American Awakening

“I want to read books by people who have lived compelling and nontraditional life stories. John and this book are paramount in this regard. The book is compelling and completely captivating not only because of John’s life and stories but because the truths found therein are beyond powerful. This book has a surgeon’s precision in diagnosing the problem but a surgeon’s skill in the solution—it leaves you feeling healed and better than when you started it. Not many books do I buy a boxful to hand out, but this is one of them.”

Jefferson Bethke

“on the remembering of ancient truths. His optimism about what this nation truly is and—just as importantly—can be bleeds through every page. American Awakening is a tonic for a troubled heart.”

David French

“radical togetherness”—a concept more rare and inspiring in practice than in theory. John Kingston takes us on his journey from wide-eyed student of Lincoln, King, and Mandela to faith-tested practitioner in the messy arena of civic life. Listen to his words because he’s done the hard work of orienting his life and leading around these challenging ideas.”

Josh Kwan

“American Awakening rings so powerfully true and is a must-read for all. The soul of America is more threatened now than at any time in modern history. This book not only offers a clarion call at the perfect pitch for a nation in trouble but also lays out a clear road map. The book reminds us that America’s beginning and ending rest with “we the people.” If we are to emerge from this challenging era as a better America, it will require each of us to become a better “me” and a better “we”!”

Rev. Hurmon Hamilton

“In a season where the forces of death, darkness, and division pillage the social fabric of our nation, John Kingston calls us to awaken to the life that is truly life. The timing for an American Awakening couldn’t be better to give us vision to restore and rebuild.”

Gabe Lyons

“Storytelling is one of the greatest gifts we can offer one another, and John masterfully tells the story of awakening and becoming, getting his hands dirty and doing good in a world that is so troubled. May we all learn to tell the truest truths so that we can build the kind of world we long to inhabit. ROBYN HENDERSON-ESPINOZA, author of Activist Theology John Kingston is a voice crying out in the wilderness. While so many Americans are afflicted by rampant depression, anxiety, and loneliness, American Awakening is Kingston’s bold declaration of purpose, hope, and life. This is the book America most needs to read in 2020.”

Jeremy Cowart

“If you’re tired of endless division, broken politics, and a society that seems to value all the wrong things, this is the book for you. By the time you finish the prologue, you’ll already be more hopeful, but keep reading. John understands the fundamental brokenness that plagues our country—and hears the persistent heartbeat of a people yearning for something better.”

Andrew Hanauer

“John Kingston has issued a call to action, combining insights from an earnestly examined life with analysis from philosophical traditions and psychological research. He entertains, engages, informs, and inspires.”

Walter Kim

“In an age when principles and virtues are shrouded by assumptions and distractions, John Kingston rises above the fray and offers a vision for awakening that honors the good of our past while offering hope to the weary in the present. I’ve listened, watched, and admired long enough to say with confidence that this man has a fervent pulse on the heartbeat of America—he too has won, lost, and arisen even stronger. Read his story and pay attention to your heart pounding within.”

Stephen A. Macchia

“This engaging, gripping book is at its core a call for renewal. It recognizes the problems confronting our society, but it also highlights our strengths and our capacity for social regeneration. The combination makes for just the kind of wake-up call America needs to hear.”

Yuval Levin

“Radical togetherness” is not just a nice idea for John Kingston; it has been a lifelong pursuit. In strikingly insightful ways, John offers a profound and practical path forward amid the death and despair so many Americans are experiencing. American Awakening is for such a time as this!”

Rev. Ray Hammond

“Radical togetherness is needed like never before. If Jesus’s people can’t do it, who can? I’m grateful for John’s penning a great vision for awakening the soul of our country in a way that is beyond partisan politics. Both republicans and democrats promise the abundant life, but “all fall short of the glory of God.” American Awakening is a call for Jesus’s people of all varieties to find a life that is truly life. Read and join the adventure!”

David M. Bailey

“John Kingston’s deep love for his country, his passion to see people flourish, his penetrating insight into the state of the world, and his wisdom in human nature and the human predicament come through in brilliant colors. Underlying our social dysfunction, our political polarization, and the divisions along lines of ethnicity, class, and ideology is a far deeper problem. The roots that long nourished the American experiment have withered. Until we replenish those roots, there is no legislation and no political administration that can make us whole. Kingston is extraordinarily gifted at getting beyond the partisan warfare, the noise, and the statistics to the fundamental truths and values that ground us and hold us together as human beings and as Americans. I hope everyone reads this book. It would refresh and restrengthen the roots of our economy, our democracy, and our society.”

Timothy Dalrymple

“Our nation seems to face unprecedented challenges. If you are tempted to lose hope, read American Awakening by John Kingston. Without flinching from our national challenges, Kingston reminds us of the timeless truths about America that bind us together and make our country unique and great. This book gives the reader a much-needed shot of national confidence.”

Arthur Brooks