Jerry Falwell

American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist (1933–2007)

This article is about Jerry Falwell Sr. For his son, see Jerry Falwell Jr.

The Reverend

Jerry Falwell

Born|

Jerry Laymon Falwell

(1933-08-11)August 11, 1933

Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Died| May 15, 2007(2007-05-15) (aged 73)

Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Occupations|

* Pastor
* televangelist
* political activist

Known for| Founding the Moral Majority
Television| The Old-Time Gospel Hour[1]
Title| Chancellor of Liberty University (1971–2007)
Political party| Republican
Spouse|

Macel Pate

(m. 1958)​

Children| 3, including Jerry Jr. and Jonathan
Ecclesiastical career
Religion| Christianity (Baptist)
Church|

* Baptist Bible Fellowship International[2]
* Southern Baptist Convention

Ordained| 1956

Congregations served

| Thomas Road Baptist Church

Jerry Laymon Falwell Sr.[a] (August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007)[3] was an American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist.[4] He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He founded Lynchburg Christian Academy (Liberty Christian Academy) in 1967, founded Liberty University in 1971, and co-founded the Moral Majority in 1979.

## Early life and education

[edit]

Falwell and his twin brother Gene were born in the Fairview Heights area of Lynchburg, Virginia, on August 11, 1933, the sons of Helen Virginia (née Beasley) and Carey Hezekiah Falwell.[5][6][7] His father was an entrepreneur and one-time bootlegger who was agnostic.[5] His father shot and killed his brother Garland and died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1948 at the age of 55.[8] His paternal grandfather was a staunch atheist.[5] Jerry Falwell was a member of a group in Fairview Heights known to the police as "the Wall Gang" because they sat on a low concrete wall at the Pickeral Café.[9] Falwell met Macel Pate on his first visit to Park Avenue Baptist Church in 1949; Macel was a pianist there.[8] They married on April 12, 1958.[10] The couple had two sons, Jerry Jr. (a lawyer who succeeded Jerry Sr. as president of Liberty University until 2020) and Jonathan (who succeeded Jerry Sr. as senior pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church, and became chancellor of Liberty University in 2023), and a daughter, Jeannie (a surgeon).

Falwell and his wife had a close relationship, and she supported him throughout his career. The Falwells often appeared together in public, and did not shy away from showing physical affection. Of his marriage, Falwell jokingly said: "Macel and I have never considered divorce. Murder maybe, but never divorce." Macel appreciated her husband's non-combative, affable nature, writing in her book that he "hated confrontation and didn't want strife in our home ... he did everything in his power to make me happy." The Falwells had been married for nearly 50 years when Jerry died.[11]

Falwell graduated from Brookville High School in Lynchburg, and from then-unaccredited[12][13] Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, in 1956. He enrolled there to subvert Pate's relationship with her fiancé, who was a student there.[8] Falwell was later awarded three honorary doctorates: Doctor of Divinity from Tennessee Temple Theological Seminary, Doctor of Letters from California Graduate School of Theology, and Doctor of Laws from Central University in Seoul, South Korea.[14]

## Associated organizations

[edit]

### Thomas Road Baptist Church

[edit]

Main article: Thomas Road Baptist Church

In 1956, aged 22, Falwell founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Originally at 701 Thomas Road in Lynchburg, with 35 members, it became a megachurch. Also in 1956, Falwell began The Old-Time Gospel Hour, a nationally syndicated radio and television ministry. When Falwell died, his son Jonathan inherited his father's ministry, and took over as the church's senior pastor.[15] The weekly program's name was then changed to Thomas Road Live.[16][17]

### Liberty Christian Academy

[edit]

Main article: Liberty Christian Academy

During the 1950s and 1960s, Falwell spoke and campaigned against the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and the racial desegregation of public school systems by the federal government. Liberty Christian Academy (LCA, founded as Lynchburg Christian Academy) is a Christian school in Lynchburg that the Lynchburg News in 1966 called "a private school for white students".

