Discussion Prompt: Spiritual Renewal and Decline
Discuss the signs of both spiritual renewal and spiritual decline as witnessed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Using the course reading and the video lecture material, evaluate and discuss the indications of God’s blessing and the indications of unfaithfulness and decline in the Church.
Using the selections from Jonathan Edwards and Charles Augustus Briggs, summarize some of the evidences of spiritual renewal and revival that Edwards witnessed in Northampton. Also summarize some of the indications of decline and unfaithfulness that can be detected in the writing of Briggs. Use specific quotations from the materials. Discuss any particular points that seem particularly important for believers today.