Charles G. Finney's revivalism differed from prior evangelical leaders by emphasizing human agency, rejecting Calvinist doctrines like total depravity and imputed sin, and using innovative "New Measures" to provoke immediate decisions for Christ.

Theological Shifts

Finney dismissed original sin and taught that sinners were in voluntary bondage to selfishness, capable of choosing repentance without relying on divine sovereignty alone. Unlike earlier leaders like Jonathan Edwards or George Whitefield, who viewed revivals as sovereign acts of God "prayed down," Finney saw them as humanly achievable through proper techniques, likening regeneration to a sinner changing their will by argument. He rejected the penal substitutionary atonement for a governmental view, where Christ's death enabled forgiveness if sinners pursued righteousness.

Practical Innovations

Finney introduced "New Measures" such as the anxious bench for public commitments, lay involvement including women in visitation, and direct appeals demanding instant results, democratizing evangelism beyond clerical control. Previous revivalists focused more on preached doctrine and prayer, while Finney personalized sin as individual responsibility, urging converts to immediate action without excuses. These methods linked revival to social reforms like abolitionism, prioritizing postmillennial optimism and societal transformation.