Abstract
During the 18th Century, the Enlightenment illuminated ideas of self-government and natural rights through the works of men such as John Locke and Charles Montesquieu. Concurrently, the Great Awakening brought concepts of conversion and religious freedom. Dissent abounded in the colonies at the religious and political levels. Patrick Henry stood at the intersection of these ideologies, bringing clarity and motivation to the people. While Enlightenment philosophy and evangelical religion both shaped the Revolutionary Era, it was their combination, expressed by leaders like Patrick Henry, that galvanized the public. Henry’s speeches translated Locke’s natural rights and Protestant theology into a common language of liberty, and by adopting the sermon style of the Great Awakening, he transformed intellectual theory into a call to action that ordinary Virginians could not ignore.
Recommended Citation
Deasy, Sheila
(2026)
"Patrick Henry: Translating Enlightenment and Religion into Revolutionary Action,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8:
Iss.
3, Article 7.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss3/7