| Great Awakenings in America |
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TheFourth Great Awakening was a Christian awakening that some scholars – includingeconomic historian,Robert Fogel – say took place in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, while others look at thepost-war era. The terminology is controversial, with some historians[who?] believing the religious changes that took place in the US during these years were not equivalent to those of the first threeGreat Awakenings. Thus, the idea of a Fourth Great Awakening itself has not been generally accepted.[1]
Whether or not they constitute anawakening, many changes did take place. The"mainline" Protestant churches weakened sharply in both membership and influence while the mostconservative denominations (such as theSouthern Baptists) grew rapidly in numbers, spread across the United States, had grave internaltheological battles andschisms, and became politically powerful. Otherevangelical andfundamentalist denominations also expanded rapidly. At the same time,secularism grew dramatically, and the more conservative churches saw themselves battling secularism in terms of issues such asLGBT rights,abortion, andcreationism.[2][3] Manynew religious movements emerged such as thePeople's Temple,Twelve Tribes communities andHeaven's Gate, and the corresponding rise of theanti-cult movement.
Concomitant to the power shift was a change inevangelicalism itself, with new groups arising and extant ones switching their focus. There was a new emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus from newly styled "non-denominational" churches and "community faith centers". This period also saw the rise of non-traditional churches andmegachurches with conservative theologies and a growth inparachurch organizations whilemainline Protestantism lost many members. TheJesus Movement is considered by some to be part of the Fourth Great Awakening.[citation needed]
Vinson Synan (1997) argues that acharismatic awakening occurred between 1961 and 1982. This stemmed from aPentecostal movement that placed emphasis on experiencing what they saw as thegifts of the Spirit, includingspeaking in tongues,faith healing, andprophecy. It also focused on strengthening spiritual convictions through these gifts and through signs taken to be from theHoly Spirit. Originally a Protestant movement, its influence spread to some in theRoman Catholic Church at a time when Catholic leaders were opening up to moreecumenical beliefs, to a reduced emphasis on institutional structures, and to an increased emphasis onspirituality at thelay level.[4]
Organized religion in the United States changed in the face of secularizing pressures after World War II. There was a proliferation of megachurches. Denominations such as theAssemblies of God,Southern Baptists (SBC), andThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) became more popular. Three particular religious leaders were very influential:Martin Luther King Jr.,Billy Graham, andPope John Paul II.Megachurches won attention for the simple reason that 10 churches with 2,000 members each were more visible than 100 churches with 200 members each. The populist denominations' growth coincided with the simultaneous decline of the mainline bodies. While the former trend did not come at the expense of the latter (it represented different fertility and retention rates, not switching), to the media and many ordinary observers those developments signaled the aggressive swelling of religious strength.[citation needed]
The"mainstream" Protestant churches contracted sharply in terms of membership and influence.
AfterWorld War II, some conservative Christian denominations including the Southern Baptists, theLutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS), theChurch of God,Pentecostals,Holiness groups, andNazarenes grew rapidly in numbers and also spread nationwide. Some of these denominations, such as the Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans, went on to face theological battles and schisms from the 1960s onward. The LCMS had a split in the 1970s with the "moderate" minority eventually helping to form theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America. The SBC would faced its own battles resulting in theSouthern Baptist Convention conservative resurgence. Many of the more conservative churches went on to become politically powerful as part of the "religious right". At the same time, the influence ofsecularism (the belief that government and law should not be based on religion) grew dramatically, and the more conservative churches saw themselves battling secularism in terms of issues such as gay rights, abortion, and creationism.[5]
Byrnes and Segers note regarding the abortion issue, "While more theologically conservative Protestant denominations, such as the Missouri-Synod Lutherans and the Southern Baptist Convention, expressed disapproval ofRoe, they became politically active only in the mid and late 1970s."[6][7] The SBC itself actually passed resolutions at two Annual Meetings in support of legalized abortion; not until 1980 (in the early days of the conservative resurgence) would it reverse its position and, from that point on, continually adopt resolutions opposing it. However, the political involvement of churches ranged from actively participating in organizations such as theMoral Majority and theChristian Coalition to adopting the much more indirect and unorganized approach of the LCMS.[8]
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