’s favor. [1] Others viewed a lack
Of the twelve signs Edwards characterized as “uncertain,” great time, energy, and praise to God in religious works and worship would seem to provide good
Under the preaching of God’s Word during the Awakening, many experienced deep sorrow for sin and fear of God’s judgment, followed by joy and comfort
The Presence of Love Unlike the other eleven “uncertain” signs described by Edwards, no one viewed the presence of love as evidence against God’s work
In the previous article we examined how religious affections perceived to be from an external or supernatural source could be from a satanic, natural, or
Many experiencing intense religious affections during the Great Awakening traced their experience to “some extrinsic and supernatural power upon their minds.” [1] Supposing the source
The sound and fury of the Great Awakening involved a grand display of lively affections and their affects, including an extraordinary measure of talk about
The high and intense affections of the Great Awakening often came with an assortment of bodily effects, including fainting, shaking, sweating, crying, and exhaustion (among
The greatest revival in American history burst onto the scene with lively displays of religious affections and their extraordinary effects, leading some to conclude that
Some who rejected the entire Great Awakening as a work of God also denied religious affections as necessary to the Christian life. For them, faith
