Between 1776 and 1830 the Maritime provinces were the site of important waves of religious revivals. Focusing chiefly on Baptists and Methodists, George Rawlyk uses rich primary sources to examine these happenings. Most contemporary interpreters of revivals have explained them in terms of their social and psychological functions and effects. Rawlyk recognizes the importance of such themes but avoids the temptation to reduce revivals to their non-religious functions. While he explores the multi-faceted dimensions of revivalism, he makes it clear that the people involved regarded their religious experiences as valuable in their own right.