Charles Grandison Finney
- See also: Charles G. Finney, 20th Century American author
Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875), often called "America's foremost revivalist," was a major leader of the Second Great Awakening in America that had a profound impact on the history of the United States. He had a paradigmatic personal conversion from rationalist skepticism to fervent Christian faith, and applied his training as a fledgling lawyer to the task of convincing his audiences of their personal guilt and need for Christ. In the process he captured a shift in American religiosity from "wait on the Lord" to "take action now." He pioneered revivalism as a "scientific method" he called the "new measures," a template developed by revivalists ever since. He ignited a wave of spiritual transformation among a sector of American society that emphasized the human responsibility to dramatically improve, if not perfect, the self and society. In its wake, converts generated movements for social reform in morality (temperance, anti-tobacco, anti-prostitution), honoring the Sabbath, the humane treatment of prisoners, the insane and the handicapped, and, most impactfully, women's rights and the abolition of slavery.
Life and theology
Template:Sect-POVTemplate:OriginalResearch Finney was born in Warren, Connecticut as the youngest of seven children. In 1794, his family moved to Oneida County in central New York, "to a great extent a wilderness," and a few years later to the New York shore of Lake Ontario. His parents were farmers and non-believers. Finney attained some education locally and at an uncle's Academy back in Connecticut. He never attended college but learned some Latin, Greek and Hebrew from Presbyterian minister George Gale back in western New York. However, his six foot two inch stature, piercing blue eyes, musical skill, and leadership abilities gained him good standing in his community. He studied as an apprentice to become a lawyer, but after his dramatic conversion experience in Adams, New York at the age of 29, Finney became an evangelist sponsored by a women's home missionary society of the Presbyterian Church.
He began his ministerial career "with a retainer from the Lord Jesus Christ to plead his cause" in the small towns and villages of western New York in 1822. Information of his first years of evangelism come primarily from his own Memoirs, in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties. He tells of dramatic conversions wrought among lukewarm Christians and his memorable repudiation of skeptics; it is not until his work in Rome and Utica, New York, that the light of historical evidence is cast. In Utica he counted among his converts Timothy Weld, later a prominent anti-slavery activist. By 1830 he was preaching in New York City and Boston. By now wealthy Christian laymen were in his support, most prominently the Tappan brothers. At the same time, his emphasis upon the human will and his methodical and utilitarian uses of publicity and psychological techniques to generate revivalist enthusiasm and effect conversions raised the ire of the Presbyterian establishment.
Finney moved to New York City in 1832 where he pastored the Free Presbyterian Chatham Street Chapel and later founded and pastored the Broadway Tabernacle, known today as Broadway United Church of Christ [1]. The structure was built for Finney in 1836 to his own design. It was formed as a Congregational Church, as by now Finney had left the Presbyterian fold—to which he had never been ordained as a pastor, but only had served as an evangelist. During this period Finney publishede is "Lectures on Revivals," explaining his theological approach as well as his methods for bringing people to Christ. He famously claimed that bringing a revival was a "scientific" process that, if carried out according to the spiritual laws would bring the harvest of souls just as surely as seeds planted in the spring would, according to natural law, bring forth harvest in the fall. His lectures were reprinted in England and translated into French, Welsh and German.
Finney's logical, clear presentation of his Gospel message reached thousands and promised renewing power and the love of Jesus. Some estimates are that his preaching led to the conversion of over 500,000 people. His writings continue to challenge many to live a life holy and pleasing to God. His most famous work is the "Lectures on Revivals of Religion."[2] The Christian singer Keith Green was heavily influenced by Finney, and other famous evangelicals like Billy Graham speak highly of his influence. Although Finney was originally a Presbyterian, he eventually became a Congregationalist and often bears much criticism from conservative Presbyterians.
Theologically, Finney drew elements from the eighteenth century American preacher, Jonathan Edwards and the New Divinity Calvinists. His teachings also resembled that of Nathaniel William Taylor, a professor at Yale University. Many people teach that Finney was an Arminian in his theology, but he explicitly denied this. Much closer to a "New Divinity" Calvinist, his views on the atonement and original sin are much closer to those espoused by the "moral government" theory that was particularly advocated by Joseph Bellamy and Samuel Hopkins. For example, Finney's views on the atonement were much closer to the moral government system that Edwards' followers embraced because it rejected the notion that Jesus died only for Christians. Nevertheless, he bore a tremendous amount of criticism by theologians such as Charles Hodge for departing from traditional high Calvinism, criticisms frequently repeated today. It has been reported that the theologian G. Frederick Wright pointed out that Hodge misrepresented Finney's views in his criticism, however.
Finney was known for his innovations in preaching and conducting religious meetings, such as allowing women to pray in public and the development of the "anxious bench," a place where those considering becoming Christians could come to receive prayer. Finney was also known for his use of extemporaneous preaching.
