Republicans and Evangelicals | Why Christians Didn't Vote for Carter

Republicans and Evangelicals | Why Christians Didn't Vote for Carter

Author: Chris Staron March 24, 2026 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. Why? In this episode, Chris goes through some of the top issues that evangelicals had with Jimmy Carter. They include his article in Playboy Magazine that mentions his struggles with sex (but also featured a strong gospel message), his support of the ERA, and his lackluster responses to their questions about abortion. But... It's not as if Ronald Reagan was significantly better. Reagan was not a regular churchgoer like Carter. He consulted a medium for his decisions. He was a divorced former actor in a time when evangelicals didn't like Hollywood. So... how bad was this Carter guy that they didn't vote for him? Our special guest for this episode is historian and author Rick Perlstein. Sources: Today story on Carter's church Tampa Bay Times story on Carter's church Associated Press story on Carter's church Christianity Today article on Carter's 100th birthday Reaganland by Rick Perlstein Document the interview the Religious Right guys did Criswell ad Strom Thurmond ad Playboy Magazine, November 1976 Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz White House Conference on Families: Listening to America's Families. Pamphlet God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald The Surprising Work of God by Garth Rosell Jimmy Carter Library interview with Robert Maddox Carter's speech to NAE (courtesy of Jimmy Carter Presidential Library) Discussion Questions: Why did some evangelicals so strongly oppose the ERA? What did you see in the Playboy article that might be construed as unappealing to Christians? If Reagan engaged in fortunetelling, why did some evangelicals follow him and not Carter? Why have evangelicals become enamored of leaders? What has that done to our witness? 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
The Camino del Norte part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:21
Support the work of the Truce podcast at www.trucepodcast.com/donate In the last episode, Chris and his brother Nick started their journey along the Camino del Norte, part of the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Now…
The Camino del Norte part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
Give a little help Chris make Truce On this bonus episode, Chris takes you along with him as he hiked 250 miles on an old Catholic pilgrimage route called the Camino de Santiago. The Camino has a complex history and is a…
Republicans and Evangelicals I Boardroom Jacobins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:42
Give to help Chris make Truce. A little goes a long way! In November of 1965, a young lawyer published a book called Unsafe at Any Speed about the dangers of driving a Chevy Corvair. The car could become unstable and pos…
Republicans and Evangelicals I The Failure of Supply-Side Economics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:30
Give to help Chris make Truce Gerald Ford's administration was in trouble. The country was experiencing stagflation, where prices were going up but employment was going down. What could he do? He announced his desire to…
Republicans and Evangelicals I The New Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:03
Give to help Chris continue making Truce A small group of men calling themselves The New Right had a major role to play in bonding some evangelicals to the Republican Party. Yet many Christians don't know who these guys…
Bonus: Compelled: A New Song [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:41
Give to help make Truce more sustainable The Compelled podcast is hosted by my friend Paul Hastings. It's a testimony show that walks listeners through people's lives so that we can hear how God continues to set people f…