IS THE TEA PARTY A ‘SPIRITUAL’ MOVEMENT?

It’s certainly a political phenomenon, but is the Tea Party also a “Spiritual” movement?

For the past two years, a number of media outlets have highlighted the intermingling of Christianity and Tea Party philosophy. Some have lamented the combination of the two, while others have sought to showcase how the Tea Party’s basic tenets align with Christian principles.

In his new book, “The Great American Awakening,” South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint’s (also apparently known as “Senator Tea Party”) discusses his take on the Tea Party as well as his faith. If you don’t already know it, DeMint is an unabashed “Tea Party Republican” and Christian.

While his book focuses primarily on the American political system and the rise of the Tea Party, DeMint claims that the book’s title is reminiscent of the Second Great Awakening (a time of religious revival in the early 1800s). As RNS highlights, the connection between one of America’s most well-known political movements and the Christian faith is overtly made in DeMint’s words:

“(The Tea Party) is as much a spiritual awakening as a political awakening. The concern about our country…has awakened the faith of many people.”
In “The Great American Awakening,” DeMint goes as far as to tie concern over the government’s size and scope to religion. He writes:

“Big government is a religious issue. History shows in nations where there is a big government, there is a little God. When people are dependent on government, they are less dependent on God, and their spiritual fervor fades. Socialism and secularism go hand in hand, as do faith and freedom.”

Read More at the Blaze By Billy Hallowell, the Blaze