While hunting for more info on Charles Finney (blame it on these guys) I turned to Christianity and Western Thought, vol 2, by Steve Wilkens and Alan Padgett. I came across the following, talking about various revivalist movements such as that by Finney. These words could easily be applied to movements of our own day:

These and numerous other groups often grew out of a conviction that existing denominations, doctrines, and practices stifled Christian vitality. Though not always explicitly stated, the twin concerns that drove these movements are faith in individual judgment (or stated in the negative, distrust of institutions) and a belief that the past stands in the way of the future.

While often envious of the massive appeal of such movements, the guardians of tradition pointed to dangers inherent in revivalism. First, these movements placed heavy emphasis on the experiential aspects of faith. Therefore, church practices such as catechetical instruction, reliance on an educated pastorate and the sacraments were downplayed, redefined, or eliminated. Doctrine, creed and confession were given little attention. Second, such movements led to a proliferation of new sects. To the traditionalists, sectarianism was one of the major problems faced by the church universal and was the natural outcome of abandoning practices and doctrines that formerly provided some level of unity. A third danger was individualism, in which a person’s private experience of the divine became the grid through which religious doctrine and practice was judged, rather than the other way around.

(pp 247-248)