The Awakening and Preaching

This chapter examines how many early nineteenth-century German Protestant clergy assumed that the gospel had become either neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood by most of the members of their churches. Their convictions regarding such a supposed state of Protestant religious life prompted a distinctive type of preaching. The form and contents of their messages were intended to “awaken” those who heard it to faith in Christ, repentance of sins, and a life of Christian obedience. The preachers of the religious awakening were generally characterized by an irenic ecumenical disposition. This was born out of their fears that the essence of Christian faith was in danger of being lost and, thus, that it was important for them to cooperate with generally like-minded believers from other church traditions. The unusual degree of popular resonance with which certain local pastors’ sermons were received transformed them into well-known regional religious leaders.