Truce - History of the Christian Church

Give to help Chris make the Truce PodcastIn 1977, the Congress of the United States allotted $5 million for the National Women's Conference. The money was intended to bring together women from around the country so that they could put together recommendations for the Congress and President. It would highlight women of color, and those minorities who were sometimes overlooked like Native American women. But there was conflict from its inception.Liberal women, some of the same who turned NOW into a liberal group, took control. They did not want the far-right to participate, women like Phyllis Schlafly who had fought so hard to stall the ERA. This only made conservative women more bitter.There was more fuel for the fire. Gay and lesbian rights were added to the discussion topics of the convention. That was a big deal in 1977 when conservative women rallied around Anita Bryant and her fight against equal rights for homosexuals in Miami, Florida. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin, so some conservative religious people did not want to give homosexuals rights in the US. So for liberal women to incorporate a gay and lesbian plank into the National Women's Conference was a BIG deal. And a way to pick a fight with conservatives.The battle ultimately led to conservatives hosting their own conference a few miles away. This gathering ultimately united the Religious Right and kicked off the Pro-Life, Pro-Family movement that we know today. How did women play a role in uniting evangelicals with the Republican Party?Our guest today is Marjoie Spruill. She is the author of the fantastic book Divided We Stand. She is a distinguished professor emerita of history at the University of South Carolina.Sources: Divided We Stand by Marjorie Spruill Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Anita Bryant's orange juice commercial Phyllis Schlafly on PBS video Former President Trump's eulogy for Phyllis Schlafly Andy Warhol's cover art for Time Magazine of Bella Abzug New York Times article about women swinging while their husbands were in Vietnam "Revive Us Again" by Joel Carpenter Discussion Questions: What is your impression of Anita Bryant? Do you remember her? What rights should homosexuals have in the United States? In the last episode about Phyllis Schlafly, we looked at conflicting opinions of what equal rights look like for women. Should they be treated the same as men or have equality plus protections? Let's transfer that question to homosexuals. Should they have equal rights, fewer rights, or equal rights plus protections? Should women on the president's council have opened the National Women's Conference to women on the far right? What do you think will happen once the conference is launched? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Marjorie Spruill, a distinguished scholar in women's history and political activism, explores the life of Phyllis Schlafly and her substantial impact on American politics. They discuss Schlafly's paradoxical stance as a traditionalist who advocated against the Equal Rights Amendment while holding a law degree. The conversation highlights the ideological divides within feminism and Schlafly's strategies that rallied conservative groups against women's rights in the 1970s, showcasing how personal beliefs can shape political landscapes.

Give to help Chris make TruceRJ Rushdoony is not a household name. But he influenced a lot of interesting people, from members of the New Right to the Christian homeschooling movement. His books and lectures inspired people to pull their kids out of public schools and teach them at home. But who was RJ Rushdoony?He was deeply impacted by his time doing missionary work on a Native American reservation. There he saw how difficult it was to get anything done and to give people proper access to their government. He went on to work with libertarian organizations like Spiritual Mobilization and the Volker Fund. His mentor Cornelius Van Til taught him to see the triad of government, church, and family in a new way. In Rushdoony's mind, those three spheres should not interfere with each other. BUT, he did want Christians to run the government. Instead of doing a top-down change, he wanted change to begin with families, then rise to the church, eventually taking over the political sphere.Howard Phillips, one of the founders of the New Right, was a disciple of Rushdoony. So was his son, Doug Phillips, who founded the homeschooling movement known as Vision Forum. In this episode, Chris interviews Paul Hastings of the Compelled podcast about how they met at a Vision Forum film festival.The special guest for today is Michael McVicar, author of "Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism."Sources: Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism by Michael McVicar Reaganland by Rick Perlstein The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald Helpful article about libertarian philosophy One Nation Under God by Kevin Kruse Discussion Questions: How do you think Rushdoony was impacted by his experiences on the reservation? What is libertarianism? What do you think about it? In what ways have you seen libertarianism presented in evangelical culture? What did Rushdoony think about public schools? How was this a departure from progressive-era Christian thinkers? How does Christian homeschooling differ from other forms of homeschooling? Why did homeschooling take off in the 1980s and 1990s? What role, if any, should Christians play in public schools? