What belief system did Charles Finney notably reject?

Charles Finney notably rejected Calvinism, which is evident in his theological and revivalist work during the Second Great Awakening. Calvinism emphasizes predestination—that God has already chosen who will be saved and who will be damned—and asserts that human actions have little bearing on salvation. Finney, on the other hand, advocated for a theology that emphasized human free will and the ability of individuals to choose to accept salvation. He believed that everyone had the capacity to respond to God's call, reflecting a more optimistic view of human nature compared to the deterministic perspective of Calvinism.

His stance on human agency and the importance of personal choice in the salvation process became a foundational aspect of his revivalist meetings and teachings, leading him to reject the Calvinist framework in favor of his own understanding of interaction between divine sovereignty and human decision. This ideological shift was significant in the development of American revivalism and influenced many subsequent movements within Protestantism.