Charles Finney is a name that a majority of church members in America today have likely never heard before. Yet, Finney’s methodologies of revival that sprang forth in the mid-19th Century have had innumerable effects on the ecclesiology of Christians in America. For theologians, Finney’s name is one that either draws ire or admiration. Whether one admires or decries Finney and his practices, it cannot be denied that he has left an indelible mark on Christianity in America, as historian Mark Noll said, “It is . . . entirely possible that Ralph Waldo Emerson, Daniel Webster, Horace Mann, and Henry Adams, taken all together, did not exert the influence on American life, and certainly American religion, that Finney did.”
Finney’s methodologies, or “new measures,” result as a product of American society at the time of his revivals, as well as Finney’s theological beliefs on conversion. Throughout time, Finney’s pragmatic methods have continually been updated to suit whatever milieu church leaders happen to find themselves. This paper will explore Finney’s views on conversion, which are related his new measures, how these measures have been updated for the modern church, and the effect such an approach has had on ecclesiology in America. This will be explored through considering Finney the man, Finney’s theology of conversion, Finney’s new measure methodology, the new measures today, and the effect that such methodologies have had on ecclesiology in America. This paper seeks to contribute to the field of ecclesiology by further investigating the harmful effect on American churches that Charles Finney’s theology and introduction of “new measures” has had through his acceleration of pragmatic revivalism, which has been adopted by many Christian leaders from the time of his ministry through today.