Christian History Home > Issue 45 > Christianity on the Early American Frontier: From the Editor - Religion Untamed
Christianity on the Early American Frontier: From the Editor - Religion Untamed
by MARK GALLI | posted 1/01/1995 12:00AM
Like a wild frontier camp meeting, this issue was not easily tamed. Formally, it’s about camp meetings and circuit riders, which means it’s mostly about Methodism, which means it’s mostly about frontier Christianity from 1800 to 1840. Mostly.
Though camp meetings flourished as a Methodist institution, they captured America’s imagination first after the Kentucky revivals of 1800–1801—primarily Presbyterian-sponsored affairs.
Though the Methodists exploded in numbers during this era, so did the Baptists and Disciples of Christ.
Though orthodox Christianity flourished, so did Mormonism, spiritualism, and Transcendentalism, among other religious experiments.
Though camp meetings were frontier institutions, they also made their way to the populated East.
In short, it’s hard to capture the spiritual ferment that shook early America.
Such a phenomenon, of course, was not without its detractors. Speaking of camp meetings, historian Philip Schaff wrote in 1849, “There is a stamping and bouncing, jumping ... To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
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