With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America — Season 1, Episode 5: And Who Shall Lead Them?: 1985-1988
Documentary • 57 min • 1 season, 6 episodes • ★ 8.0/10
Episode synopsis
Anti-abortion activists cheered when Reagan named one of their own, C. Everett Koop, as Surgeon-General. By the mid-'80s, though, AIDS tragically hits home even in fundamentalist circles, and Koop splits from his former allies over the proper Christian response to this 'sign of God's judgment.' Hearing the call of God, Pat Robertson mobilizes an 'invisible army' of fervent believers, many of whom had never before engaged in politics, to support his bid for the Presidency. Though dogged by the televangelist scandals, the Robertson campaign — with its calls for renewed patriotism and its fierce attacks on liberalism — sets the agenda for George Bush's victory over Michael Dukakis.
About With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America
From the "Christian anti-Communism" of the '50s to the sophisticated politics of the Christian Coalition today, evangelical Christians have slowly but steadily re-shaped the context of mainstream American politics and culture. Using rare archival footage and candid interviews, "With God on Our Side: The Rise of the Religious Right in America" chronicles the conservative Christian political movement.