Study Notes on Jerry Falwell and the Rise of the Moral Majority

Name: Jerry Falwell
Birthplace: Virginia
Family Background:
- Grew up in a troubled household.
- Family struggled with poverty and substance abuse.
- Father's alcoholism led to the death of Jerry's uncle due to a drunken house fight.
- Jerry's father later died from cirrhosis of the liver while awaiting trial for murder.

Initial Encounter: Falwell heard a street preacher emphasizing that faith in Jesus can bring healing to a broken life.
Conversion:
- He converted to a form of evangelical Christianity rooted in the Second Great Awakening.
- Identified as a fundamentalist for the rest of his life.

Ordination: Became ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention.
Founding of Thomas Road Baptist Church: Established in 1956 in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Old Fashioned Revival Hour: Launched a radio program that reflected a revivalist approach to evangelism reminiscent of past evangelical leaders like Dwight Moody and Billy Sunday.
Liberty Christian Academy: Founded in 1966; transformed into Liberty University in 1971.
- Liberty University became the largest college in the U.S. with approximately 130,000 students, mainly enrolled online.
- Comparison: Texas A&M has around 73,000 students, highlighting Liberty's significant enrollment advantage.

Non-political Stance: Falwell initially avoided political involvement, focusing instead on evangelism and community building.
- His belief aligned with Dwight Moody, who argued that the return of Jesus rendered political engagement ineffective.
Response to Civil Rights Movement:
- In 1965, Falwell preached against ministers' involvement in politics through his sermon and pamphlet titled "Of Ministers and Marches." He emphasized the role of ministers as soul winners rather than politicians.

Institutional Purpose: Falwell created Liberty University partly as a response to Brown vs. Board of Education, allowing for private religious education while avoiding integration.
Private Schools in South: Many established to circumvent desegregation in public schools.
- These predominantly white institutions were often named after confederate figures.

Evolution of Political Engagement:
- Falwell's lack of political engagement shifted by the 1970s due to emerging societal changes, including those surrounding abortion and secularism.
- Roe vs. Wade (1973) initially met with indifference from Falwell, who remarked it was a "Catholic issue."
Growing Political Engagement:
- The 1970s economic turmoil and political scandals (Nixon's resignation, Vietnam War) fostered a crisis that encouraged a reevaluation among evangelicals regarding their role in politics.

Formation of the Moral Majority: In 1979, Falwell established this group as a means to mobilize conservative evangelicals around shared causes, reducing the emphasis on segregation and focusing on issues like morality and family values.

OPEC Crisis (1973): Triggered an oil price surge from $20 to $100 per barrel, leading to nationwide gas lines.
Stagflation: Characterized by stagnant growth and inflation, creating a new economic term reflecting this combination.
Political Disillusionment: Events such as Nixon’s Watergate scandal and the Vietnam conflict contributed to a climate of distrust in government.

Jimmy Carter's Presidency: Elected in 1976 as an evangelical who attempted to restore moral integrity to politics, marking a historic moment for evangelicals in political discourse.
Divided Voting Trends Among Evangelicals: Even amid his presidency, there was significant split voting among evangelicals; 50% supported Carter while the remaining half leaned Republican.
Emergence of Reagan Democrats: The 1980s saw a political realignment where issues of race and religion became central to electoral strategies, reshaping voter demographics.

IRS Policy Changes: In 1976, the IRS began revoking tax-exempt statuses from institutions that practiced racial discrimination, significantly impacting schools like Bob Jones University.
Falwell's Coalition Strategy: Falwell's organization sought to unify religious conservatives against common perceived threats (abortion, government overreach) without acknowledging the segregationist roots for their establishment.

Legacy of Political Mobilization: The strategies and ideological shifts introduced by Falwell laid the groundwork for a longstanding alliance between religious conservatives and Republican politics, enduring into the modern political landscape.

"America needs to see the country come back to basics."
- Moral Majority as a Coalition: Aims to build support among diverse religious groups under shared moral values, emphasizing a Judeo-Christian ethics framework in politics.
Political Strategy: Utilized emotional and historical appeals to galvanize supporters around a nostalgic vision of America.