Falwell opened The Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1967 as a segregation academy and a ministry of Thomas Road Baptist Church.[18]

The Liberty Christian Academy is recognized as an educational facility by the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia State Board of Education,[19] Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,[20] and the Association of Christian Schools International.[21]

### Liberty University

[edit]

Main article: Liberty University

In 1971, Falwell co-founded Liberty University with Elmer L. Towns.[22] Liberty University offers over 350 accredited programs of study, with approximately 13,000 students on-campus and 90,000 online.[23]

### Moral Majority

[edit]

Main article: Moral Majority

Falwell greeting President Gerald Ford in 1976 Falwell with President Ronald Reagan in 1983 Falwell with President George H. W. Bush in 1991

During the 1980s, the Moral Majority became one of the largest political lobbies for evangelical Christians in the U.S.[24] According to Falwell's autobiography, the Moral Majority was promoted as "pro-life, pro-traditional family, pro-moral, and pro-American"[25] and was credited with delivering two-thirds of the white evangelical vote to Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election.[26] According to Jimmy Carter, "that autumn [1980] a group headed by Jerry Falwell purchased $10 million in commercials on southern radio and TV to brand me as a traitor to the South and no longer a Christian."[27] As head of the Moral Majority, Falwell consistently supported Republican candidates and conservative politics. This led Billy Graham to criticize him for "sermonizing" about political issues that lacked a moral element. At the time of Falwell's death, Graham said: "We did not always agree on everything, but I knew him to be a man of God. His accomplishments went beyond most clergy of his generation."[24]

### PTL

[edit]

Falwell rides the water slide at Heritage USA.

In March 1987, Pentecostal televangelist Jim Bakker came under media scrutiny when it was revealed that he had a sexual encounter with, and allegedly raped, Jessica Hahn, and had paid for her silence.[28] Bakker believed that fellow Pentecostal pastor Jimmy Swaggart was attempting to take over his ministry because he had initiated a church investigation into allegations of his sexual misconduct.[29] To avoid the takeover, Bakker resigned on March 19 and appointed Falwell to succeed him as head of his PTL ministry, which included the PTL Satellite Network, television program The PTL Club and the Christian-themed amusement park Heritage USA.[30]

Bakker believed Falwell would lead the ministry temporarily, until the scandal died down,[31] but Falwell barred Bakker from returning to PTL on April 28,[32] calling him "probably the greatest scab and cancer on the face of Christianity in 2,000 years of church history".[30] Later that summer, as donations to the ministry declined in the wake of Bakker's scandal and resignation, Falwell raised $20 million to keep PTL solvent and delivered on a promise to ride the water slide at Heritage USA.[33] Despite this, Falwell was unable to save the ministry from bankruptcy, and he resigned in October 1987.[34]

## Social and political views

[edit]

This article is part of a series on

Conservatism
in the United States

Schools

* Compassionate
* Fiscal
* Fusion
* Liberal
* Libertarian
* Moderate
* Movement
* Neo-
* Paleo-
* Postliberal
* Populist
* Progressive
* Social
* Straussian
* Traditionalist

Principles

* American exceptionalism
* American nationalism
* Anti-communism
* Christian nationalism
* Classical liberalism
* Communitarianism
* Constitutionalism
* Culture of life
* Pro-life
* Familialism
* Family values
* Federalism
* States' rights
* Gender essentialism
* Judeo-Christian values
* Individualism
* Law and order
* Limited government
* Meritocracy
* Natural aristocracy
* Militarism
* Peace through strength
* Moral absolutism
* Natural law
* Ordered liberty
* Patriotism
* Property rights
* Republicanism
* Right to bear arms
* Rule of law
* Supply-side economics
* Tradition

History

* Loyalists
* Southern chivalry
* Solid South
* Redeemers
* New Humanism
* Southern Agrarians
* Old Right
* Conservative Manifesto
* Conservative coalition
* America First Committee
* United States in the 1950s
* McCarthyism
* Eisenhower presidency
* Goldwater campaign
* New Right
* Reagan era
* Reagan Doctrine
* Reaganomics
* Republican Revolution
* W. Bush presidency
* Tea Party movement
* Neo- vs. paleoconservatism
* Trump era
* First term
* Second term

