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On the show
From 14 epsHost
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Recent episodes
Should I Move to Europe?
Jun 23, 2026
3m 17s
Republicans and Evangelicals | The Iran Contra Affair
Jun 9, 2026
33m 51s
Republicans and Evangelicals | What Did Evangelicals Get from Reagan?
May 26, 2026
17m 47s
Republicans and Evangelicals | Reaganomics
May 19, 2026
18m 43s
Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Star Wars
May 5, 2026
33m 45s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/23/26 | ![]() Should I Move to Europe? | 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 classes and see if he'd like to live there. It is an exciting, vibrant, clean city with a lot of fun attractions. He got to see Ferria and Semana Santa, as well as Cordoba, Granada, Cadiz, and more. The result is that he does not think he's quite ready to move to Europe. But he came back to the US with a lot of inspiration for future episodes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 3m 17s | ||||||
| 6/9/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | The Iran Contra Affair✨ | political scandalIran-Contra Affair+5 | — | HezbollahU.S. government+3 | — | Iran-Contra Affairarms sales+8 | — | 33m 51s | |
| 5/26/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | What Did Evangelicals Get from Reagan?✨ | Evangelical support for ReaganPolitical influence of evangelicals+4 | — | New York TimesChristianity Today+8 | — | Reaganevangelicals+8 | — | 17m 47s | |
| 5/19/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Reaganomics✨ | Reaganomicssupply-side economics+4 | — | Economic Recovery Tax ActReaganland | — | Reaganomicssupply-side economics+5 | — | 18m 43s | |
| 5/5/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Star Wars✨ | missile defensenuclear policy+3 | — | Strategic Defense InitiativeSoviet Union+1 | — | Strategic Defense InitiativeStar Wars+5 | — | 33m 45s | |
| 4/21/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Reagan's Shibboleths✨ | evangelicalsRonald Reagan+5 | — | Republican PartyReligious Roundtable+7 | — | evangelicalsReagan+5 | — | 39m 05s | |
| 4/7/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Ronald Reagan's Double Cross✨ | Ronald ReaganEvangelicals+4 | Rick Perlstein | NPRCNN+6 | — | ReaganEvangelicals+5 | — | 36m 27s | |
| 3/24/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Why Christians Didn't Vote for Carter✨ | EvangelicalsJimmy Carter+4 | Rick Perlstein | Playboy MagazineChristianity Today+6 | — | evangelicalsJimmy Carter+5 | — | 42m 51s | |
| 3/10/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | The Many Plagues of Jimmy Carter✨ | Jimmy CarterIran Hostage Crisis+4 | — | U.S. Embassy | Tehran | Jimmy CarterIran Hostage Crisis+5 | — | 43m 48s | |
| 2/24/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | The Council for National Policy: Dark Money in the Church✨ | dark moneyAmerican politics+5 | Anne Nelson | Council for National PolicyHeritage Foundation+8 | — | dark moneyevangelicals+8 | — | 55m 13s | |
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| 2/10/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | The Battle for the Mind✨ | EvangelicalismHumanism+3 | Dr. Darrell Bock | John Birch SocietyDallas Theological Seminary+5 | — | Tim LaHayehumanism+5 | — | 53m 02s | |
| 1/27/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | What Scared Tim LaHaye✨ | evangelicalismChristian fiction+3 | — | Concerned Women for AmericaLeft Behind series | — | Tim LaHayeBeverly LaHaye+5 | — | 36m 54s | |
| 1/13/26 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Pat Robertson and the Prosperity Gospel✨ | Prosperity GospelEvangelicalism+4 | — | Christian Broadcasting NetworkChristian Coalition+4 | — | Pat RobertsonProsperity Gospel+6 | — | 44m 42s | |
| 1/6/26 | ![]() An American Coup in Guatemala✨ | American foreign policyGuatemalan history+5 | — | United FruitBad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala | GuatemalaVenezuela | GuatemalaJacobo Arbenz+7 | — | 41m 35s | |
| 12/16/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals: Bill Bright, Campus Crusade, and Cru✨ | evangelismChristian leadership+5 | — | Campus Crusade for ChristUCLA+2 | Coweta, OklahomaUniversity of Southern California | Bill BrightCampus Crusade+5 | — | 53m 52s | |
