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
Republicans and Evangelicals I Women's Roundtable Book Discussion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:19
Give to help Chris continue making Truce Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique kicked off second-wave feminism in the United States. The book was published in 1963 and addressed what she called "the problem that has no n…
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Donate to help Chris make Truce In the 1960s, Tom Tarrants was a young man on a mission - to save America from Communism, Marxism, and desegregation. He was prepared to do anything, including joining the Ku Klux Klan, dr…
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Duration: 3:55
Give to help Chris make Truce Paypal Venmo Patreon Help via check at: Chris Staron PO Box 3434 Jackson, WY 83001 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Republicans and Evangelicals I Kanawha County Textbook War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:35
Give to help Chris make Truce In 1974, Alice Moore was a member of the school board in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The board met to hear the recommendations of the textbook committee and approve them. But Alice protes…
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Partner with us by donating at: www.trucepodcast.com/donate Something had to be done. The Great Depression meant the loss of a vast number of jobs and left families waiting on bread lines. Economists like John Meynard Ke…
Republicans and Evangelicals I End of School Prayer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:53
Give to help Chris make the Truce Podcast In 1955, the Board of Regents for New York issued an optional prayer to be used in public schools. It became known as the "Regent's Prayer". Here it is: "“Almighty God, we acknow…