Intellectuals

* Adams
* Anton
* Babbitt
* Bacevich
* Bell
* Bellow
* Berger
* Bloom
* Boorstin
* Bradford
* Buckley
* Burgess
* Burnham
* Calhoun
* Chambers
* Conquest
* Deneen
* Eastman
* Eliot
* Francis
* Genovese
* Gottfried
* Hanson
* Hazony
* Himmelfarb
* Hoppe
* Hurston
* Jaffa
* Kerouac
* Kimball
* Kirk
* Kirkpatrick
* Kreeft
* Kristol
* Kuehnelt-Leddihn
* Lasch
* Lind
* Lovecraft
* Loury
* Lukacs
* Mansfield
* Mencken
* Meyer
* Molnar
* Murray
* Nisbet
* Pangle
* Ransom
* Rieff
* Santayana
* Schaeffer
* Sowell
* Stein
* Strauss
* Viereck
* Voegelin
* Weaver
* Wharton
* Wolfe

Politicians

* Abbott
* Adams (John)
* Adams (John Quincy)
* Bolton
* Buchanan (James)
* Buchanan (Pat)
* Bush (George H. W.)
* Bush (George W.)
* Calhoun
* Cheney
* Clay
* Cleveland
* Coolidge
* Cruz
* DeSantis
* Dirksen
* Dole
* Eisenhower
* Gingrich
* Goldwater
* Harding
* Hamilton
* Helms
* Hoover (Herbert)
* Huckabee
* Lodge
* Luce
* Madison
* McCain
* McCarthy
* McConnell
* McKinley
* Nixon
* Palin
* Paul (Rand)
* Paul (Ron)
* Pence
* Pierce
* Randolph
* Reagan
* Romney
* Rubio
* Rumsfeld
* Ryan
* Santorum
* Sherman
* Taft (Robert)
* Taft (William)
* Thurmond
* Trump
* Vance
* Washington (George)
* Wallace
* Wolfowitz

Jurists

* Alito
* Barrett
* Bork
* Burger
* Colson
* Frelinghuysen
* George
* Goldsmith
* Gorsuch
* Harlan II
* Kavanaugh
* Kennedy
* Luttig
* Meese
* Parker
* Rehnquist
* Roberts (John)
* Sanford
* Scalia
* Sessions
* Sutherland
* Taft (William)
* Thomas (Clarence)
* Vermeule
* Whittaker

Commentators

* Ahmari
* Beck
* Bongino
* Breitbart
* Buchanan (Pat)
* Buckley
* Carlson
* Cass
* Chodorov
* Coulter
* D'Souza
* Derbyshire
* DiLorenzo
* Dreher
* Elder
* Goldberg
* Grant
* Griffin
* Van den Haag
* Hannity
* Hart
* Herberg
* Hoover (Margaret)
* Ingraham
* Jones
* Kelly
* Kirk
* Knowles
* Krauthammer
* Lahren
* Levin
* Limbaugh
* Mac Donald
* Neuhaus
* Ngo
* North
* Novak
* O'Reilly
* Owens
* Podhoretz
* Pool
* Portnoy
* Prager
* Robertson
* Shapiro
* Shlaes
* Sullivan
* Walsh
* Watters
* Will
* Wintrich
* Woods

Activists

* Abramoff
* Agostinelli
* Ahmanson
* Andreessen
* Atwater
* Bannon
* Bennett
* Bezmenov
* Blum
* Bozell
* Cohn
* Coors
* Dans
* Dobson
* Dolan
* Drudge
* Falwell
* Feulner
* Flynn
* Gabriel
* Horowitz
* Kauffman
* Krikorian
* Kristol
* LaHaye
* Lindell
* Lindbergh
* Leo
* McEntee
* Mercer (Rebekah)
* Mercer (Robert)
* Miller
* Murdoch
* Musk
* Political views
* O'Keefe
* Park
* Phillips
* Posobiec
* Powell
* Raichik
* Reed
* Regnery
* Roberts (Kevin)
* Rove
* Rufo
* Rusher
* Scaife
* Schlafly (Andrew)
* Schlafly (Phyllis)
* Stone
* Thiel
* Viguerie
* Thomas (Ginni)
* Washington
* Weyrich
* Wood
* Wiles