| 12/2/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Jerry Falwell (part 2) | Give to help Chris make more Truce The New Right had a plan--to bring evangelical Christians together as a voting bloc. But how to do that? They chose a few targets, people with big followings, and courted them. Jerry Falwell was an obvious choice. He was a fundamentalist preacher, televangelist, and the founder of Liberty University. He also had a propensity for the dramatic, seeing the end of days around every corner. The New Right did not like President Jimmy Carter and did their best to turn evangelicals against him. A big job considering that Carter was an evangelical and often talked about his faith. Still, they wanted Ronald Reagan (a divorced actor with a reputation with the ladies) to be their man. In this episode, Chris is joined by author and historian Rick Perlstein. Sources Reaganland by Rick Perlstein article about Reinhold Niebuhr God's Own Party by Daniel K. Williams The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Listen, America! by Jerry Falwell Discussion Questions What was the role of the New Right in recruiting religious people? Why was Falwell an ideal candidate for the New Right? A higher percentage of evangelicals voted for Nixon than for Reagan. So why do we talk so much about Reagan as a turning point? What was the Moral Majority? How do we see groups like them operating today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 36m 15s | ||||||
| 11/18/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Jerry Falwell (part 1) | Give to help Chris make Truce Jerry Falwell was a prominent American pastor, televangelist, and conservative political activist whose life and ministry had a significant impact on American evangelicalism and politics. Born on August 11, 1933, in Lynchburg, Virginia, Falwell grew up in a family that was not particularly religious. However, after becoming a Christian during his college years, he dedicated his life to ministry. He attended Baptist Bible College in Missouri, where he developed the theological convictions that would shape his future work. In 1956, at the age of 22, he returned to his hometown to found the Thomas Road Baptist Church, beginning his long journey as a spiritual and cultural leader. Falwell’s ministry expanded rapidly through the use of media. He launched the “Old-Time Gospel Hour” television program, which gained national attention and allowed him to reach millions of viewers. His style combined traditional evangelical preaching with a strong emphasis on conservative values. The success of his broadcast ministry helped him establish a broad base of support and financial backing, enabling the growth of both his church and other initiatives. By the 1970s, Falwell had become one of the most recognizable faces of American evangelicalism. In 1971, Falwell founded Liberty University in Lynchburg. Perhaps Falwell’s most politically influential move came in 1979 with the founding of the Moral Majority, an organization that mobilized conservative Christians to become involved in American politics. Through the Moral Majority, Falwell encouraged evangelicals to support Republican candidates who aligned with their views on issues like abortion, school prayer, and family values. The group played a crucial role in the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, signaling a new era of religious involvement in American political life. Falwell's efforts helped to solidify the alliance between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party that persists to this day. Falwell’s outspoken views often sparked controversy. He was a staunch opponent of abortion, LGBTQ rights, and the feminist movement, and he frequently spoke out against what he saw as the moral decline of American society. Critics accused him of promoting intolerance and mixing religion with politics in divisive ways. Nevertheless, his supporters praised him for standing up for biblical principles and being unafraid to speak his mind in a secularizing culture. Falwell saw himself as a defender of traditional American and Christian values, even as the country grew increasingly polarized. Jerry Falwell died on May 15, 2007. My guest for this episode is Daniel K Williams, author of God's Own Party. Sources: God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams American Sermons: The Pilgrims to Martin Luther King Jr. (for the Danforth sermon) I first heard the Danforth sermon mentioned on the Now and Then podcast The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Falwell: An Autobiography by Jerry Falwell Falwell's "Ministers and Marchers" sermon Discussion Questions What do you think of Danforth's sermon? Why is it important to understand that preachers have been concerned about the US since before it became a country? Why is it valuable to understand Falwell's early opposition to integration? We know that much of the season is related to education. Why is it significant that Falwell was an educator? How should we as a society adapt when a leader repents of their racism? What role did Frances Schaeffer play in shaping Falwell? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 40m 08s | ||||||
