S6:E46 Reagan’s Shibboleths

S6:E46 Reagan’s Shibboleths

by | Apr 21, 2026 | Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right

Why did evangelicals support Ronald Reagan?

Ronald Reagan was an odd choice for evangelicals. For one, he and his wife regularly consulted a medium. He was a Hollywood actor, which should have put him at odds with fundamentalists. Also, Christians have a long history of charity and compassion, while Reagan’s policies cut aid to poor people. But in 1980, a lot of evangelicals turned to the Republican Party to vote for him over the evangelical Jimmy Carter. What happened?

Reagan’s endorsement of evangelicals at the Religious Roundtable

Jimmy Carter gave audience to evangelical audiences, though not in the same way as Reagan. Carter told people to conserve, while Reagan’s optimistic consumerism played to the rising prosperity gospel. Reagan delivered his famous endorsement of evangelicals at the Religious Roundtable, while Carter was suspiciously absent. Also, evangelicals have built up a strong craving for leaders. They love a strongman leader. So when Reagan showed up and promised to be tough, they went for him.

Today, we’re examining some of the reasons that Reagan became a favorite of evangelicals. And why… maybe that doesn’t make sense. Our guest for this episode is author and historian Rick Perlstein.

Sources:

Discussion Questions:

  • What is a shibboleth?
  • How do you test if someone is really a Christian? What if they’re a politician? Does it matter?
  • Why did Reagan seem like an unlikely match for evangelicals?
  • How did Reagan impress evangelicals?
  • What did this make you think about James Robison?
S6:E45 Ronald Reagan’s Double Cross

S6:E45 Ronald Reagan’s Double Cross

by | Apr 7, 2026 | Episodes, Reagan, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right

Ronald Reagan pulls a fast one on the Screen Actors’ Guild

Before he became president, Reagan was the head of the Screen Actors’ Guild. While he held that office, he worked out a sweetheart deal between MCA (an agent for actors) and the Screen Actors’ Guild. In the process, he messed over the actors in SAG while walking away with a plush job. Coincidence? Robert Kennedy Sr. didn’t think so. The investigation is one reason why Reagan, a solid Democrat, switched to the Republican Party.

Reagan was a “business-first” kind of leader

When it came down to backing his followers or helping big business, he chose business. The same was true when he fought air traffic controllers. In this way, you can see the influence of Ayn Rand. This strongman president often sided with business, while blaming societal ills on the poor.

Reagan grew up as a poor kid, but he later became a famous radio star and movie icon. When his star faded, he became a political guest speaker and found a new path forward.

In this episode, we’re going to better understand the groundwork for the Reagan presidency. Our special guest is historian and author Rick Perlstein.

Sources:

  • Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
  • US v. Paramount Pictures from ⁠Justia⁠
  • ⁠article ⁠from the Reagan library
  • Reagan: His Life and Legend by Max Boot
  • The Invisible Bridge and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
  • CNN⁠ article ⁠on Paul Manafort
  • Reagan’s ⁠speech⁠ at the Neshoba County Fair
  • NPR ⁠article ⁠on the infamous “welfare queen”

Discussion Questions:

  • Why is it valuable to understand Reagan’s role in messing with his union?
  • How did his treatment of his union parallel that of his actions against air traffic controllers?
  • What do you think of Reagan and his legacy?
  • Why have some Republicans lifted him up as the ultimate conservative?