by Chris Staron | Dec 2, 2025 | Episodes, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
How the New Right chose Jerry Falwell for The Moral Majority
The New Right had a plan–to bring evangelical Christians together as a voting bloc. But how to do that? They chose a few targets, people with big followings, and courted them. Jerry Falwell was an obvious choice. He was a fundamentalist preacher, televangelist, and the founder of Liberty University. He also had a propensity for the dramatic, seeing the end of days around every corner.
Falwell and The New Right turned evangelicals against Jimmy Carter
The New Right did not like President Jimmy Carter and did their best to turn evangelicals against him. A big job considering that Carter was an evangelical and often talked about his faith. Still, they wanted Ronald Reagan (a divorced actor with a reputation with the ladies) to be their man.
In this episode, Chris is joined by author and historian Rick Perlstein.
Sources
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- article about Reinhold Niebuhr
- God’s Own Party by Daniel K. Williams
- The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
- Listen, America! by Jerry Falwell
Discussion Questions
- What was the role of the New Right in recruiting religious people?
- Why was Falwell an ideal candidate for the New Right?
- A higher percentage of evangelicals voted for Nixon than for Reagan. So why do we talk so much about Reagan as a turning point?
- What was the Moral Majority? How do we see groups like them operating today?
by Chris Staron | Nov 18, 2025 | Episodes, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
Jerry Falwell and the Moral Majority defined evangelicalism in the 1980s
Jerry Falwell was a prominent American pastor, televangelist, and conservative political activist whose life and ministry had a significant impact on American evangelicalism and politics. Born on August 11, 1933, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Falwell grew up in a family that was not particularly religious. However, after becoming a Christian during his college years, he dedicated his life to ministry. He attended Baptist Bible College in Missouri, where he developed the theological convictions that would shape his future work. In 1956, at the age of 22, he returned to his hometown to found the Thomas Road Baptist Church, beginning his long journey as a spiritual and cultural leader.
The Old Time Gospel Hour
Falwell’s ministry expanded rapidly through the use of media. He launched the “Old-Time Gospel Hour” television program, which gained national attention and allowed him to reach millions of viewers. His style combined traditional evangelical preaching with a strong emphasis on conservative values. The success of his broadcast ministry helped him establish a broad base of support and financial backing, enabling the growth of both his church and other initiatives. By the 1970s, Falwell had become one of the most recognizable faces of American evangelicalism.
Jerry Falwell founds Liberty University
In 1971, Falwell founded Liberty University in Lynchburg with the goal of creating a world-class evangelical institution that trained young Christians to become leaders in their fields. Liberty began as Lynchburg Baptist College but quickly expanded in size and scope. Falwell envisioned it as a bulwark against secularism in higher education, emphasizing both academic excellence and strict moral codes. Over time, Liberty became one of the largest Christian universities in the world, and it remains a significant part of Falwell’s legacy.
Perhaps Falwell’s most politically influential move came in 1979 with the founding of the Moral Majority, an organization that mobilized conservative Christians to become involved in American politics. Through the Moral Majority, Falwell encouraged evangelicals to support Republican candidates who aligned with their views on issues like abortion, school prayer, and family values. The group played a crucial role in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, signaling a new era of religious involvement in American political life. Falwell’s efforts helped to solidify the alliance between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party that persists to this day.
Jerry Falwell’s mixed legacy
Falwell’s outspoken views often sparked controversy. He was a staunch opponent of abortion, homosexuality, and the feminist movement, and he frequently spoke out against what he saw as the moral decline of American society. Critics accused him of promoting intolerance and mixing religion with politics in divisive ways. Nevertheless, his supporters praised him for standing up for biblical principles and being unafraid to speak his mind in a secularizing culture. Falwell saw himself as a defender of traditional American and Christian values, even as the country grew increasingly polarized.
Jerry Falwell died on May 15, 2007, leaving behind a complex and polarizing legacy. While some view him as a visionary leader who helped awaken the political power of evangelical Christians, others see him as a divisive figure whose rhetoric deepened national divides. His son, Jerry Falwell Jr., later took over leadership roles at Liberty University, continuing the family’s influence in religious and political circles. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Falwell’s impact on American religion and politics is undeniable, and his legacy continues to shape discussions about the role of faith in public life.
