Revisiting the legacy of Jerry Falwell Sr in Trump's America

Recently, President Donald Trump appointed evangelical Christian leader Jerry Falwell Jr to head the White House education reform task force. Not much is known about the task force or what its work will be. And, tapping Falwell Jr as its leader may seem odd to some observers given that he is president of Liberty University, a Christian university founded by his father, Jerry Falwell Sr, and not a top research university.

Falwell Jr has recently been active in the political realm, particularly in his outspoken support of Donald Trump.

From my perspective as someone who has been studying Protestant fundamentalists and evangelicals for more than 20 years, Falwell Jr, to date, remains a relatively minor political and religious figure. His appointment could be better explained by his family legacy, particularly that of his late father, Jerry Falwell Sr – an enormously influential figure in American politics still today.

From televangelist to political activist

Falwell Sr was a pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Christian megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. Along with several other evangelical televangelists in the 1970s, he enjoyed a large national following who tuned in to his weekly televised church service.
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