George Whitefield and Conversion Without Works

George Whitefield is most famous today for his outdoor church services. These services drew the masses both in England and in the Continental U.S. Many were converted to a rapidly growing type of Christianity under Whitefield’s powerful preaching and Calvinist theology. Interestingly, though thousands “converted” under Whitefield, and Whitefield himself underwent an intense conversion experience, he still held true to Calvinist teachings on predestination and the elect in his public discourse, specifically with the Wesley brothers. 

What was the private spiritual life of such an out-loud man? And how did the age-old debate over works weave its’ way into his personal and public theology?

Thomas Kidd points out that Whitefield’s conversion as a young person was an incredibly trying time both on his physical body and within himself. While Whitefield was deep into various spiritual practices: praying 2-3 times a day, fasting, and attending public worship, he remained troubled in his spirit. It was only after undergoing all of the interesting aspects of evangelical conversionism, including a severe bout of sickness, that Whitefield finally felt at peace with God. What, then, was his spiritual practice after his conversion? Since he became a preacher and an ordained deacon so shortly after his conversion experience, what were the spiritual differences between the man Whitefield and the great evangelizer Whitefield? 

Certainly, Whitefield had his dissenters over a variety of theological subjects, but of particular interest are those who understood works differently than Whitefield. This seems to be at least one reason that he was separated from his Anglican contemporaries. It also appears that works were not a part of his own conversion experience at all - his deep spiritual practices did nothing to ease the burden of his soul. Is this the motivation behind his view of works as a by-product of faith? Or was there something else in Whitefield’s life that led him to have such a staunch position on the absence of works in the beginning conversion to salvation?