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 Can I Love Extremists? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:29
Give to support the Truce Podcast It seems like so many people define their faith by what they believe about Donald Trump. How can godly Christians return to the gospel to get us back on track? In this round table discus…
Republicans and Evangelicals I Billy Graham and Nixon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:30
Give to help make Truce! Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, was good friends with Richard Nixon. The two played golf and gave each other advice. Graham was the person who encouraged Nixon to run for president a second…
Republicans and Evangelicals I Prologue: What Is Biblical? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:46
Give to help the Truce Podcast Thomas McIntyre stood before the US Congress to deliver a moving speech. The man was being hounded by a fringe movement known as the New Right. The movement came from the work of men like P…
Behind the Scenes Bonus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:43
Give to help Chris make Truce In this special bonus episode, Truce host Chris Staron walks you through a day in the life of a podcast host. He works about 11 hours per day between this show and his full-time job driving…
Season 6 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54
Give to help Chris make Truce Season six is almost here! This season we're exploring the backstory of why so many evangelicals turned to the Republican Party in the 1970s and 80s. It's a huge story that involves murder,…
Advertising, New Cover Art, Season 6 Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:42
Give to help Chris keep Truce going! Season six is coming along nicely! I'm super busy trying to get it all put together before I start releasing episodes. But I want to also make everyone aware that I'm looking for more…