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Article: America's great awakenings date back to Colonial times.(A)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- August 25, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When author Tom Wolfe wrote in the 1970s of a "Third Great Awakening" in which young Americans had a love affair with their own personality styles, he was taking liberties with a great American tradition.
Periodic "great awakenings" represent major turning points in American experience.
"The early awakenings shaped our participatory democracy and also the institutions of learning that had an impact on society," says Edwin S. Gaustad, a leading church historian.
He is referring to the so-called First Great Awakening and Second Great Awakening, widespread returns to orthodox faith to address social evils and revitalize society.
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