A recurring theme in American history seems to be a struggle between the individualism and freedom of the majority\u2019s Christian faith and the oppression and exclusion often imposed upon members of society. The Second Great Awakening is a prefect example of this dichotomy.\u00a0 At first, the religious movement espoused connection with God for all individuals and even at times an outright rejection of slavery. These radical convictions, however, slowly transformed to an acceptance of slavery and instead formed a basis for the treatment of the enslaved rather than a protection for their freedom. Slavery, at this time, was certainly a reality that had to be faced but instead of addressing these issues on their own terms the evangelists seemed to bow to a status quo and adapt their ideologies to the institution of slavery. An earlier post this week observed that slaveholders \u201cheld \u2018good\u2019 Christian values, and wanted to save souls by spreading the faith. Southerners likely struggled to marry these ideological and religious beliefs to the institution of slavery.\u201d This conflict is demonstrated in the transition from an early inclusion of slaves in the evangelical conversions to their exclusion from the movement. This change was largely motivated by a fear of solidarity and unity among the slave community that might lead to rebellion. The new evangelical movement moved beyond their original intentions on more issues than simply slavery, however. The Second Great Awakening began with an effort to include all those typically excluded from American society. Wilentz gives examples of how the movement made efforts to include \u201cfarmer and factory workers\u201d (141) and allowed men of such simple origins to become \u201ccentral figures of religious life\u201d (142). This attempt at inclusion, however, moved from voluntary to mandated when the evangelists became involved in politics. They tried to permeate all aspects of government oversight with religious values from evangelical political parties to banning of mail on Sundays. Thus, America was faced with the dilemma of being struck with religious fervor and trying to balance that Christian passion with an effort to exclude some groups and involuntarily force it on others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recurring theme in American history seems to be a struggle between the individualism and freedom of the majority\u2019s Christian faith and the oppression and exclusion often imposed upon members of society. The Second Great Awakening is a prefect example of this dichotomy.\u00a0 At first, the religious movement espoused connection with God for all individuals … <\/p>\n

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