Episode 223: How Did We Get Here? A History of the Religious Right

What really birthed the religious right? Why have black and white Christians swapped political parties over the last 60 years? Based on a class he’s teaching, co-host Skye Jethani takes us deep into the surprising history of 20th-century Christian political involvement. It’s a fascinating journey you won’t want to miss!

In 1976 Ford Adminstration threatened to revoke Bob Jones’s University’s Non-profit status, which started the religious right.

Background: 22:55

Bob Jones: 40:55

Skye Jethani: Faith & Politics Class – Session 1

The unpopular choices in this year’s presidential election are causing Christians to seriously rethink how they engage politics for the first time in a generation. This class weaves together scripture, theology, and history to help us hear how God is calling us to participate in the public square today. Rather than focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of candidates, the class unpacks the assumptions we hold about faith and politics, why we hold them, and what it means to cast our vote in faith rather than fear.

This first class was held on October 16, 2016, at Wellspring Alliance Church in Wheaton, Illinois. There will be five classes in total. Each week the latest class will be posted here.

Topics covered in this class session include:

Welcome & why this class? (0:00)

Politics vs. partisanship (4:04)

Why are we so divided? (5:45)

Where I’m coming from (10:40)

Statistics – How are evangelicals voting? (19:15)

Pluralism and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (27:20)

Four Christian views of government (50:20)