Prophets and Advisors: 1979-1984

Overview

Seizing the 'pro-family' agenda, New Right conservative strategists midwife a brood of new Christian political organizations, most notably Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. These groups experience a heady overnight success, registering millions of evangelical voters and helping sweep Ronald Reagan into office. Yet once in the White House, his mainline Republican advisors actively suppress the traditional-values issues. Evangelical leaders are forced to choose between 'speaking truth to power' like Biblical prophets, or 'going along to get along' in the political realm.