Literature

* The Federalist Papers (1788)
* Democracy in America (1835–1840)
* Notes on Democracy (1926)
* I'll Take My Stand (1930)
* Our Enemy, the State (1935)
* The Managerial Revolution (1941)
* Ideas Have Consequences (1948)
* God and Man at Yale (1951)
* The Conservative Mind (1953)
* The Conscience of a Conservative (1960)
* A Choice Not an Echo (1964)
* Losing Ground (1984)
* A Conflict of Visions (1987)
* The Closing of the American Mind (1987)
* The Bell Curve (1994)
* The Revolt of the Elites (1995)
* The Death of the West (2001)
* The Blank Slate (2002)
* Black Rednecks and White Liberals (2005)
* Hillbilly Elegy (2017)
* The Benedict Option (2017)
* Why Liberalism Failed (2018)

Concerns

* Abortion
* American decline
* Cancel Culture
* Culture war
* Multiculturalism
* "Disparate impact" controversy
* CRT controversy
* DEI controversy
* Griggs v. Duke Power Co.
* Higher ed. bubble
* Go woke, go broke
* ESG
* "Woke capitalism"
* Homeschooling
* Immigration reduction
* Illegal immigration
* Immigration and crime
* Border crisis
* Intelligence and public policy
* Constitutional interpretations
* Originalism
* Textualism
* Managerial state
* Mudsill theory
* Second Amendment
* Sub-replacement fertility
* Unitary executive

Parties

Active

* American Party
* American Independent Party
* Conservative Party of New York State
* Constitution Party
* Republican Party

Defunct

* Anti-Masonic Party
* Constitutional Union Party
* Democratic Party (historically, factions)
* Boll weevils
* Bourbon Democrats
* Conservative Democrats
* Dixiecrats
* Reagan Democrats
* Southern Democrats
* Rhode Island Suffrage Party
* Federalist Party
* National Republican Party
* Native American Party
* Whig Party

Think tanks

* Acton Institute
* AdTI
* Advancing American Freedom
* AEI
* CSP
* Center for the National Interest
* Claremont Institute
* CEI
* CSPC
* EPPC
* FRI
* Gatestone Institute
* Heartland Institute
* The Heritage Foundation
* Heritage Action
* Mandate for Leadership
* Project 2025
* Hoover Institution
* Hudson Institute
* ISI
* James Madison Program
* Leadership Institute
* Manhattan Institute
* Mises Institute
* PRI
* Project for the New American Century (Defunct)
* Ripon Society
* R Street Institute
* Rockford Institute
* SPN
* Sutherland Institute
* Tax Foundation
* Witherspoon Institute

Media

Newspapers

* Chicago Tribune
* The Epoch Times
* New Hampshire Union Leader
* The Jewish Voice
* The New York Observer
* New York Post
* The Remnant
* The Wall Street Journal (editorial board)
* The Washington Times

Journals

* American Affairs
* The American Conservative
* The American Spectator
* American Thinker
* City Journal
* Claremont Review of Books
* Commentary
* Compact
* Chronicles
* The Dispatch
* First Things
* The Imaginative Conservative
* Jewish World Review
* Modern Age
* National Affairs
* The National Interest
* National Review
* The New American
* The New Atlantis
* The New Criterion
* Policy Review (defunct)
* Public Discourse
* Southern Partisan
* Spectator USA
* Tablet
* Taki's Magazine
* Telos
* Washington Examiner
* The Weekly Standard (defunct)

TV channels

* CBN
* Fox Business
* Fox News
* Newsmax TV
* One America News Network
* VOZ

Websites

* Babylon Bee
* Breitbart News
* The Bulwark
* Campus Reform
* The Center Square
* Conservative Review
* Daily Caller
* Daily Signal
* Daily Wire
* Discover the Networks
* The Federalist
* FrontPage Magazine
* Front Porch Republic
* Gateway Pundit
* Hot Air
* Human Events
* Independent Journal Review
* InfoWars
* Jihad Watch
* LifeZette
* NewsBusters
* PJ Media
* Rare
* RedState
* The Dispatch
* Townhall
* Twitchy
* Washington Examiner
* The Washington Free Beacon
* The Western Journal
* WorldNetDaily

Other

* Blaze Media
* Encounter Books
* Evie Magazine
* The First
* Imprimis
* The Political Cesspool
* Passage Publishing
* PragerU
* RealClearPolitics
* Red Scare
* Regnery Publishing
* RSBN
* The Rubin Report
* Sinclair Broadcast Group

