“A Revelation Before the Revolution”: Director Joshua Enck on the Hidden Spiritual Foundation of the United States
A Great Awakening follows the unlikely friendship between Reverend George Whitefield and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Their relationship and work led to the first Great Awakening and ultimately inspired a generation to break free from England and form the United States of America. Joshua Enck, the film’s director, recently sat down with The Collision to discuss the purpose and goals behind the project.
(Note: Interview quotes have been edited for length and clarity. To view the full interview, watch the video above.)
A Great Awakening is Joshua Enck’s second movie. His debut film was I Heard the Bells (2022). The success of that first project led to the production of A Great Awakening.
“There was a revelation before the revolution,” Enck said. “That’s what drew us to this film.”
During a three-decade period, the people of the colonies were building their lives around Judeo-Christian values. Their strong faith opened the door for them to conquer the tyrant across the sea. Yet without the influence of Whitefield and Franklin, it’s possible that the revolution never would have happened.
“Something had to create this self-governing people, and these revivals did that for 30 years.”
Whitefield’s influence over Franklin continued even after the famed preacher passed away. In 1787, there was a stalemate in the Constitutional Convention. “Benjamin Franklin, the most celebrated deist of all of our Founding Fathers, stood up and said, ‘Have we now forgotten our powerful friend?’”
Though both men left behind a prevailing legacy, it was important to Enck for the film not to gloss over their shortcomings. “There are no heroes if we’re looking for flawless ones. Rather than dance around it, why not move towards it? That’s where ministry occurs.”
He said he wants this film to lead audiences to worship Whitefield’s Lord, not Whitefield himself. Being honest about the evangelist’s imperfections was the best way to prevent hero-worship.
Enck was clear that his intention wasn’t to make a political film. His goal was to inspire and educate audiences, and to lend context to the magnitude of the United States’ accomplishments in light of the nation’s 250th birthday.
The pivotal scene in front of the Constitutional Convention was taken word-for-word from Franklin’s 1787 speech, during which he petitioned for prayer every morning before negotiations resumed. Franklin was “an incredible observer of humanity and nature itself… he studied people, and he knew what moved them.” He recognized that only one thing could change the stalemate, “and that’s truth. So he brought them back to the source, God himself.”
Franklin was private about his faith and commented that if he ever had his own great awakening, no one would know. He kept that promise. But Enck noted that certain features of his character hint at where he stood spiritually.
“Our responsibility as storytellers at Sight & Sound is to simply put the truth out there and let people draw their own conclusions,” Enck stated.
At a recent worship event at the Liberty Bell, Enck shared that ultimate freedom isn’t being left to our own devices. “The liberty that’s being proclaimed on that bell, the liberty that’s being proclaimed in this film . . . is only found in one place, and that’s in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
A Great Awakening is available now through a Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video. Starting July 30th, Wonder Project and Sight & Sound will bring to streaming biblical productions (including Jesus, Moses, Noah, Queen Esther, and David) premiering approximately every two weeks through the fall.
