Introduction

George Whitefield (1714–70) is ranked amongst the most prominent preachers of the Great Awakening period, the relatively long and extensive religious revival in the American colonies between 1739 and 1742. The three years of the revival had a considerable impact on the pre-revolutionary American society, in particular on the shape of religion and the appreciation for the power of the spoken word in the colonial society. At the time of the Great Awakening, groups of itinerant preachers crisscrossed the land, delivering countless sermons and bringing the revivalist “New Birth” to scores of colonists. The proponents of the movement devised new manners of rhetorical expression and innovative ways of appealing to large audiences, harvesting the hearts and minds of the spellbound multitudes. As a key proponent of the movement, George Whitefield played a pivotal role in these events and was one of its staunchest defenders. His rhetorical skill also laid the foundations for the birth of modern evangelicalism. As a result, the importance of George Whitefield for the development of the early American preaching tradition can hardly be underestimated. This article examines the preacher's sermonic oratory with a special focus on how he utilized his theatrical skills to render his sermons particularly appealing to colonial audiences.

George Whitefield's Preaching Rhetoric

George Whitefield's Oratory in the Colonial Context

Interestingly, George Whitefield was an Englishman and a member of the Church of England.