Sources:
- God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
- American Sermons: The Pilgrims to Martin Luther King Jr. (for the Danforth sermon)
- I first heard the Danforth sermon mentioned on the Now and Then podcast
- The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
- Falwell: An Autobiography by Jerry Falwell
- Falwell’s “Ministers and Marchers” sermon
Discussion Questions
- What do you think of Danforth’s sermon? Why is it important to understand that preachers have been concerned about the US since before it became a country?
- Why is it valuable to understand Falwell’s early opposition to integration?
- We know that much of the season is related to education. Why is it significant that Falwell was an educator?
- How should we as a society adapt when a leader repents of their racism?
- What role did Frances Schaeffer play in shaping Falwell?
by Chris Staron | Oct 7, 2025 | Episodes, Race, Season 6 - Rise of the Religious Right
How Bob Jones University fought against integration
Bob Jones University v. United States (1983) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that addressed whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could deny tax-exempt status to private religious schools that practiced racially discriminatory policies. Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian institution, prohibited interracial dating and marriage among its students based on its religious beliefs. In 1970, the IRS revised its policy to deny tax-exempt status to private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies, prompting Bob Jones University to file suit after losing its exemption.
Evangelical support of segregation academies had a lot to do with tax exemptions
The university argued that the IRS’s actions violated its First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion. The central question for the Court was whether the government’s interest in eradicating racial discrimination in education outweighed the burden on religious freedom imposed by the denial of tax-exempt status. The case thus pitted two core constitutional principles against each other: religious liberty and the government’s interest in promoting equality.
In an 8–1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the IRS’s position. Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing for the majority, stated that tax-exempt status is a form of government subsidy and that organizations seeking this benefit must serve a public interest. The Court held that eliminating racial discrimination in education was a “fundamental, overriding interest” that justified the burden on the university’s religious practices. It emphasized that the government is not required to subsidize discriminatory behavior, even when it is religiously motivated.
Why was Bob Jones University v. The United States important?
The ruling had significant implications. It clarified that tax-exempt status is conditional upon compliance with fundamental public policy, including civil rights laws. The decision reinforced the principle that religious freedom, while protected, does not allow institutions to violate core public values when receiving government benefits. This case remains a key precedent in balancing religious liberty with broader societal interests in equality and nondiscrimination.
Sources:
- The Story of Bob Jones University v. United States: Race, Religion, and Congress’s Extraordinary Acquiescence by Olati Johnson. Paper Number 10-229.
- God’s Own Party by Daniel K Williams
- https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/461/574/#tab-opinion-1955051
- 1980s Republican Party Platform
- In Search of Another Country by Joseph Crespino
- McNamar’s testimony, pp.225, Hearing Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session, February 1, 1982. (Thanks to the Senate Historian’s Office)
- “The Bob Jones Decision: A Dangerous Precedent” by Kenneth S. Kantzer. September 2, 1983, issue of Christianity Today.
- Randall Balmer’s article for Politico that narrows the blame for the bonding of evangelicals to the GOP to race
- Before the Storm by Rick Perlstein
- The majority opinion in the Bob Jones case
- New York Times article in which Bob Jones assails the Supreme Court (page A23), May 25, 1983 “Bob Jones, in Sermon, Assails Supreme Court”
Discussion Questions:
- Why is the tax exemption so important to this story?
- Why is it important to churches and religious institutions?
- How would revoking the tax exemption change giving to those institutions?
- Some evangelicals (like CT) denounced the racism of BJU, but still thought the IRS overstepped its bounds. What do you think?
- Which institutions in the US should be tax-exempt? Which shouldn’t?
by Chris Staron | Jan 19, 2021 | Episodes, Season 3 - Communism and Socialism
Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages.
Melani McAlister, author of “The Kingdom of God Has No Borders” and Professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University, joins us to discuss how we export Christianity. In the 1950s and 1960s, American denominations sent white missionaries to Africa to share the good news. But with them went their bias and racism. This was the era of Jim Crow laws. Some missionaries took those laws to Africa, not allowing black people to eat at their tables.
In this episode, we examine the problem of tying the United States to Christianity. When the US makes mistakes or does evil, how does that reflect back on the church?
Christian missionaries sometimes export the United States with their messages. What else is going with our missionaries?
Discussion Questions:
- Have you ever been on a mission trip before? What was your motivation for going?
- Do you think that it is possible to marginalize the people we are trying to witness to?
- How do you feel about showing pictures of poor people in church presentations? How might that practice encourage churchgoers to marginalize a people group?
- Do you think poor people in other countries are happier?
- Is it okay for us to export the American way with the gospel? If yes, then which things should we export?
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