| 11/4/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals: Abortion | Give to help Chris continue to make Truce A lot of evangelicals are now single-issue voters, and that issue is abortion. But that was not always the case. In fact, for a great deal of American history, abortion was largely seen as a Catholic issue. There are, of course, exceptions. But most evangelicals and Protestants were divided on the subject, even favoring abortion when it came to preserving the health of the mother, or in cases of rape and incest. On this episode, Chris interviews historian and author Daniel K. Williams about the history of the abortion debate in the United States. A major turning point was the availability of elective or "on-demand" abortions in places like New York. As evangelicals grew more upset with the moral decline of the country, they lumped abortion together with gay and lesbian rights fights, the proliferation of pornography, and decided that it needed to stop. Plus, big money through New Right PACs entered the field, and politicians were soon chosen on their allegiance to pro-life legislation. Sources: Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade by Daniel K Williams Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Romper Room on YouTube CBS Sunday Morning excellent story on Sherri Chessen Article on thalidomide Oyez.org for the Supreme Court cases Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley American Experience article on Comstock Laws New York Times video on the Population Bomb (good stuff!) The US Constitution Frances Shaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America by Barry Hankins Discussion Questions: Why was abortion considered a Catholic issue in the mid-1900s? How did the Griswold case impact the Roe case? How did changing sexual mores contribute to the pro-life movement? How did the 1970 opening of New York to elective abortions impact public opinion? What is "abortion on demand"? How did Reagan's endorsement of the HLA shift Republican politics? Was Reagan successful in helping the pro-life movement, or was he merely throwing them a bone to get votes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 47m 29s | ||||||
| 10/21/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals: The Death Penalty | Give to help Chris continue making Truce In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the United States went years without using the death penalty. Not a single person was killed by injection, firing squad, hanging, or electric chair. But by the late 90s, we were killing around 100 convicted criminals per year. What happened? In 1972, the Supreme Court handed down its decision Furman v. Georgia, which negated state capital punishment laws across the country. This meant that some of the worst criminals in the country were suddenly given new sentences. And Americans... lost their minds. Within just a few years, new laws were written, and the Court decided to approve many of them. The death penalty long had a prejudiced bent, disproportionately killing people of color. The NAACP worked hard to end the practice, but those efforts were soon undone as American opinions toward the death penalty abruptly changed. My special guest for this episode is Maurice Chammah, author of Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty Sources: Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty by Maurice Chammah The Death Penalty: An American History by Stuart Banner (an excellent source!) Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Hijacking of American Flight 119: How D.B. Cooper Inspired a Hijacking Craze and the FBI's Battle to Stop It. by John Wigger Listen, America! by Jerry Falwell Romans 13 (and 1 for a fact check) The US Constitution September 26, 1973 (page 94 of 98). (1973, Sep 26). The Ottawa Citizen (1954-1973) Retrieved from https://wsl.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/september-26-1973-page-94-98/docview/2338669544/se-2 Oyez.org coverage of Furman v. Georgia Oyez.org coverage of Gregg v. Georgia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4G_O_Z55fQ Pew Research data on crime Discussion Questions: What are your thoughts on the death penalty? Why was the Furman case so important? What did it decide? Should juries have guidelines when considering a death penalty case? Why is the death penalty so popular among evangelicals? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 45m 26s | ||||||
| 10/7/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | Bob Jones University v. The United States | Give to help Chris continue to make Truce Bob Jones University v. United States (1983) was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that addressed whether the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could deny tax-exempt status to private religious schools that practiced racially discriminatory policies. Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian institution, prohibited interracial dating and marriage among its students based on its religious beliefs. In 1970, the IRS revised its policy to deny tax-exempt status to private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies, prompting Bob Jones University to file suit after losing its exemption. The university argued that the IRS's actions violated its First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion. The central question for the Court was whether the government's interest in eradicating racial discrimination in education outweighed the burden on religious freedom imposed by the denial of tax-exempt status. The case thus pitted two core constitutional principles against each other: religious liberty and the government's interest in promoting equality. In an 8–1 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the IRS’s position. Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing for the majority, stated that tax-exempt status is a form of government subsidy and that organizations seeking this benefit must serve a public interest. The Court held that eliminating racial discrimination in education was a "fundamental, overriding interest" that justified the burden on the university’s religious practices. It emphasized that the government is not required to subsidize discriminatory behavior, even when it is religiously motivated. The ruling had significant implications. It clarified that tax-exempt status is conditional upon compliance with fundamental public policy, including civil rights laws. The decision reinforced the principle that religious freedom, while protected, does not allow institutions to violate core public values when receiving government benefits. This case remains a key precedent in balancing religious liberty with broader societal interests in equality and nondiscrimination. Sources: The Story of Bob Jones University v. United States: Race, Religion, and Congress's Extraordinary Acquiescence by Olati Johnson. Paper Number 10-229. God's Own Party by Daniel K Williams https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/461/574/#tab-opinion-1955051 1980s Republican Party Platform In Search of Another Country by Joseph Crespino McNamar's testimony, pp.225, Hearing Before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, Ninety-Seventh Congress, Second Session, February 1, 1982. (Thanks to the Senate Historian's Office) “The Bob Jones Decision: A Dangerous Precedent” by Kenneth S. Kantzer. September 2, 1983, issue of Christianity Today. Randall Balmer article for Politico that narrows the blame for the bonding of evangelicals to the GOP to race Before the Storm by Rick Perlstein Majority opinion in the Bob Jones case New York Times article in which Bob Jones assails the Supreme Court (page A23), May 25, 1983 “Bob Jones, in Sermon, Assails Supreme Court” Discussion Questions: Why is the tax exemption so important to this story? Why is it important to churches and religious institutions? How would revoking the tax exemption change giving to those institutions? Some evangelicals (like CT) denounced the racism of BJU, but still thought the IRS overstepped its bounds. What do you think? Which institutions in the US should be tax-exempt? Which shouldn't? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 29m 56s | ||||||
| 9/9/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals | George Wallace | Give to help Chris continue to make Truce George Wallace was, as historian Dan Carter put it, "the most influential loser in American history". He was the governor of Alabama and lost multiple bids for president of the United States. In the process, he spread his racist views throughout the country. Wallace is a vitally important figure in American history. His success in pulling in votes from racists attracted the attention of establishment politicians. He showed men like Richard Nixon that there was a significant voting bloc out there willing to vote based just on their fears about race. In this episode, Chris speaks with historian and author Dan T. Carter about his book The Politics of Rage. Wallace Bio (AI Generated) George Corley Wallace Jr., born on August 25, 1919, in Clio, Alabama, rose to prominence as a controversial figure in American politics. A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law in 1942, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, Wallace embarked on a political career, serving in the Alabama House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 and as a circuit court judge until 1959. His early political endeavors were marked by a moderate stance on racial issues. However, his political trajectory shifted dramatically in the early 1960s. In 1962, Wallace was elected governor of Alabama, campaigning on a platform of staunch segregationism. His infamous declaration, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," during his inaugural address in 1963, epitomized his commitment to maintaining racial segregation. That same year, he attempted to block the enrollment of African American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, at the University of Alabama, an event that became known as the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door." This act of defiance against federal desegregation efforts brought national attention to Wallace and solidified his reputation as a symbol of resistance to civil rights advancements. Wallace's political influence extended beyond state politics. In 1968, he ran for president as the candidate of the American Independent Party, advocating for states' rights and appealing to disaffected white voters. He carried five Southern states