American History

Minister James McGready described the revival as pristine, pure, fresh, autonomous, and edenic. The revival was the perfect place to recover pure and uncorrupted Christianity.  In his sermons, he emphasized mans fidelity to the Divine Majesty, the nature of Heaven and Hell, and the consequences of an unconverted life. He spoke with passion and magnanimity, promising eternal salvation for those who accept the Word of God. He always posed the rhetorical question If I were converted, would I feel it and know it with the purpose of exacting support from his congregation. McGreadys reputation as a preacher spread to the whole of Kentucky. People flocked to see him. Even entire families traveled long distances to attend his sermons. People believed that he was ordained by God to deliver His message to the world.

In his book Principles of Nature, Elihu Palmer proclaimed deism as the organizing principle of society. Deism, as defined by Palmer, is a belief that a supreme being created the cosmos and that universal truths can be determined by human reason. Some of his ideas are as follows 1) the Supreme Deity is worthy of adoration, 2) man possessed moral and intellectual faculties sufficient for controlling nature and acquiring happiness 3) man should love the truth and practice virtue 4) vice is destructive to the happiness of the individual and of the society 5) a religion which preaches malice and persecution cannot be of divine origin and 6) rationality should be the basis of political authority. According to him, science, religion, and action are great objects to which the activity and energy of human faculties ought to be directed. In short, science, religion, and human action are compatible means toward the pursuit of happiness.

Frances Trollope was highly critical of religion. At a religious camp-meeting, Mrs. Trollope found that the preacher-follower relationship was laden with sexual overtones. She described distorted female figures lying on the floor, shouting in religious fervor while preachers offered caressing touches. Her mind shouts Is this of divine origin She criticized religion for separating the masse of people from the church hierarchy. She observed that religious wisdom and experience is confided to a small group of men. The people were just mere followers. As she noted religion makes a large part of amusement and occupation on the part of women who succumbed to the will of the miserable preachers. Worship was, according to her, an expression of insanity and to some extent hypocritical zeal. Hence, for her, there was no reason to abide by religious customs.