By Kalpana Jain
Televangelist Pat Robertson, who died at the age of 93 on June 8, 2023, was a familiar face on television for many conservative Christians, attracting a million viewers each day on his flagship show, “The 700 Club.”
In 1960, Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network and in 2018 launched the first 24-hour Christian television news channel. He also founded an evangelical school in Virginia Beach in 1977, the Christian Broadcasting Network University, and changed its name to Regent University in 1990.
Over the past several years, scholars writing for The Conversation have commented on Robertson’s enormous influence on American politics. In 1988, he sought the Republican nomination for president; though his bid was unsuccessful, he continued to play an important role politically through his popular show.
Here are three articles from our archives that explain his influence in blending religion into U.S. politics.
1. Religious right and influence on public policy
Roberston was part of the Moral Majority, founded by Jerry Falwell in 1979. That group was a broad coalition of conservatives – mostly white evangelical Christians, who came to represent the “Religious Right,” wrote Richard Flory, a scholar at USC Dornsife.
Those leaders, including names such as James Dobson, Tim LaHaye, Pat Robertson and Phyllis Shlafly, came to have an enormous impact on American politics, which extended to an influence on public policy.
The group supported what Flory said is now “a familiar agenda”: legislation for “traditional” family values, prayer in schools, opposition to LGBT rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion and other issues.
Indeed, as host of “The 700 Club,” Robertson made comments that were often seen to be controversial and racially insensitive. For example, he once compared gay people to thieves and murderers.
2. Conflating Christian and American identities
At the time of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, scholar Samuel Perry wrote about the many Christian symbols on display that day that were signs of Christian nationalism’s influence on the event.
He noted the role of evangelical Christian media in promoting that type of Christian nationalism, which suggests that Christians risk being suppressed unless they are in control of the state.
Christian radio stations that bring mostly white evangelical messaging have seen a growth over the past few years. But the genre’s roots go back to Robertson’s Christian Broadcast Network, which has operated for decades and, according to Perry, “similarly blends politics with religion.”
While Robertson condemned the attack at the Capitol, he had previously claimed that President Donald Trump’s reelection was certain.
According to Perry, Roberton’s blend of politics and religion may not necessarily contribute to Christian nationalism, but “it does contribute to conflating Christian identity with American identity.”
AP Photo/Steve Helber
3. Long history of Christian media
There is no doubt the Christian Broadcasting Network has been highly influential, particularly among evangelicals. Trump used the network from time to time to reach this support base.
According to Jason Bruner at Arizona State University, Christians have “shared and shaped the content of world news and information through a distinctly Christian viewpoint” since at least the 19th century.
He described how Christian missionary publications served as informal foreign correspondents for a broadly Christian public in the eastern United States and Western Europe. Those missionaries highlighted the genocide against Assyrian and Armenian Christians in the eastern Ottoman Empire. They also helped build international opinion against the brutal reign of King Leopold of Belgium in the decades straddling the turn of the 20th century, during which some 10 million people are estimated to have died.
As Bruner wrote, Robertson put the network in a longer line of “creating a global Christian identity through knowledge production” and left an enormous impact on both religion and politics in the U.S.
Senior Religion and Ethics Editor.
Atwp says
Supported this ministry a few times as a young man. If I were into politics like I am today, that ministry would not get my money. Nothing against him because I made the choice. Didn’t go broke probably was blessed by God. I made the mistake of supporting a Republican, what a big mistake. Don’t plan to do that again.
Jackson1955 says
When someone passes it leaves grief and a sense of loss for all close to them. This man will not be missed and his legacy of distorted Christian ideals have caused grief for many. He had a long life and sadly, there remains a number who will continue to promote his ideals, many for entirely the wrong reasons.
Robertson is the father of Christo-fascism and evangelical hate. Too bad there are so many wannabe preacher grifters in his wake. Robertson started the hate brigade during the Reagan years and divided the country. Now the damage is irrecoverable and half of the country wants to overthrow democracy in favor of religious law. Good riddance to Robertson. He was a pox on this country.
Some people improve the world by being in it ; some do so by exiting : Patty’s firmly within the latter group.
Laurel says
When I see multi-billion dollar preaching businesses, and the associated intolerance, I wonder what it has to do with Jesus, besides using him for their own wealth and notoriety.
Sherry says
Right On Laurel!
Laurel says
Sherry: God has called him home.
Seeeeeeeeeeeeeee Ya!
