Old and New Lights

The terms Old Lights and New Lights typically refer to two factions within a Protestant denomination resulting from two different theological approaches to the Evangelical Revival. The terms originated in the early 18th century from a split among English-speaking Reformed Protestant denominations concerning the nature of conversion and salvation. Since then, they have been applied in a wide variety of ways, and the meaning must be determined from each context. Typically, the more traditional Protestants are called the "Old Lights," and the more emotional, pro-change Protestants are called the "New Lights".