Pastor Jerry Falwell was a central figure in the rise of the Christian Right in American politics, particularly during the late 20th century. His influence reached far beyond the pulpit, shaping a powerful political movement that merged evangelical Christianity with conservative values. But how did a pastor become such a key political force? And what made him change his political stance over time?
In the 1970s, Falwell founded the Moral Majority, a political organization that mobilized conservative Christians across the country. At a time when many evangelicals had previously stayed away from politics, Falwell called on them to engage, claiming it was their Christian duty to fight against what he saw as moral decay in America—abortion, homosexuality, and the removal of prayer from public schools. The Moral Majority became a major force in American politics, especially in helping to elect Ronald Reagan in 1980. This marked a turning point: for the first time, evangelical Christians were not just a religious group but a powerful voting bloc.
Interestingly, Falwell wasn’t always politically active. In the 1950s and 1960s, he often said that “preachers are not called to be politicians.” But this changed in the 1970s, largely in response to cultural changes and legal decisions that challenged conservative Christian values. One key moment that sparked Falwell’s political involvement was the IRS’s threat to revoke the tax-exempt status of racially segregated Christian schools. To many evangelicals, this was seen as government overreach. It motivated Falwell and others to form a political response—not just to protect their schools, but to defend what they saw as religious freedom.
Falwell’s support for Reagan-era policies, like tax cuts and increased military spending, may seem odd for a pastor. But to Falwell, these policies aligned with his evangelical worldview. He believed in individual responsibility, free enterprise, and a strong national defense—values he saw as being in line with biblical principles. Tax cuts were seen as promoting freedom and rewarding hard work, which resonated with evangelical ideas of personal responsibility and stewardship. Defense spending fit with his belief in protecting a Christian nation from atheistic communism, which he viewed as a threat not only politically but spiritually.
Jerry Falwell was more than a preacher—he was a political strategist who helped reshape the American political landscape. By blending evangelical theology with conservative politics, he helped create the Christian Right, a movement that still has a powerful influence today. His changing political commitments reflect a broader shift among evangelicals—from private faith to public action, all in the name of defending their values in a rapidly changing world.
Will Wright 