In addition to being a successful Christian evangelist, Finney was involved with the abolitionist movement and frequently denounced slavery from the pulpit. Beginning in the 1830s, he denied communion to slaveholders in his churches.
In 1835, he moved to Ohio where he would become a professor, and later President of Oberlin College. Oberlin was a major cultivation ground for the early movement to end slavery. Oberlin was also the first American college to allowed blacks and women into the same classrooms as white men.
Finney's place in the social history of the United States
As a new nation, the United States was undergoing massive social flux during the 19th century, and this period birthed quite a large number of independent, trans-denominational religious movements such as Mormonism(1830) as well as Millerism (1830's and beyond) and its offshoots the Jehovah's Witnesses (1870), and the Seventh-day Adventist Church (1863). The nation's westward expansion brought about untold opportunities and a readiness to dispense with old thinking, an attitude that influenced people's religious understanding.
The Burned-over district was a geographical area described by Finney himself as a "hotbed" of religious revivalism, and it was in this area (largely western New York State) that he had much of his success. The lack of clergy from established churches ensured that religious activity in these areas was less influenced by traditional Christian teachings.
What Finney managed to achieve was to be the most successful religious revivalist during this period, and in this particular area. While groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists became closed and exclusivist, Finney was widely admired and influential amongst more mainstream Christians. Finney never started his own denomination or church, and never claimed any form of special prophetic leadership that elevated himself above other evangelists and revivalists.
More flexible Christian denominations, such as the Baptists and Methodists, were able to draw many of Finney's converts into their churches while more established denominations, such as the Presbyterians, were not as successful.
Finney's involvement with the abolitionist movement ensured that the Northern states had some form of legitimate religious backing to their opposition to slavery. There is no doubt that the religious beliefs of the South were more conservative. In this sense, then, Finney's religious beliefs and his success matched the attitudes of the North more so than the South. It also set up a direct link between Revivalism and social welfare, a link that grew stronger in the church after the Civil War.
Links have also been drawn between Finney's revivals and the emergence of the mercantile and manufacturing economy over-against the agricultural and crafts-centered economy. Thus it is argued that his revivals provided religious legitimation to a free-labor, wage based work force and helped solidify the middle class regime in the national period. (See Paul Johnson, A Shopkeeper's Millennium)
Finney's theology
Finney was a primary influence on the "revival" style of theology which emerged in the 19th century. Though coming from a Calvinistic background, Finney rejected several tenets of "Old Divinity" Calvinism which he felt were unbiblical and counter to evangelism and Christian missions.
In his Systematic Theology, Finney fully embraced the Calvinist doctrine of the "Perseverance of the Saints." [3] At the same time, he took the presence of unrepented sin in the life of a professing Christian as evidence that they must immediately repent or be lost. Support for this position comes from Peter's treatment of the baptized Simon (see Acts 8) and Paul's instruction of discipline to the Corinthian Church (see 1 Corinthians 5). This type of teaching underscores the strong emphasis on personal holiness found in Finney's writings.
While some theologians have attempted to associate Finney with Pelagian thought, it is important to note that Finney strongly affirmed salvation by faith, not by works or by obedience. (see [4] and [5]). Finney affirmed, however, that works were the evidence of faith. The presence of sin thus evinced that a person never had saving faith.
There are also questions over Finney's understanding of the meaning of Jesus' death on the Cross. His view is complex and has suffered from multiple misunderstandings, often due to reading quotes out of context.
Besides making Christ's death the centerpiece of justification rather than Christ's obedience, Finney's understanding of the atonement was that it satisfied "public justice" and that it opened up the way for God to pardon people of their sin. This was the view of the disciples of Jonathan Edwards' followers, the so-called New Divinity which was popular at that time period. In this view, Christ's death satisfied public justice rather than retributive justice. As Finney put it, it was not a "commercial transaction." This view, typically known as the governmental view or moral government view, differs from the Calvinistic view where Jesus' sufferings equal the amount of suffering that Christians would experience in hell.
External links
- The Complete Works of Charles Finney
- The Character, Claims and Practical Workings of Freemasonry
- http://truthinheart.com/EarlyOberlinCD/CD/Finney/Biography/finneybi.htm A biography of Charles Finney by G. Frederick Wright] (Holiness perspective; supportive)
- A Vindication of the Methods and Results of Charles Finney's Ministry (Revivalist perspective; supportive; answers many traditional Old School Calvinist critiques)
- An analysis of Finney's Perfectionism (neutral)
- Charles Grandison Finney: New York Revivalism in the 1820-1830s by John H. Martin
- Articles on Finney (conservative Calvinist perspective; critical)
- How Charles Finney's Theology Ravaged the Evangelical Movement (conservative Calvinist perspective; critical)
- The Oberlin Heritage Center-Local history museum and historical society of Oberlin, OH, where Finney lived and worked for decades.
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