and secured 13.5% of the national vote, demonstrating significant support for his segregationist views on a national scale. Despite his presidential aspirations, Wallace's influence remained strongest in Alabama, where he served multiple non-consecutive terms as governor. A pivotal moment in Wallace's life occurred in 1972 during his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. While campaigning in Laurel, Maryland, he was shot by Arthur Bremer, leaving him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this setback, Wallace returned to Alabama politics, winning the gubernatorial election in 1974. His later years in office were characterized by a shift in his political ideology, as he sought to distance himself from his earlier segregationist positions. Sources: The Politics of Rage by Dan T. Carter National Park Service article about the 16th Street Baptist Church Curtis LeMary's announcement speech History.com article about George Wallace being shot Nixon Library audio tapes collection Nixon talking about Wallace on tape Rolling Stone magazine, October 24, 1974, “The Ministry of George Wallace” by Joe Klein. Questions: Had you heard of George Wallace before? Why was Wallace important? How did Wallace's moderate successes change politics in his era? One prominent person speaking negatively about another race can significantly impact public opinion. How could his bloviating give permission to white people in the north to be openly racist? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 04m 06s | ||||||
| 8/26/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Boston Against Busing | Give to help Chris make Truce We talk about racism in the United States like it only happens in the South. But the nasty truth is that the North is also guilty of racist behavior. This is evident in the way that we behaved when schools were integrated by bus. Brown v. Board of Education called for public schools to integrate. However, it took decades for many public schools to carry out this directive. It wasn't until the 1970s that the Boston schools were forced to integrate. But how? Schools are frequently attended by children who live in a given school district. But the North had divided itself up by race, forcing black people to live only in certain areas of a city. Black children were not going to white public schools because they simply didn't live in white neighborhoods. This was de facto segregation at work. So when schools were called to integrate, they had to come up with a plan. They would bus students between schools, thus integrating them. But there were problems. In Boston, they started this program by cross-populating poor schools with poor schools. So the quality of education didn't go up. Violence broke out across the city as parents and children alike struggled to welcome people who looked different than them. In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Zebulon Miletsky, Associate Professor, Africana Studies and History at Stony Brook University. Sources: Before Busing: A History of Boston's Long Black Freedom Struggle by Dr. Zebulon Miletsky Boston Against Busing by Ronald P Formisano Boston Globe (1960-); Sep 26, 1968; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Boston Globe pg. 1 and 32 Nixon's radio address about integration The Busing Battleground PBS documentary (worth a watch!) GBH's coverage of busing American Archive video collection on busing Discussion Questions: Integration was going to be difficult. How should it have been handled? Would you send your kids to a potentially unsafe school? What if it meant helping to integrate it? Was the uproar over integrated busing about more than just race? Why is it that black parents sometimes didn't want their kids going to formerly white schools? How do people like Ms. Hicks build a political career on a single issue? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 31m 30s | ||||||
| 8/12/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Segregation Academies (part 2) | Give to help Chris make the Truce Podcast In 2 Samuel 24 David is told that he must buy a certain piece of land in an act of repentance for his sins. The man who owns the land says that he'd like to give David the land and the animals to sacrifice. But David turns him down, insisting that he won't give to God something that cost him nothing. This story demonstrates something that may be missing from the Christian world today. Sacrifice should cost us something. Sacrifice should be a sacrifice. In the 1970s, school districts in the North and South were told that they had to integrate schools. This move was opposed by people of all sorts, including some Christians who worried that if segregation academies lost their tax-exempt status then Christian schools would too. This is the sad story of how some evangelicals with large followings came to oppose school integration. Our special guest is Daniel K. Williams, author of the excellent book God's Own Party. I also feature a clip from Angie Maxwell author of The