Evangelical Television and the Politicizing of the Evangelical Message, 1950-1994

Abstract

This project tells the unlikely story of how evangelical efforts to get and stay on television helped to transform evangelicals from nonpolitical outsiders to vocal political insiders. Over the course of fifty years evangelicals utilized new technology and built a vast media infrastructure, culminating in the creation of a cultural empire that took evangelicalism from a fringe religion to a top tier cultural and political force. The path for evangelicals was necessarily political, but not inevitably partisan. When evangelical broadcasters first tried to get on television, evangelicalism was an immature movement opposed by liberal and mainline denominations, and unknown by much of America. Getting on the air was therefore an uphill battle, but these early challenges were formative. Initial efforts spurred evangelicals to organize, which led to the formation of the National Religious Broadcasters and expanded evangelical networks. Over time, they built relationships with government officials and built their own network of technical and political knowledge to ensure that religious broadcasting was successful. They increasingly gained access to airtime, and as their power increased, their message of faith evolved into a message of faith paired with politics. Soon these beliefs were asserted and reaffirmed over the airways, directly into households across America. This powerful messaging tool allowed evangelicals to raise their profiles and their influence, taking them from late-night paid programming ministers to prime time commenters on the issues that mattered most in America.