Gilbert Tennent
|
Reverend Gilbert Tennent |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
February 5, 1703 County Armagh, Ireland |
| Died | July 23, 1764 (aged 61) Philadelphia, PA |
| Resting place | Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia 39°57′08″N 75°08′41″W / 39.952310°N 75.144683°W |
| Residence | Philadelphia, PA |
| Education | Master of Arts (honorary) |
| Alma mater |
Log College Yale College (1725) |
| Occupation | Presbyterian minister |
| Years active | 1726-1764 |
| Employer | Presbytery of Philadelphia |
| Known for | The First Great Awakening of the American colonies and New Jersey |
| Board member of | Original trustee of the College of New Jersey |
| Spouse(s) | Cornelia de Peyster (2nd wife) |
| Children | Gilbert, Elizabeth, Cornelia |
| Parent(s) | William Sr., Catherine |
| Relatives | William Tennent, Jr. (brother) |
Gilbert Tennent (5 February 1703 – 23 July 1764) was a pietistic Protestant evangelist in colonial America. Born in a Presbyterian Scots-Irish family in County Armagh, Ireland, he migrated to America as a teenager, trained for pastoral ministry, and became one of the leaders of the Great Awakening of religious feeling in Colonial America, along with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. His most famous sermon, "On the Danger of an Unconverted Ministry," compared contemporary anti-revivalistic ministers to the biblical Pharisees described of the Gospels, resulting in a division of the colonial Presbyterian Church which lasted 17 years. While engaging divisively via pamphlets early in this period, Tennent would later work "feverishly" for reunion of the various synods involved.
Gilbert Tennent was born in a Presbyterian Scots-Irish family in County Armagh, Ireland, and raised in there, where he was home schooled by his father. In 1718 the family emigrated to Philadelphia. His father founded the Log College nearby, which trained many Presbyterian ministers; Gilbert was an assistant there, around 1725.
Tennent adapted the Ulster Scottish spirituality of life to the middle colonies. His life and theology were influenced more by his Ulster Scots heritage and New England Puritans than by any other factor. Tennent's life demonstrates how the new Presbyterian denomination in North America accommodated divergent types of congregations and spirituality. Prior to 1743, Tennent represented the anti-establishment dissenter tradition of the Ulster Scots; after 1743, he worked to maintain unity among deeply divided American Presbyterians as those Ulster Scots, who hoped to become the established church of Ireland, had done. Both sides to the disputes within Presbyterianism were orthodox and pious, but in different ways.
The Dutch Reformed in New Jersey near New York had been moved by evangelist Theodorus Frelinghuysen. Soon the English-speakers wanted a revivalistic preacher and called on Tennent. He learned much from Frelinghuysen's methods and they became friends. From the start of his career Tennent's striking appearance, powerful voice, and convincing style of preaching impressed his hearers; but he made few converts. Tennent made a searching examination into the experiences of professing Christians, which convinced him that many of them had not been converted. He changed style, preaching with great vividness on sin, retribution, repentance, and the need of a conscious inner change. As a result many were aroused to a more vital interest in religion. Other revivalists joined and soon the Tennents and their associates became one of the sources of the Great Awakening. He helped bring George Whitefield to the area, thus making the First Great Awakening a major event up and down the thirteen colonies. Tennent concentrated on the New Jersey-New York area, and made forays into New England as well.
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