Link to External Source Article Saturday, February 26, 2005 Has the Fourth Great Awakening arrived?
The First Great Awakening, roughly 1730-60, established evangelical Protestantism as an American style of belief. It fed the colonies’ egalitarian spirit and gave momentum to the American Revolution itself. The Second Great Awakening, 1800-1830, intensified born-again enthusiasm and energized anti-slavery sentiment, fueling the Civil War. A lesser-known Third Great Awakening, 1890-1930, generated a Social Gospel message, using Jesus’ teachings to stir social reform, workers’ rights and housing for the poor. Has the Fourth Great Awakening arrived? Recent stats don’t suggest revivalistic outbreak. The number of Americans who identify with a religion (now around 80%) declined from 1990 to 2001, according to a study by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The number of people preferring ”No Religion” rose from 8% to 14%. Even Gibson’s Jesus movie reportedly has left scant impact in church growth and evangelism. Today’s spiritual energies make a splintered scene, more l
