HISTORY OF THE JERKS:
BODILY EXERCISES AND THE GREAT REVIVAL
(1803–1967)

A curated digital archive documenting one of the most controversial
religious practices in the history of American Protestantism.

Learn the History

Discover the surprising history of the Great Revival (1799–1805) and the notorious jerking exercise through a dynamic multimedia presentation.
Click Here

Explore the Archive

Read and research more than 200 primary texts chronicling the history of the jerks over a period of more than 150 years.
Click Here

Browse the Interactive Map

Navigate an interactive map displaying texts from the archive, with layers organized by period, denomination, and genre.
Click Here

Watch a Video Clip

Witness a member of the Scrabble Creek Church being seized by the jerks in Peter Adair’s classic documentary film, Holy Ghost People (1967).
Click Here

Teach the Jerks

Develop a robust classroom experience based on suggested discussion questions and a comprehensive bibliography of the Great Revival.
Click Here