The Christian Right movement came to be through a number of different factors, one being political upheaval and major social change. This podcast will focus on the political climate of the year of 1964, specifically in regards to the presidential race between Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater. During this time period, students at the University of California, Berkeley launched the Free Speech Movement of 1964, spurring a nation-wide movement of student activism.

Show Notes:

The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has brought abortion back into the national spotlight. It’s just the opportunity evangelicals have been looking for.

CITATIONS:

Abortion, Planned Parenthood, and Gay Marriage are the apparent holy trinity of the Christian Right in America. In this podcast, I posit that the cross Evangelicals have historically been willing to die on has very little to do with these three issues. Social and political changes in the education curriculum and the financial structure of religious educational institutions were extremely formative in the creation of today's Christian right. I explore the historical examples of this impact on and from education and how evangelical politics came to be what we recognize it as today.

Show Notes:

Anti-communism was not only a foreign policy strategy, but a cultural movement within the United States. This episode follows the role of the Cold War in the rise of a uniquely Christian and conservative group of people, who would go on to nominate a candidate that would change the course of the Republican Party.

Show Notes:

-- McGirr, Lisa. Suburban Warriors: the Origins of the New American Right. Princeton University Press, 2015.

-- Barry Goldwater Endorses Extremism (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOtvO_L_XoM).

--Goldwater Spot: People Ask About Communism (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjHQxV4HBzk).

--Ronald Reagan, "Evil Empire" Speech (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do0x-Egc6oA)

The issue of abortion in America is more complex than many people may think. Between the real reasons for the grander introduction of abortion into politics, as well as the way politicians address abortion, there is a lot to learn. Tune in to shine a new light on today’s America.

Show Notes:

Audio Used

Other Sources

Long lauded as the father of animated film, Walt Disney is a household name throughout the United States. Seldom does an American family evade Disney's legacy today, thanks to the 1,000+ movies that he produced and wildly popular resorts that he built over his 33-year career. But many Americans nonetheless remain unaware of the religious motivations behind Disney's career, as well as Disney's vital role in amplifying the then-fledgling Christian Right that continues to influence political life today.

Show Notes:

Featuring excerpts of...

Transforming America is a shiny new podcast about the Christian Right, its origins, people, and ideas.  Most of all, Transforming America is about how we've all arrived at the present moment in our political and social lives.  Each short episode is produced by Lehigh University students working together to understand the Christian Right and share its stories with you.  You can learn more about the Lehigh seminar of students at go.lehigh.edu/soc375