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make TruceIn 1974, Alice Moore was a member of the school board in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The board met to hear the recommendations of the textbook committee and approve them. But Alice protested when she read a portion from the Autobiography of Malcolm X, which thanked Allah for preventing Malcolm X from being a black Christian. From there they uncovered a number of potentially offensive texts, some because of language, others because of discussions of rape. Race was likely a factor as well, though Moore denied it.Local pastors decried what they saw as secularism and humanism creeping into public schools. Parents blocked school buses, and others kept their children at home. Soon, there were fights, and dynamite was used to blow up school buildings. What started as a disagreement over books erupted into an all-out war. One that echoed in other parts of the country at the same time as families wrestled with changes in education.Sources: "The Great Textbook Wars" - award-winning documentary on the battle "The Invisible Bridge" by Rick Perlstein "Soul on Ice" by Eldrige Cleaver (archive.org) "Androcles and the Lion" by Aesop Texas Monthly article about the Gablers Video of the Gablers talking to William F Buckley on "Firing Line" The New York Times article about schools closed in WV The New York Times article about the textbook war Radio interview about the John Birch Society Discussion Questions: Had you heard of the textbook war before? What did you think of the passage from "Soul on Ice"? Should it be read by senior students headed for college? What about other students? Who should decide what gets taught in local school districts? How about nationally? How did Alice Moore and others act appropriately? How about inappropriately? The KKK and John Birch Society show up a few times this season, often opportunistically. Does their appearance automatically smear all participants as racist? What else was going on in 1974 that could have escalated the panic of the era? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Partner with us by donating at: www.trucepodcast.com/donateSomething had to be done. The Great Depression meant the loss of a vast number of jobs and left families waiting on bread lines. Economists like John Meynard Keynes puzzled over what to do. President Hoover took a laissez-faire approach to the catastrophe, only to have matters get worse. Then Franklin D. Roosevelt came into office and his administration kicked The New Deal into gear. It was a program that offered diverse aid to citizens from protections for money in banks to homeowner assistance.Many Christian leaders came to hate the New Deal, especially libertarians. Their opposition to the New Deal as creeping socialism sparked the National Prayer Breakfast, some of Billy Graham's speeches, and the bonding of capitalism to Christianity and the US. So we should probably know what the New Deal was!Our guest on this episode is Justin Rosolino. He's a high school history teacher and the author of the book "Idiot Sojourning Soul".You can find pictures of Chris' 50-mile New Deal Bike Tour on the website at www.trucepodcast.com.Helpful Links: FDR's Inauguration Speech on C-SPAN Interesting YouTube video about the causes of the Great Depression Topics Discussed: What was the Social Gospel? Who was Franklin Roosevelt? What was the New Deal? The Civilian Conservation Corp The Works Progress Administration Jenny Lake - Grand Teton National Park Unemployment Discussion Questions: Why do some people dislike the New Deal? Which of the programs most impacts you? What do you think of the New Deal? Was it a form of socialism? Do you think there will ever be another New Deal in the US? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help Chris make the Truce PodcastIn 1955, the Board of Regents for New York issued an optional prayer to be used in public schools. It became known as the "Regent's Prayer". Here it is: "“Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.” That short prayer was contested not only by non-religious people but also by Protestants who thought that it was too vague. What God is it talking about? Where is the mention of Jesus or the Holy Spirit, salvation, sin, grace, etc.?With help from the ACLU, parents sued and the case made it all the way to the US Supreme Court. It was known as Engle v. Vitale. It overturned prescribed prayer in schools. In this episode, Chris goes through the arguments the court and Justice Hugo Black made during this landmark decision. A year later, the Court heard Abington School District v. Schempp, which ended prescribed Bible reading in public schools.This season we're covering how American evangelicals bonded themselves with the Republican Party. There are a lot of reasons that evangelicals started to vote as a block in the late 70s and early 1980s. They range from women's liberation, changes in attitude toward taxation, and battles over gay and lesbian rights, to education. This is part of our coverage of the education section. This episode has been rewritten and recorded, updating an episode from season 3.Sources: "One Nation Under God" by Kevin Kruse Transcript of Abington School District v Schempp Census data about public and private schools Transcript and audio of Engel v Vitale Discussion Questions: Did you ever pray in school? What did you pray? Did you ever read the Bible in school? Is there an "ideal" prayer that should be read in schools? If so, what is it? What objections might parents have? Is it important for school children to learn about religions in school? Do you agree or disagree with Justice Hugo Black? