Rupublicans and Evangelicals | The Far Right's Plan to Takeover the GOP

Rupublicans and Evangelicals | The Far Right's Plan to Takeover the GOP

Author: Chris Staron August 18, 2026 Duration: 31:27
Give to help Chris make Truce Richard Vigueries. What can be written about him? His nickname was "the founding father of the Religious Right". He founded RAVCO, which was a fundraising organization that raised money for... well, who didn't it raise money for? In his book, Takeover, Viguerie laid out a detailed plan of how the far right could take over the Republican Party. It is a fascinating book, one that may not have had an overwhelming impact, but the idea within the book has. In this special epsiode, Chris walks listeners through the book and the impact of the ideas inside. Sources: Takeover by Richard Viguerie Reaganland and Before the Storm by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams Revive Us Again by Joel Carpenter These Truths by Jill LePore A Choice Not An Echo by Phyllis Schlafly The Lord's Prayer Discussion Questions: Who was Richard Viguerie? What are some of his grievances? Why do you think he skipped the Republican presidents of the 1920s in his history? What did he think of FDR? Of Robert Taft? How do you see the conservative wound in this book? What were some of Viguerie's prescribed tactics for taking over the GOP? 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: 50

Truce - History of the Christian Church
Podcast Episodes
Kristin Kobes Du Mez: "Live, Laugh, Love" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:44
Give to help Chris make Truce Kristin Kobes Du Mez is best known for her book Jesus and John Wayne, which looked at masculinity in American evangelicalism. Her new book, out now, does the same for femininity and positivi…
200th Episode Celebration! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:43
Give to help Chris make Truce Can you believe it? The Truce podcast has crossed the 200-episode mark! Actually, this is something like the 203rd episode... but we still need to celebrate! In this special bonus episode, N…
Republicans and Evangelicals | The War on Mark Hatfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:10
Give to help Chris make Truce Our season has spent a lot of time looking at how some evangelicals tied themselves to the GOP as the party became more conservative. But not every evangelical Republican was taken in by the…
Republicans and Evangelicals | Where the Gang Ended Up part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
Give to help Chris make Truce Jimmy Swaggart was caught in a major controversy in the late 1980s. It involved the famous American televangelist, who was a leading figure in Pentecostal Christianity. In 1988, Swaggart pub…
Should I Move to Europe? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:17
Give to help Chris Several months ago, Chris informed the audience that he was thinking about moving to Europe. Now, he's back to update everyone! Chris went to Seville, Spain, for several weeks to take Spanish-language…
Republicans and Evangelicals | The Iran Contra Affair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:51
Give to help Chris make Truce. The Iran-Contra Affair was a major political scandal in the United States during the second term of President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s. At its core, the affair involved the secret sal…
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…