Day 11. September 25, 2006
Movement 1. Dei Filius
Lecture 5. Father and Son: Jesus, the Puritans and Their Heirs (Part 3)
The First Great Awakening in the early 18th century represented a worldwide revival of pietistic religion in counterpoint to Enlightenment ideas. The Methodism of John and Charles Wesley that emerged from the Church of England, like other agents of this revival, emphasized the evangelical conversion experience open to every individual. Jonathan Edwards, as he sought to resurrect true Calvinism in early 18th century America, accidentally but unalterably refocused American attention on emotional religion. The new study of faculty psychology identified the understanding as the faculty that could guide the affections into purposive action. Hence, deeply felt emotions centered on Jesus would be the crux of the evangelical conversion experience. The hymnic tradition that grew in evangelical Protestantism - equivalent in words to Catholic painting and sculpture - provided an emotional language of lyrics and music focused on Jesus through which to inspire and celebrate evangelical conversion