Long Southern Strategy. Sources In Search of Another Country by Joseph Crespino Boston Against Busing by Ronald Formisano Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald 2 Samuel 24 Article on NPR God's Own Party by Daniel K. Williams Discussion Questions Sacrifice requires sacrifice. What are your thoughts on that statement? Do you believe in school integration? How should it have happened in the 1970s? Would you have wanted your kids to be bused to a different town if it meant a more multicultural experience? Why did some evangelicals with large followings think they needed to tie themselves to the GOP? How do we reconcile with the history of religious segregation academies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 46m 35s | ||||||
| 7/29/25 | ![]() Republicans and Evangelicals I Segregation Academies (part 1) | Give to help Chris continue Truce. Update: I would like to apologize for an error I made in the original version of this story. I stated that tuition payments to private schools are tax-exempt on the federal level. They are not. They sometimes are on the state level. The episode has been edited to reflect the correct information. When Brown v. Board of Education passed the Supreme Court in 1954, segregationists stepped up their efforts to keep black children out of their schools. If they couldn't use public schools, they'd establish their own private academies. In the 60's the Supreme Court struck down mandatory Bible reading and prayer in schools, causing some Christians to establish private Christian schools. This movement had unfortunate timing in that it lined up with the segregation academy movement. To our shame, many Protestant schools were segregation academies. But this story isn't so easy. In this episode and the next, we'll explore the strange twists and turns of the private school movements of the 1960s and 70s. They illustrate just how tangled evangelicals are with schools, taxes, and racism. Sources: In Search of Another Country by Joseph Crespino Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Article on Jeffersonian Ideology The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (especially books 1 and 2) Oyez.org article about the McCullum Case Interview with Austin Steelman, professor at Clemson University Oyez.org article about the Plessy case Oyez.org article about Brown v. Board Department of Labor article about the 1964 Civil Rights Act Oyez.org article about the Green case Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 32m 09s | ||||||
| 7/18/25 | ![]() Scopes Monkey Trial - 100 Year Anniversay | Give to help Chris continue making Truce I made these episodes a few years ago, but since it is the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey" trial, I thought we should revisit them! Tennessee was the first state in the United States to crack down hard on the teaching of evolution in public schools. Others had dabbled, but Tennessee went all the way. The ACLU wanted to challenge the validity of the case in the courts. In order to do that they needed an educator to teach it, get busted, and be brought to trial. At the same time, the town of Dayton, TN, needed a boost. After the biggest employer closed down, it faced serious economic trouble. What if the men of Dayon could manufacture a court case to draw the attention of the nation? They found a young teacher named John Scopes and convinced him to participate in their scheme. They booked Scopes, even though he probably never taught evolution. The ACLU had its case. Soon, William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow hopped on board, and it went from a publicity stunt to something for the history books. This is the event that some historians (wrongly) point to as the death of Christian fundamentalism in the United States until it was revived by the Moral Majority. One man fighting for the biblical idea of creation and another for godless atheism. But the real history is far more complex. Edward Larson, professor at Pepperdine University, joins us to discuss the trial and his Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Summer for the Gods”. Helpful Sources: “Summer for the Gods” by Edward Larson Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum Worth a visit! Court Transcript of the Scopes Trial (easy to find online) “A Godly Hero” by Michael Kazin Discussion Questions: What events led to the Scopes trial? Why did the ACLU feel they had to try the Tennessee Law? Who should decide what is taught in schools? Teachers? Parents? Lawmakers? Or some combination? What were William Jennings Bryan’s motives for joining the prosecution? What were Clarence Darrow’s motives for joining the defense? Should prayer be allowed before a trial about religion? Should Christians get involved in what is taught in schools? To what degree? Dayton, Tennessee’s plan to boost tourism William Jennings Bryan’s crusade against Darwin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 13m 04s | ||||||
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