This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.
In recent years, evangelicals have grown more influential in American politics, and James Dobson’s legacy helps explain this changing dynamic. The Christian family psychologist and activist, who died Aug. 21, helped shape modern evangelicalism by putting family at the center of faith and encouraging believers to bring their values into public life.
Dobson died on Aug. 21 in Colorado Springs at age 89.
He first attracted national attention with his book “Dare to Discipline,” which advocated for disciplining children with corporal punishment as a way of setting boundaries and building moral character, although he also cautioned against physical abuse.
In 1977, Dobson founded Focus on the Family as a weekly radio program, which eventually grew into a $140 million empire with publications and numerous programs.
Through his various ventures, Dobson reached millions of believers across the world with calls to defend traditional marriage, oppose abortion and resist LGBTQ+ rights — framing them as both spiritual stances and moral imperatives.
His influence extended to the political sphere as well. Dobson advised Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, and his endorsement was often sought by conservative candidates seeking to connect with evangelical voters.
Supporters credit him with reinforcing family-oriented values during a time of rapid cultural change. Critics, however, argue that his advocacy contributed to deepening cultural divides and limited acceptance of those outside his vision of family and morality. In 2005, The New York Times called him “the nation’s most influential evangelical leader.”
In the days after his death, a flurry of reflections poured in on how figures like Dobson laid the groundwork for today’s evangelical activism. Here’s what some of his supporters and opponents said about Dobson’s legacy:
Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote that Dobson’s death marks a “passing of a remarkable evangelical generation.” “He lived life on a big stage, and historians will have to reckon with him long into the future. But, to be honest, I will remember him most as the famous man who chose to sit next to a child and make that young person know she was important to him. It was Jesus who told his disciples, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 19:14). That’s the verse that comes to my mind, as I think about the life and legacy of Dr. James Dobson.”
Eric Metaxas, conservative author and radio host, wrote on X: “He was not afraid to bring his faith into the public sphere for God’s purposes.” Author John Fea recalled in 2024 how Dobson’s program positively influenced his own father: “Over time, this scary guy became a better father and husband.”
While many remember him as a steadfast defender of biblical values, others believe his messages fueled cultural divides. “Rigid and unforgiving of those who aren’t Christian, Dobson’s beliefs helped pave the way for the strict authoritarianism that permeates the Republican Party today,” wrote Anthea Butler, a professor of religious studies and Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania, on MSNBC. His legacy of conservative beliefs, she wrote, was built “at the expense of others in American society.” Pastor Zach Lambert of Restore Austin accused Dobson of inflicting “severe trauma” with his teachings.
Richard Flory, executive director at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California, noted Dobson’s role in transforming the Religious Right into a cultural and political force.
“Numerous fundamentalists and evangelicals have argued that evangelical Christianity should be the true basis for a ‘Christian America.' What distinguishes Dobson’s approach was how he adapted Christian nationalism, framing it as a crucial issue for parents and families: translating ideas about Godly societies into guidance on ‘proper’ child rearing and child development,” Flory writes in the Conversation. “His focus on the family as the foundation of Christian civilization mobilized millions of American evangelicals politically — on a scale that previous leaders never approached.”
Dobson’s legacy helped shape today’s evangelical activism and it will likely continue to influence American law and politics, including Supreme Court decisions on abortion and religious liberty, and ongoing debates over education and parental rights.
Fresh off the press
- Last week, Princeton professor Robert George, a devout Catholic and conservative, spoke alongside Cornel West, a progressive scholar who teaches at Union Theological Seminary, about their friendship and how to be a “determined truth-seeker” and “courageous truth-speaker.”
- One family from Afghanistan endured a grueling escape from their war-torn home taken over by the Taliban. and a group of U.S. neighbors embraced them. “To me, the superpower of the community is to welcome a stranger,” said Elizabeth Davis-Edwards, the founder of WelcomeNST, the largest privately funded refugee resettlement network that started in Massachusetts but is expanding its work in Utah.
- Pope Leo designated Aug. 22 a day of prayer and fasting for peace. “Fasting is an interesting choice because it’s a symbolic, quiet way to make a statement. Fasting is also a form of penance and it’s the opposite of grandstanding,” Massimo Faggioli, professor at Loyola Institute at Trinity College Dublin, told me.
- After Donald Trump told Fox & Friends that he hoped to make it to heaven, one priest decided to explain what that requires of Christians.
Religion in the courts: Loe v. Jett
In 1985, Minnesota created the Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) Act, which gave high school sophomores, juniors and seniors the chance to take college courses for both high school and college credit for free.
The program has provided students with rigorous academic opportunities at both secular and religious colleges. Christian parents Melinda and Mark Loe and Dawn Erickson have used the PSEO to send their children to Christian schools in Minnesota like the University of Northwestern and Crown College, where they could pursue advanced coursework in a Christian environment.
But in 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill excluding religious colleges like Northwestern and Crown from PSEO, because they ask on-campus students to sign a statement of faith. As a result, the Loe and Erickson families couldn’t send their other children to these colleges. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty had sued the state, representing families and Christian schools.
On Friday, a federal court ruled in favor of the two Christian schools, CBS News reported, allowing them to offer college credit to high school students who want to pursue college courses at faith-based colleges. Becket lawyer Eric Baxter called the ruling “a victory for religious families and the schools that serve them, and a rebuke of state politicians who wish to punish Minnesotans for their beliefs.”
What I’m reading
- A pastor at a Lutheran Church in Wisconsin wrote a sermon urging Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president. He ended up resigning. – He Tried to Endorse From the Pulpit. He Wound Up Without a Church, The New York Times
- You may have heard about the rise of the “spiritual but not religious.” The new data from Ryan Burge challenges the idea that religiousness and spirituality are at odds with each other. – Are The Nones Replacing Religion With Spirituality?, Ryan Burge’s Substack “Graphs About Religion.”
- Americans who are LGBTQ tend to be less religious than those who are not, according to the latest Pew Research Center’s data. “But when it comes to some questions about spirituality — such as whether human beings have a soul or spirit — the gaps between lesbian, gay or bisexual adults and other people tend to be smaller.”
Odds and ends
I enjoy hearing from readers and learning more about the topics you’d like to see covered. In fact, one reader recently shared a remarkable story about how religious pluralism is playing out in one Utah town, and I’m excited to share it with you. Drop me a note about the stories or issues you’d love to see featured:mmanzhos@deseret.com.