- Title
- State
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-
- Date
- August 09 1958
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
State
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An corl» North Corolino <omp meeting.
When North Carolina Had the Jerks
The Great Revival of the ISth and
19th centuries saw a radical change in
the attitude of North Carolina from
godlcssncss to religious enthusiasm.
Aside from this significance, the move¬
ment produced a curious phenomenon
which has fascinated psychologists ever
since — “exercises."
Under the stress of emotions gener¬
ated at camp meetings, people re¬
acted in violent bodily fashion. They
fell down, danced, jerked, barked or
mewed and had even more fantastic
reactions. Large parts of the congre¬
gations would be struck by compul¬
sion to perform these oddities, which
most thought were manifestations of
the struggle of the sinner to obtain
salvation, or a signal that he had
been saved.
New England Evangelist
While “The Great Revival” popu¬
larly is believed to have been an out¬
growth of the Revolution, a vigorous
evangelism already had spread over
the country before that time. As early
as 1755 a New Englander, Subal
Stearns, settled in North Carolina and
organized the Separate Baptists. He
gained fame as an emotional preacher
who could “throw the animal spirits
into tumults and perturbations."
Screams, shouts and tears punctuated
his sermons.
Methodists. Baptists and Presby¬
terians joined in the Great Revival.
Methodist circuit riders were sent into
the uttermost wilderness, exhorted to
"cry aloud, spare not, and lift thy
voice like a trumpet." The Presby¬
terians produced James MeGready. a
member of the old Buffalo Church in
Guilford. Returning to North Carolina
from his studies in Pennsylvania, he
instituted a series of vigorous meetings
along the Haw River. Called "the Son
of Thunder." his vivid denunciations
stirred the Presbyterians and many
wept under his preaching.
Forced to Leave
But this evangelism had its oppon¬
ents. and in 1796 they made a bon¬
fire of the pulpit at Stony Creek and
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THE STATE. AUOUBT 9. 1958