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to support the Truce PodcastIt seems like so many people define their faith by what they believe about Donald Trump. How can godly Christians return to the gospel to get us back on track?In this round table discussion episode, Chris is joined by Pastor Ray McDaniel of First Baptist Church in Jackson, WY and Nick Staron to prepare us for the season.Topics Discussed: What is Christianity? The importance of forgiveness and going to those who are angry with us Why it is important to cover things like the Watergate scandals of the 1970s in a Christian podcast The need for humility in our lives The gospel in 10 words or less Do you have a gospel message in 10 words or less? Find Truce on social media and let us know! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give a little to help support the Truce PodcastWhen did Republicans, the party of Abraham Lincoln, start courting the American South? It's a big question! For decades, Republicans were known as the party that helped black people (except, you know, for ending Reconstruction to help gain the White House). Then, with the nomination of Barry Goldwater, the tide turned. Goldwater's team promoted him as a racist when he toured the South. And... he won some ground in the traditionally Democratic region.So when it came time for Richard Nixon to run in 1968, his team decided to court the South. Not out in public like Goldwater had. Instead, they decided to operate a campaign of "benign neglect" where they would not enforce existing laws meant to protect African-Americans.Our special guest this week is Angie Maxwell, author of The Long Southern Strategy.Discussion Questions: What caused the rift in the Democratic Party that made Strom Thurmond leave (hint: it has to do with Truman)? What was the Democratic Party like before Truman? What influence did Strom Thurmond have on Nixon? Who was Barry Goldwater? How did he change the Republican Party by courting white Southerners? How might the idea of the South being "benighted" impact them as a people? Why do so many evangelicals see themselves as "benighted"? Sources: "The Long Southern Strategy" by Angie Maxwell and Todd Shields. "Reaganland" by Rick Perlstein YouTube clip of Nixon not wanting "Law and Order" to mean "racist" Nixon talking about "law and order" in a speech Nixon's campaign ad about protests and tear gas Article about Nelson Rockefeller Nixon's civil rights ad Helpful Time Magazine article "These Truths" book by Jill Lepore Bio on Strom Thurmond Article about Reconstruction "The Evangelicals" book by Frances Fitzgerald Truman's speech to the NAACP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Give to help make Truce!Billy Graham, the famous evangelist, was good friends with Richard Nixon. The two played golf and gave each other advice. Graham was the person who encouraged Nixon to run for president a second time. He also encouraged Nixon to regularly attend church, so Nixon started the first regular church service in the White House, only to make it another "it" place to be seen. But when Nixon's crimes were made public, Graham continued to support him, commenting only on the strong language used by the president.What does it mean for Christian leaders to stand behind a corrupt president? In this episode, Chris interviews David Bruce, a historian at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.NOTE: I thought it was especially important to outline the many crimes of the Nixon administration. Today these crimes are downplayed by bad actors wishing to rewrite history. It is important to emphasize that not only were there immoral acts of shenanigans, there were real crimes perpetrated against individuals, organizations, and the American people.Sources "The Surprising Work of God" by Garth M. Rosell An article from The Atlantic about the Pope and Mussolini "The Popes Against the Protestants" by Kevin Madigan NPR interview with Kevin Madigan "A Prophet With Honor" book by William Martin "The Invisible Bridge" by Rick Perlstein "The Evangelicals" by Frances Fitzgerald "The Failure and the Hope: Essays of Southern Churchmen" book of essays accessed on Google Books New York Times article about how the Watergate break-in was financed Pat Buchanan hearings during the Watergate investigation Frost/Nixon transcript Discussion Questions: Was Billy Graham being a good friend by supporting Nixon after Watergate? Should religious leaders maintain a certain amount of distance between themselves and people of power? Why do we like to see our governmental leaders as religious people? Was Nixon's church service in the Whitehouse wrong to be a gathering place of the rich and famous? How bad was the Watergate break-in? How does it change your mind about Nixon to know about the other criminal activity? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices