Charles G. Finney photo

Charles G. Finney

Charles Grandison Finney was a leader in the Second Great Awakening. He has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism. Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor of women and blacks, a religious writer, and president at Oberlin College.

He is not to be mistaken for his great-grandson, Charles G. Finney (1905-1984).


“I was like you once, long time ago. I believed in the dignity of man. Decency. Humanity. But I was lucky. I found out the truth early, boy. And what is the truth, Stark? It's all very simple. There's no such thing as the dignity of man. Man is a base, pathetic and vulgar animal.”
Charles G. Finney
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“This is the circus of Dr. Lao.We show you things that you don't know.We tell you of places you'll never go.We've searched the world both high and lowTo capture the beasts for this marvelous showFrom mountains where maddened winds did blowTo islands where zephyrs breathed sweet and low.Oh, we've spared no pains and we've spared no dough;And we've dug at the secrets of long ago;And we've risen to Heaven and plunged Below,For we wanted to make it one hell of a show.And the things you'll see in your brains will glowLong past the time when the winter snowHas frozen the summer's furbelow.For this is the circus of Dr. Lao.And youth may come and age may go;But no more circuses like this show!”
Charles G. Finney
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“A state of mind that sees God in everything is evidence of growth in grace and a thankful heart.”
Charles G. Finney
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“...it obeys none of the natural laws of hereditary and environmental change, pays no attention to the survival of the fittest, positively sneers at any attempt on the part of man to work out a rational life cycle, is possibly immortal, unquestionably immoral, evidences anabolism but not katabolism, ruts, spawns, and breeds but does not reproduce, lays no eggs, builds no nests, seeks but does not find, wanders but does not rest.”
Charles G. Finney
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“The world is my idea; as such I present it to you. I have my own set of weights and measures and my own table for computing values. You are privileged to have yours.”
Charles G. Finney
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“When God has specially promised the thing, we are bound to believe we shall recieve it when we pray for it. You have no right to put in an 'if', and say, 'Lord, if it be thy will..." This is to insult God. To put an 'if' in God's promise when God has put none there, is tantamount to charging God with being insincere.”
Charles G. Finney
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