Republicans and Evangelicals | What Did Evangelicals Get from Reagan?

Republicans and Evangelicals | What Did Evangelicals Get from Reagan?

Author: Chris Staron May 26, 2026 Duration: 17:47
Give to help Chris continue to make Truce A bunch of evangelicals like Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell pushed many in the evangelical movement to support Ronald Reagan for president. The New Right tied them to the Republican Party. But... what did they get for their efforts? In this mini-episode, Chris lays out some of the few things they got. And some of the things that Reagan did that upset these evangelicals with large followings. One thing they didn't like was the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first female Supreme Court judge. But Reagan did dedicate a day of prayer and offered an amendment to protect prayer in schools (though it was never going to pass). It's possible that what Reagan really left these evangelicals with large followings was not legislation, but permission to use deeply flawed individuals to achieve their goals. Sources: God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams The Invisible Bridge, Nixonland, and Reaganland by Rick Perlstein Proclamation 4999. National Family Week 1982 Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald New York Times article about the O'Connor opposition Christianity Today article about O'Connor's opposition New York Times Article “Reagan Proposes School Prayer Amendment, May 18, 1982. Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ by John G Turner Article on National Ice Cream Day Letter from Gary North to Paul Weyrick Article on the US overthrow of Grenada Revive Us Again by Joel Carpenter Discussion Questions: What did evangelicals get from Reagan? How did these evangelicals with large followings continue after Reagan? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted by Chris Staron, Truce-History of the Christian Church is a deep, journalistic look into the forces that have shaped American evangelicalism. This isn't a simple timeline of events; it's an investigation into the surprising intersections of faith, culture, and power. Staron digs into movements from fundamentalism's roots to modern political campaigns, and even examines connections to phenomena like pyramid schemes, revealing a complex history many listeners may never have encountered. Each episode is built on thorough research and thoughtful interviews, aiming to understand not just how the church arrived at its current moment, but how that story might inform a better path forward. The current season focuses specifically on the rise of the Religious Right, meticulously tracing the evolving alliance between evangelicals and the Republican Party. To tell this story, the podcast features conversations with notable guests like historians Rick Perlstein and Frances Fitzgerald, or journalist Jesse Eisinger, who bring their expertise to this nuanced narrative. Listening to this podcast feels like joining a rigorous yet accessible conversation, one that respects the subject's gravity while pursuing clarity and truth. For anyone curious about the real stories behind today's headlines concerning faith and society, this series offers essential context.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Truce - History of the Christian Church
Podcast Episodes
Republicans and Evangelicals | Reaganomics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:43
Give to help Chris make Truce Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, often referred to as “Reaganomics,” were based on supply-side economics. His administration focused on reducing the role of government in the economy by cu…
Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Star Wars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:45
Give to help Chris make Truce The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), announced by President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983, was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from nuclear attac…
Republicans and Evangelicals I Reagan's Shibboleths [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:05
Give to help Chris make the show! 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.…
Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Double Cross [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:27
Give to help Chris make Truce Before he became president, Reagan was the head of the Screen Actors' Guild. When it came down to backing his followers or helping big business, he chose business. The same was true when he…
Republicans and Evangelicals | Why Christians Didn't Vote for Carter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:51
Give to help Chris make Truce Boy, the Religious Right did not like Carter, at least by 1980. Some of them, like Pat Robertson, had high hopes for him at the start. But they quickly grew to distrust the man from Georgia.…
Republicans and Evangelicals | The Many Plagues of Jimmy Carter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:48
Give to help Chris make Truce President Jimmy Carter's presidency (1977–1981) faced several major challenges, both domestically and internationally. One of the biggest domestic issues was the struggling U.S. economy. Car…
Republicans and Evangelicals | The Battle for the Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:02
Give to help Chris make Truce Tim LaHaye wrote different kinds of books. Books on marriage, sexuality, the end times, and those involved in social and political movements. In his young years, Tim LaHaye taught for the Jo…
Republicans and Evangelicals | What Scared Tim LaHaye [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:54
Give to help Chris make Truce Tim and Beverly LaHaye were a prominent American evangelical Christian couple known for their influential work in ministry, literature, and conservative activism. Tim LaHaye, born in 1926 in…