Enlightenment and Great Awakening are two significant movements in the history of the western world that greatly impacted people’s lives. While both movements affected the western world, they had similarities and differences that will be highlighted in this article.
Enlightenment is a period between late 17th century and the entire 18th century that is characterized by reasoning and scientific spirit in Europe. This intellectual movement rejected superstition and blind observation of rituals, emphasizing observation and experimentation. Scientific spirit and reasoning dominated the mindset, leading to scientists arriving at natural laws. The period is characterized by a belief in human thinking and reasoning and moving away from a God-centered life. Scientists and humanists such as Galileo, Locke, Copernicus, Newton, and Franklin believed that science could lead to a new awakening in society. Enlightenment affected all spheres of life, including religion, leading to the development of Deism.
The Great Awakening is a mass movement in the history of the western world that took place around the middle of the 18th century. This movement centered on religion and individual faith of people belonging to all socioeconomic classes. Many believe that it was a reaction to the thinking that developed as a result of Enlightenment and an attempt to turn people’s attention back to church and god. Important religious leaders such as Jonathan Edwards, Wesley brothers, and George Whitefield felt that people were drifting away from religion, so they tried to emphasize individual religious experience while denouncing the doctrines and dogmas of the church. This caused a mass movement that made people believe that they could attain salvation through good deeds rather than depending on the dogmas and doctrines of the church. The direct outcomes of Great Awakening were the ideas of equality, liberty, charity, and the belief that the authority could be challenged.
Key Takeaways
- Enlightenment was an intellectual movement characterized by reasoning and scientific spirit, leading to a belief in human thinking and reasoning, and moving away from a God-centered life.
- Great Awakening was a mass movement centered on religion and individual faith, emphasizing individual religious experience while denouncing the doctrines and dogmas of the church.
- While Enlightenment was a movement started by philosophers and scientists, Great Awakening was a movement of the masses, with different focuses on scientific spirit and reasoning versus religion and spirituality.
