Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, September 6, 2026
The most enduring legacy of the Great Awakening was its transformation of religion from a matter of inherited tradition to one of personal choice. This shift fostered a more competitive religious landscape where denominations had to actively attract members. The movement also encouraged a distinctly American religious culture based on voluntary association and resistance to established authority.
“The most important legacy of the Great Awakening was the transformation of religion from something often inherited through community and tradition into something increasingly based on personal choice.”
“Denominations increasingly had to attract members rather than simply inherit them.”
“This encouraged a distinctly American religious culture based on voluntary association and resistance to established authority, increasingly familiar ideals in American life.”