Charles Grandison Finney

Charles Grandison FinneyRaja Atluri, Danny Bernt

Biography• Born 1792 in Warren Connecticut• Parents were both farmers, lacked collegiate education• Hardly any access to religion or books as a child• Lawyer in the office of Benjmain Wright in Adams, NY• In 1821 experienced a religious awakening, felt like “waves of liquid

love” surging through his body.• Quit his job as a lawyer to become a preacher of the gospel.• Licensed to preach in December 1823, launching of his career• Early meetings held mixed reception, overshadowed by prevailing

Calvinism• However, in other parts of NY, known as the “Burned Over District” (for

all the religious fervor of the area), his revivals were well-received• One of the most well-known revivalists of the Second Great Awakening

2nd Great Awakening• Marked by an emphasis on personal piety rather than

schooling or theology• New England: social activism was most prominent• New York: growth of new denominations• West (Appalachians): Energized Presbyterians, Methodists,

and Baptists• Gave rise to a camp meeting (revivals) so that isolated frontier

folk could experience sermons• Greatly increased church membership• Led to formations of new denominations (Mormons,

Adventists)• Stimulated many reform movements (i.e. Temperance Society)

Contributions to 2nd Great Awakening• Helped convert thousands to Evangelism (made 500

converts in Utica, NY and Rome, NY)• He was the helm of the revival of the 2nd Great

Awakening, he was asked to sermonize at various major Eastern cities.• To aid him, he used various strategies:New Measures: Increased accessibility to religion by:

praying for persons by name, allowing women to pray and testify, encouraging people under conviction to come forward, holding special services each evening, and letting groups of workers visit homes. This strategy was highly controversial, however very successful.

Contributions to 2nd Great AwakeningTaught that awakening was a use of human choice, different

from contemporaries such as Edwards and Whitefield, who believed in predestination.

Finney suggested that if Christians did the “right things,” revival would come, not a miraculous concept.

One of his main messages: do not wait on God, you must take initiative.

Changed American religion from God-centered to individual-centered.

Finney’s background in law aided him in effectively delivering his sermons by allowing him to form a cohesive, logical argument grounded in reason.

Preached hundreds of sermons and gave 22 lectures.

Contributions to Social Reform• Sought to expand the role of women, strengthen churches• Allowed and encouraged women to speak at prayer meetings• Both men and women had a moral obligation to be active in

social reform.• His college, Oberlin, founded in 1833, was the first to admit

both women and blacks. • Social reform ideas seen in his New Measures (mentioned

previously).• Emphasized human responsibility to improve• “Can Two Walk Together Except They Be Agreed?”

Effects of His Contributions• Organized religion branched to both men and women.• “Father of Modern Revivalism”• His scientific approach to revivals and New Methods have

remained a part of Revivalism.• His converts, mainly as a result of his messages of human

improvement, supported and generated many social reform movements, such as:• Anti-tobacco• Anti-prostitution• Better treatment of prisoners, insane, handicapped• Women’s rights• Abolition of slavery