About this episode

This episode discusses the controversies surrounding televangelist Jimmy Swaggart and the impact on evangelical politics in the late 1980s.

Give to help Chris make Truce Jimmy Swaggart was caught in a major controversy in the late 1980s. It involved the famous American televangelist, who was a leading figure in Pentecostal Christianity. In 1988, Swaggart publicly admitted to “moral failure” after reports surfaced that he had been involved with a prostitute, behavior that directly contradicted the strict moral standards he preached. The revelation led to his suspension by the Assemblies of God, his church denomination, and caused significant damage to his reputation and ministry. Swaggart delivered a widely televised, tearful confession, which became one of the most memorable moments in religious broadcasting, symbolizing broader concerns at the time about hypocrisy, accountability, and power among high-profile televangelists. This proved to be a problem for Pat Robertson, who was running for president. Just as he needed his conservative brothers and sisters on his side... they disappeared or chose another politician. When he lost the race, he continued his streak of being shelved by politicians. He and other evangelicals with large followings placed their hope in politicians to save them. Only to find disappointment…

People in this episode

Host: Chris Staron

Topics covered

• televangelism
• moral failure
• political influence
• hypocrisy
• evangelicalism

Keywords

• Jimmy Swaggart
• Pat Robertson
• televangelism
• moral failure
• evangelicals
• hypocrisy
• politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Assemblies of God

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