Revival, or REVIVAL OF RELIGION, a term employed to denote an increase of faith and piety in individual Christians, particularly after a period of religious declension, and also an increase of religion in a community or neighbourhood, both through the revival of those who are already religious, and through the conversion of the previously irreligious. Such religious movements frequently extend, more or less generally, over a neighbourhood, or sometimes over a country. Instances of a similar kind are recorded in the Scriptures as occurring both in the history of the Jews and in the early history of the Christian church, particularly in the effusion of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and afterwards in connection with the ministry of the apostles, when many were converted through a single discourse, or, in other cases, evidently within a short time. In the middle ages revivals took place in connection with the Crusades and under the auspices of the monastic orders (see CHURCH HISTORY); and sometimes with repulsive adjuncts, as in the case of the Flagellants (q.v.) and the Dancing Mania (q.v.). The Reformation of the 16th century, and the more partial movements of the same kind which preceded it, are also regarded as essentially revivals of religion—the Reformation itself the greatest which has taken place since the apostolic age. In Scotland there were notable 'works' in 1625 at Irvine and Stewarton, in 1630 at Kirk-of-Shotts, and in 1638. After the Reformation the next wide-spread movement of the kind was that in the first half of the 18th century from which the Methodist churches originated. It was accompanied with many circumstances similar to those which have attended later revivals of religion. The term revival did not begin to be commonly employed till after this period; and the revival which took place in New England and other parts of North America about the same time under Edwards, Bellamy, and the
Tennents was generally designated the Great Awakening. The beginning of this revival seems to have had no connection with the Methodist movement in England, although subsequently they became connected through Whitefield's visits to North America. There were revivals at Cambuslang in 1742, and at Moulin in Perthshire in 1798-1800. A very extensive revival in Wales resulted in the formation of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church, but was not confined in its effects to those who became connected with that church. Local revivals also in some instances attended the ministry of evangelical ministers of the Church of England; and in America there were revivals in 1796, in 1812-15, and again in 1827-32. In 1839 the attention of all Scotland was drawn to a religious movement at Kilsyth, originating in the preaching of Mr William C. Burns (q.v.), and this was followed by similar occurrences in a number of other places, more or less evidently connected with it. The great American revival of 1859-61 began in New England, particularly in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and rapidly extended to New York and over the middle and western states. It was not generally attended with scenes of great excitement; strong but calm religious feeling was its general characteristic. It spread all over the United States, and it was believed that in a single year half a million converts were received into the churches. A similar movement took place in Ireland, and rapidly extended over the whole north, and subsequently to Scotland, Wales, and some parts of England. As a rule it was free from excitement, and characterised by little else than the intensity of religious feeling displayed. Another remarkable revival, which extended over the greater part of Great Britain in 1874-75, originated in the efforts of two American evangelists, Messrs Moody and Sankey, and was characterised by the almost entire absence of sensationalism. The Salvation Army carries on its work largely by methods known as revivalistic. Revivals of religion have occurred also in other parts of the world. Though evangelical Christians generally recognise revivals as in the main divine works of grace, they agree in deploring the extravagances and irregularities that have not unfrequently accompanied them and done grievous harm to the cause of religion.
See Fleming's Fulfilling of the Scripture (1681); Edwards, The Work of God in Northampton, Massachusetts (1736); Robe's Narrative (1742); Pringle, Surprising Accounts of the Revival of Religion in the United States (1802); lectures on the subject by Sprague (1833) and Finney (1835); Mrs Lundie Duncan, History of Revivals of Religion in the British Isles (1840); Fish, Handbook of Revivals (1874); Porter, Revivals of Religion (1877); Overton's Evangelical Revival of the 18th Century (1886); and the journals and biographies of the Wesleys, Whitefield, the Haldanes, and other eminent evangelists.