Revivalism and Separatism in New England, 1740-1800: Strict Congregationalists and Separate Baptists in the Great Awakening

C. C. Goen’s landmark study on the effects of revivalism during the latter half of the 18th century filled a great void in understanding the Great Awakening, and it continues to influence the work of scholars today. Full of artful contextualization of the issues that plagued colonial churches, Revivalism and Separatism in New England, 1740-1800 documents the ways in which revivalism helped pave the way for a new religious identity in America. Goen underscores how these congregations responded to state involvement in matters of religion and sheds new light on the development of the Baptist denomination by locating its growth within fringe communities in New England rather than organized structures in the Middle Colonies.