There have been three Great Awakenings in this nation's history that profoundly affected the Church and surrounding culture, so much so that history could not ignore these spontaneous movements of God and their dramatic effects. The first occurred in New England during the 1730s and 1740s when God used men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. The nation, which was in a grave state morally and spiritually, was utterly transformed in the wake of the Great Awakening. As Dr. John Armstrong points out in his wonderful book, True Revival:

Before this season of awakening, the American colonies stood at a very low ebb morally and spiritually. Family life was breaking down at alarming rates. Drunkenness and drug abuse were at an all-time high and sex outside of marriage was considered acceptable by alarming numbers of people. …After the season of revival things changed dramatically.

By 1770 the effects of the first Great Awakening had dissipated. Contrary to popular belief, Americans were by then no longer a religious people. In fact, it is estimated that less than 5 percent of the population attended church during the period just prior to the American Revolution. "Colleges, once Christian in their orientation, were now staffed with prominent faculty members who were 'freethinkers.' ...professors regularly attacked biblical faith. ...By 1795 Yale, a previously Christian institution, had only 12 students who openly professed their faith in Christ. This sad situation was the same all across the colonies."(Armstrong, True Revival, p. 106)

However, God's mercy was one again near at hand as the second Great Awakening, beginning around 1800, would transform American universities and American culture. Armstrong points outs, "By 1802...one-third of the student body [at Yale] professed faith in Christ. This, in effect, was the beginning of a new wave of spiritual awakenings that touched Andover, Princeton, Amhurst and other colleges." Armstrong adds that "During the first half of the 19th century the nation's population increased four-fold. During these same years the church increased tenfold!"

By 1830 Americans were a profoundly religious people! This was the America that Alexis de Tocqueville encountered, prompting him to write, "In America, one of the freest and most enlightened nations in the world, the people fulfill with fervor all of the outward duties of religion."

Unfortunately, by the 1850's the people had once again abandoned their "first love." The "culture wars" over issues such as slavery, prison reform and temperance had divided the nation worse than anything before or since. Once again, God in His mercy poured out His Spirit upon the land. "It has been estimated, conservatively, that over one million people were converted during this two-year period from late 1857 to late 1859." (Armstrong, p.108) Dr. Armstrong offers needed perspective when he writes, "To get an idea of how this would compare to our day, imagine about 8-10 million people experiencing true conversions in a matter of a few weeks - without the programs and plans and the massive human engineering of our age."