Skibum says
I certainly will not be shedding any tears for this man. I’m glad he’s dead and buried because I saw and experienced first-hand how his false “Christian” religiosity of hatred and intolerance personally affected me, my immediate family, and others over many, many years. Both of my parents were indoctrinated by Robertson into the “Christian coalition” and by Jerry Falwell into the “moral majority” way back in the 70s. They would spend hours in front of their TV watching both of these televangelists, listening to them spout their vile hatred and lies, yelling that all of the world’s problems were because of “the gays” and their “agenda”. My mom and dad both became ordained ministers within their protestant denomination, and would sit at home watching both of those bigoted and hate filled, money hungry fakes and agree with all of the horse crap coming out of their mouths. I was a deputy sheriff in southern CA at the time and I would come over to visit my parents and find them sitting in their living room, agreeing with the lies and hate that was coming from the religious TV programs that not only was most of the world’s problems caused by “the gays”, but Roberson was quick to say that any natural disaster or major medical episode was somehow “God’s retribution and punishment for society going astray”. I just thought to myself, if my parents only knew these hateful, pseudo-Christian phonies were talking about me… because I am gay. I endured this for years, and this was the primary reason why it was so difficult for me to finally come out to my parents until I was in my mid-30s and was already in a relationship with the love of my life. On the other hand, my other half’s parents were the most loving, non-judgmental people I have ever met, and they not only accepted me into their family from the moment their son introduced me to them, but they have always treated me just like one of their own children. My spouse and I have just celebrated our 31st anniversary together. I’m happy to say that my parents love and adore him and his parents, and although they remain very conservative in their beliefs, they no longer foment the vile and un-Christian anti-gay garbage that Robertson and Falwell were so well known for. But it took a half-lifetime of transformation for my parents to get rid of the hatred and bigotry that was constantly being injected into their heads by the likes of Robertson, Falwell and other hate filled messengers within the conservative “Christian” movement, and that will continue to be a long-lasting testament to the damage that both of those men and their likes have caused to individuals, families and society as a whole.
Sherry says
@Skibum. . . Thank you so much for your very personal, heartfelt, story.
My own epiphany concerning evangelical Christianity came when I was 6-8 years old. . . Leaving “Sunday School” class to sit in the back of the main Baptist church building. I heard the minister, mid sermon, passionately. in a big booming voice, say that “white people” came from the “Garden of Eden”. . . . but “those N#$%%^&* (black people), came from monkeys. Just look at those asses!” Many heads shook in agreement. I took off and ran home, back to my grandmother’s house in tears. I could not be consoled and was put to bed weeping. My mother and grandmother thought I had been sexually molested because I was so upset. I managed to convince them that I had not been touched. . . but, I refused to tell them the story. I also refused to return to that Baptist church, even for “Sunday School”. They passed on without ever hearing this story.
That horrific experience lead me away from Christianity, and to my Buddhist spirituality as an adult. Unfortunately, The Pat Robertsons of this world have ingrained tremendous fear and judgement of “the other” (non-white, non-hetersexual) in the very foundation of those religious beliefs. Therefore, in my observation, those fears and judgements are passionately wielded in our current “culture wars” today. . . in 2023. These are indeed troubling times!
Skibum says
Sherry, I can only imagine how traumatized you must have been to hear such shocking and immoral comments coming from someone who called himself a man of God. Unfortunately, I also can imagine the throngs of church folks just sitting there unfazed and not one soul having had the fortitude to stand up and call that ass of a man out for such outrageously racist remarks, because many far too many churches only want and accept those who are just like them. Religions are man-made, and I am of the belief that with so many varied religions and religious beliefs in this world of nearly eight billion people, there is no way that there is just “one true religion”. But, like you, anyone who hears hateful rhetoric like what you had to listen to from that church long ago should run and get far away from those individuals before they become indoctrinated in religious hatred and discrimination that is already much too common and destructive.
Sherry says
Thank you for “actively” reading my story and for putting yourself in the place of that 8 year old girl. . . who somehow instinctively “knew” something was terribly wrong.
Laurel says
Skibum: Congratulations! 31 years! I’m so glad you found the right one. I’m sorry you had to suffer, but most of us do one way or another. Life.
My folks were into the Church of Religious Science in Ft Lauderdale. That church is now (still?) in Boca Raton, and run by the daughter of the founders. They believe in the power of positive thinking. Even so, my mom would have to practically drag me kicking and screaming, and only succeeded on Easter! Church was not for me.
I was lucky that I was raised by a mom who never, ever said anything bigoted about anybody! She was a very open minded person. My dad not so much, but he was not my influence. So, now I’m greatly disappointed in people when I heard them spread vicious nonsense.
Sherry: Buddha both smiles and cries at the same time. Life.
Geezer says
“The Haitians were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever.
And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you
will get us free from the French.’ And so, the devil said, OK, it’s a deal. ”
—Pat Robertson
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Goodbye schmuck-head.
Bill C says
@ Geezer Thanks for bringing this up. What crippled Haiti (the poorest country in the western hemisphere) up to this day was France demanded reparations, in today’s dollars, of 30 Billion in exchange for their freedom. If anyone was doing the devil’s work it was Pat Robertson spreading distorted racist views.
https://reparationscomm.org/reparations-news/when-france-extorted-haiti-the-greatest-heist-in-history/