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Evangelicalism - Coggle Diagram
Evangelicalism
Rise of the Religious Right
Origin myth-- that Evangelicals were “shaken out of their political complacency” by Roe v. Wade
Compared abortion issue to abolition
claimed that abortion sole reason evangelicals got involved
But even Jerry Falwell admits that abortion wasn't the catalyst
When Roe v. Wade originally passed, mostly silence/impartiality from Evangelical communities, Baptists supported it for the most part
Evangelicals actually became politically active over the Green v Connolly case-- not abortion
Segregated schools were denied tax exempt status by the IRS which motivated political activism by evangelicals who saw this as government overreach into religious affairs
Paul Weyrich took this as an opening to mobilize the evangelical voting bloc for conservative politics
"moral majority"
Weyrich tried lots of issues, including abortion, to mobilize Evangelical voters; only one that worked was IRS removing tax exempt status from segregated schools
Weyrich managed to blame IRS stuff on Carter when he had nothing to do with it
Bob Jones University had tax-exempt status removed (because segregated and racist) so sued IRS -- Weyrich mobilized Evangelicals around this case
This case fueled Evangelical resentment
“Evangelical leaders, prodded by Weyrich, chose to interpret the IRS ruling against segregationist schools as an assault on the integrity and the sanctity of the evangelical subculture, ignoring the fact that exemption from taxes is itself a form of public subsidy.”
Grover Norquist agreed that attack on segregationist schools fueled rise of religious right in politics
Paul Weyrich was architect of Religious Right
1969 case “Greene v Kennedy” → Black parents sued whites-only academies in Mississippi from receiving tax exempt status
After Evangelicals already politically active voting bloc, abortion becomes salient issue
1978 Democrats lost badly in midterms at least partially because of pro-life activists
Evangelicals were mad about "secular humanism"
Used voting coalition of Evangelicals from the school/tax case to rally around abortion
Moved abortion from Catholic issue to evangelical issue through “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” → evangelical propoganda films
What are Evangelicals?
They have a datable conversion experience -- "born again" Christians
They have an impulse to bring others into the faith -- evangelizing
They believe the Bible is God's revelation
Evangelicals in politics
Evangelicals did not become politically extreme, they were born out of extremism
Evangelicals are the most conservative voting bloc today
Evangelicals score high on Christian Nationalism
Evangelicals before they became politically salient
Pre '60s, Evangelicals were often progressive
Second Great Awakening
19th century religious revival
Chicago declaration
Jimmy Carter a true evangelical, yet evangelicals organized against him