A Brief History of the Great European and American Awakening
Throughout history, there have been many revivals of the Christian church that have occurred all over the world. One of particular note is the Great European and American Awakening, which took place from AD 1727 through AD 1790. While each and every revival of the Christian faith has many people who propel it forward, the Great European and American Awakening prominently featured four men in particular, Isaac Watts, John Newton, and John and Charles Wesley. The influence of these men was far-reaching and can still be seen today, particularly in the lasting hymns that these men wrote. Prior to the European and American Awakening, the Puritans and early American colonies were in a …show more content…
Watts firmly believed in expressing the New Testament gospel through the music of the modern church, which was evidenced the in the style in which wrote his many hymns. Watts was dubbed “The Father of English Hymnody” because of the influence he had on congregational singing due to the hymns that he wrote. Watts was truly prolific and unique in his work with hymn-writing, with many of his hymns continuing to have a lasting impact to this day. Watts’ own personal religious views set him apart in his writing of hymns. His views that God is all-powerful and sovereign, the human race is deplorable and vile, and that the sacrifice of Jesus was necessary for payment for sin were made clearly evident in his writing style and lyricism. His views were considered to be strongly Calvinistic incorporating themes such as “the glory and sovereignty of God, the security of election, and atonement” within many of his hymns, a first for composers of the day. The hymns that he composed were also intended to be used for the purpose of public worship, and incorporated Scripture in an intelligent way whilst remaining poetic with the lyrics. He felt that worship music should not simply retell thoughts of Old Testament characters, but that the music should be shaped by the feelings of the worshipers. Watts permanently shaped the way Christians worshipped, affecting …show more content…
These two men were renowned in both Europe and North America for their work during this particular period revival in the history of Christianity. The Wesley brothers generally conveyed a theme that was quite opposite of the themes of Isaac Watts. Most of their hymns held to the Methodist beliefs that were quite the opposite of Watts and his deeply-rooted Calvinist beliefs. The hymns that the Wesley brothers wrote generally “stressed God’s ability to identify with humans as a loving and heavenly father.” The Wesley brothers spent a great deal of their lives both composing and translating hymns, totaling over 6,500 in the course of both of their lives. While the central themes of hymns varied between Isaac Watts and the Wesley brothers, all three men were firmly devoted to writing music specifically for the purpose of congregational
Throughout history, there have been many revivals of the Christian church that have occurred all over the world. One of particular note is the Great European and American Awakening, which took place from AD 1727 through AD 1790. While each and every revival of the Christian faith has many people who propel it forward, the Great European and American Awakening prominently featured four men in particular, Isaac Watts, John Newton, and John and Charles Wesley. The influence of these men was far-reaching and can still be seen today, particularly in the lasting hymns that these men wrote. Prior to the European and American Awakening, the Puritans and early American colonies were in a …show more content…
Watts firmly believed in expressing the New Testament gospel through the music of the modern church, which was evidenced the in the style in which wrote his many hymns. Watts was dubbed “The Father of English Hymnody” because of the influence he had on congregational singing due to the hymns that he wrote. Watts was truly prolific and unique in his work with hymn-writing, with many of his hymns continuing to have a lasting impact to this day. Watts’ own personal religious views set him apart in his writing of hymns. His views that God is all-powerful and sovereign, the human race is deplorable and vile, and that the sacrifice of Jesus was necessary for payment for sin were made clearly evident in his writing style and lyricism. His views were considered to be strongly Calvinistic incorporating themes such as “the glory and sovereignty of God, the security of election, and atonement” within many of his hymns, a first for composers of the day. The hymns that he composed were also intended to be used for the purpose of public worship, and incorporated Scripture in an intelligent way whilst remaining poetic with the lyrics. He felt that worship music should not simply retell thoughts of Old Testament characters, but that the music should be shaped by the feelings of the worshipers. Watts permanently shaped the way Christians worshipped, affecting …show more content…
These two men were renowned in both Europe and North America for their work during this particular period revival in the history of Christianity. The Wesley brothers generally conveyed a theme that was quite opposite of the themes of Isaac Watts. Most of their hymns held to the Methodist beliefs that were quite the opposite of Watts and his deeply-rooted Calvinist beliefs. The hymns that the Wesley brothers wrote generally “stressed God’s ability to identify with humans as a loving and heavenly father.” The Wesley brothers spent a great deal of their lives both composing and translating hymns, totaling over 6,500 in the course of both of their lives. While the central themes of hymns varied between Isaac Watts and the Wesley brothers, all three men were firmly devoted to writing music specifically for the purpose of congregational