What is revivalism?

Answer

Revivalism is a method of evangelism that relies on what are typically a series of evangelistic meetings known as revivals. Revivalism focuses on the importance of conversion—a personal decision to follow Christ. Evangelists leading revivals typically conclude each sermon with a powerful, emotional appeal for a decision. Revivalism calls individuals out of a cultural Christianity and into a vibrant faith.

At the core of revivalism is the belief that sinners must be saved, and the preaching of the Word of God is essential for sinners to understand the gospel that brings salvation: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). The biblical calls for God to revive His people are what give revivalism its name: “Revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:18-19;see also Psalm 85:6;see also Psalm 119:25;and Isaiah 57:15).

In the more Calvinistic-leaning churches of the American Colonies, the focus was on God as the One who saves the sinner. While it was acknowledged that the sinner must have faith, preachers emphasized God as the One who initiates and calls the sinner to Himself. The Holy Spirit convicted individuals of their need as they heard the truth of the gospel proclaimed from the pulpit and enabled them to believe. Many individuals who were raised in the church developed faith without a distinct “conversion experience.” The First Great Awakening, which followed the preaching of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield, remained firmly within this Calvinistic perspective.

inist tradition.

Later revivalist preachers often went where there was no established church (like the American frontier) or where the churches seemed to have grown cold. Revivalists emphasized that each person must make a decision for Christ. They challenged those who had simply accepted the faith of their ancestors without making it truly their own, as well as those who had never embraced any faith at all. They wanted to “revive” the people to a living, functioning Christianity. They preached the judgment of God against sin and pleaded with the sinner to repent and trust Christ. “Altar calls” were often accompanied by great displays of emotion and prolonged pleadings. When people began to respond en masse, the revival was seen to be successful. The Second Great Awakening under Charles Finney followed this pattern and was much more Arminian in approach. The emphasis was less upon the God who called the sinner to faith and more upon the need to convince the sinner to repent and believe. Later revivals placed more and more emphasis upon music to set the tone and help prepare people to make the decision for Christ. (Even today, some churches continue to have extensive altar calls, while others rarely have an altar call or extend the invitation in some other way such as “if you are interested in knowing more about what it means to be a Christian, drop by the reception area for a cup of coffee and the pastor will be happy to speak with you.” Often this difference in approach can be traced back to the theology of the church and whether the emphasis is upon God who calls the sinner or upon the sinner who must be convinced to respond.)

Revivalism continued in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with the preaching of D. L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham, who held “revival meetings” with much the same emphasis. Today, in popular thinking, the word evangelicalism has come to encompass many of the values that revivalism embraced in earlier centuries. Whether Calvinistic or Arminian, evangelicalism

Still stresses personal conversion and a resultant change—not only an inward, spiritual quickening but also an external change in behavior visible to the watching world.

Today, revivalism as an evangelistic method is on the decline; large “revival meetings” that fill stadiums are not as prevalent in the United States. Many churches still hold a week of “revival meetings” annually. Church members are encouraged to invite unsaved friends and family to gatherings where Christians will be encouraged to a deeper walk with Christ, and the unsaved will be urged to accept Christ.