I have spent over a decade analyzing and monitoring the Religious Right and I have to say that I have never seen anything like this upcoming "Next Great Awakening Tour," which is a $4000, 12 day right-wing tour of the East Coast hosted by David Barton, Jim Garlow, and David Lane in which participants will visit "the sites of the 1st and 2nd Great Awakening, while praying for the 3rd." [PDF]
The "Great Awakenings" of the past have been times of nationwide religious revival and it is sites that played important roles in previous religious and political awakenings throughout Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC that participants will be visiting:
We welcome you to a truly great tour. Jim has led several church history tours in Europe and some in the US and David Barton has led over 200 tours in Washington, DC and others on the East Coast. We believe this NEXT GREAT AWAKENING TOUR is the most significant tour we have ever led or heard of. When you consider the line-up of speakers, this is the finest tour of its kind. This is a most unique tour.
But, of course, this is not a strictly spiritual journey, but rather a political one judging by the special speakers the event has lined up [PDF], including Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Tony Perkins, Maggie Gallagher, Harry Jackson, and others:
Special lectures by
Governor Mike Huckabee (NY) “Overcoming Obstacles to an Awakening”
Newt Gingrich (DC) “Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation’s History and Future”
Scott Rasmussen (NJ), nationally known founder of the Rasmussen Poll, “My Spiritual Odyssey”
Congressman Bob McEwen (DC) “Biblical & Timeless Foundations to Civil Government: Renewing the ‘Mind’ of Government”
Senator Rick Santorum (DC) “The Moral Foundations for Our Nation”
Tony Perkins (DC) “Spiritual Renewal & Public Policy”
Dr. Robby George (Princeton) “The Manhattan Declaration: A Blueprint for Spiritual Renewal”
Dr. Ken Minkema (Yale) “Jonathan Edwards & the 1st Great Awakening”
Billy Wilson (Philadelphia) “Practical Steps for Awakening America”
Gabriel Joseph (DC) “A Conversation About Indicators for Spiritual Renewal – Data and Survey Results”
Lance Wallnau (Philadelphia) “Strategizing Cultural Transformation”
Dr. Joseph Mattera (NY) “Components of Cultural Transformation”
Christopher West (DC) “Sexuality, Marriage & Spiritual Awakening”
Maggie Gallagher (DC) “The Importance of Marriage in America’s Needed Spiritual Awakening”
Bishop Harry Jackson (DC) “Renewing a Nation through High Impact Leadership”
Christopher Anderson (Madison, NJ) “National Awakenings Under John Wesley and Francis Asbury”
