- Feb 5, 2002
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The memorial service for Charlie Kirk was likely the largest evangelistic event in history. Over 70,000 people crowded into the stadium, and an estimated 100 to 130 million more watched the service on television and online. Afterwards, on social media posts, people described returning to church, attending for the first time, recommitting their lives to follow Christ, or declaring a long-concealed faith.
Many people are describing the memorial and its aftermaths as an indication of revival. That makes sense, given that church attendance is on the rise, especially among younger Americans. That number has spiked again in recent weeks, rising another 15% since Kirk’s memorial. There is also the “Quiet Revival” in the U.K., public baptisms at colleges and universities (some of which, most notably at Ohio State University, are hosted by the football team), the awakening at Asbury University, and the much-discussed “vibe shift” across various aspects of American culture. Is “revival” the correct word for what we are witnessing? If so, what should we be doing? How now shall we live?
Perhaps no figure in history is better suited to advise on these matters than Jonathan Edwards, perhaps America’s greatest intellect and someone who played a critical role in America’s First Great Awakening. Even more, he studied the awakening, sought to understand and describe it, and to discern between revival and its excesses.
As a New England colonial preacher, Edwards was grieved by the spiritual deadness he sensed around him. In response, he spent much time praying and working in expectation that God would eventually bring revival. In 1731, Edwards preached a series of sermons that turned dozens and eventually hundreds to the Lord. He was both witness to this awakening and its most important chronicler, hoping to help the Church recognize signs of the Holy Spirit moving among a people.
Continued below.
Many people are describing the memorial and its aftermaths as an indication of revival. That makes sense, given that church attendance is on the rise, especially among younger Americans. That number has spiked again in recent weeks, rising another 15% since Kirk’s memorial. There is also the “Quiet Revival” in the U.K., public baptisms at colleges and universities (some of which, most notably at Ohio State University, are hosted by the football team), the awakening at Asbury University, and the much-discussed “vibe shift” across various aspects of American culture. Is “revival” the correct word for what we are witnessing? If so, what should we be doing? How now shall we live?
Perhaps no figure in history is better suited to advise on these matters than Jonathan Edwards, perhaps America’s greatest intellect and someone who played a critical role in America’s First Great Awakening. Even more, he studied the awakening, sought to understand and describe it, and to discern between revival and its excesses.
As a New England colonial preacher, Edwards was grieved by the spiritual deadness he sensed around him. In response, he spent much time praying and working in expectation that God would eventually bring revival. In 1731, Edwards preached a series of sermons that turned dozens and eventually hundreds to the Lord. He was both witness to this awakening and its most important chronicler, hoping to help the Church recognize signs of the Holy Spirit moving among a people.
Continued below.