Other organizations

Congressional caucuses

* Second Amendment Caucus
* RSC
* Liberty Caucus
* Freedom Caucus
* Republican Main Street Partnership
* Republican Governance Group
* Blue Dog Coalition

Economics

* ATR
* Club for Growth
* FreedomWorks (defunct)
* NFIB
* NTU
* Tea Party Patriots
* USCC

Gun rights

* GOA
* NAGR
* NRA

Identity politics

* ACT!
* CWA
* Council of Conservative Citizens
* GAG
* IWF
* LCR
* Moms for Liberty

Nativist

* CIS
* FAIR
* Immigration Restriction League
* NumbersUSA
* Patriot Prayer
* Proud Boys
* Oath Keepers
* Three Percenters

Religion

* ADF
* Court cases
* ACLJ
* AFA
* The American TFP
* Chalcedon Foundation
* CCA
* Christian Voice
* Eagle Forum
* FCR
* The Fellowship
* FFC
* Focus on the Family
* Foundation for Moral Law
* Liberty Counsel
* Moral Majority (defunct)
* NOM
* NRLC
* PTMC
* Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
* Thomas More Law Center

Watchdog groups

* AIM
* Econ Journal Watch
* Franklin News Foundation
* JW
* MRC
* O'Keefe Media Group
* Project Veritas (defunct)

Youth/student groups

* NJC
* TPUSA
* Young Americans for Freedom
* Young America's Foundation
* YAL

Social media

* Gab
* Gettr
* Parler
* The Right Stuff

Miscellaneous

* The 85 Fund
* AHI
* ACU
* Bradley Foundation
* TCC
* CNP
* CPAC
* Hillsdale College
* IFF
* JBS
* John M. Olin Foundation (defunct)
* Liberty Fund
* LU
* NAS
* Philadelphia Society
* Regent University
* Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal
* TPPF

Other

* AFL
* Atlas Network
* CN
* ConservAmerica
* Donors Trust
* FedSoc
* NCPAC
* PJI
* Turning Point Action
* SACR
* YRNF
* Ziklag

Movements

* Asian and Pacific Islander
* Black
* Christian right
* Reconstructionism
* Classical education movement
* Paideia
* Dark Enlightenment
* Female
* Green
* Hispanic and Latino
* LGBT
* Libertarian republicans
* Militia movement
* Monarchism
* Mormon
* White Horse Prophecy
* Theodemocracy
* Parental rights movement
* Fathers' rights
* Patriot movement
* Christian
* Radical right
* Reactionary feminism
* Right-libertarianism
* Paleolibertarianism
* Secessionism
* Neo-Confederates
* in Texas
* Trumpism
* Never Trump

Related

* Agenda 47
* America First
* Bibliography of US conservatism
* Conservative talk radio
* Dunning School
* GOP factions
* History of US conservatism
* Modern timeline
* List of American conservatives
* NatCon
* Colloquialisms
* "Barstool conservatism"
* "Cuckservative"
* "Don't immanentize the eschaton!"
* Republicans pounce
* RINO
* "South Park Republican"

* Conservatism portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

### Families

[edit]

Falwell advocated beliefs and practices influenced by his version of biblical teachings.[35]

### Tithing

[edit]

In 1989, he told Liberty University employees that membership in his church and tithing were mandatory.[36]

### Vietnam War

[edit]

Falwell felt the Vietnam War was being fought with "limited political objectives" when it should have been an all-out war against the North.[37] In general, Falwell held that the president "as a minister of God" has the right to use arms to "bring wrath upon those who would do evil."[38]

### Civil rights

[edit]

On his evangelist program The Old-Time Gospel Hour in the mid-1960s, Falwell regularly featured segregationist politicians like governors Lester Maddox and George Wallace.[39] Of Martin Luther King Jr., he said: "I do question the sincerity and nonviolent intentions of some civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mr. James Farmer, and others, who are known to have left-wing associations."[40]

Of Brown v. Board of Education, he said in 1958:

> If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God's word and had desired to do the Lord's will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would never have been made. The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line.[41]

In 1977, Falwell supported Anita Bryant's campaign, which its proponents called "Save Our Children", to overturn an ordinance in Dade County, Florida, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He supported a similar movement in California.[5]

Twenty-eight years later, during a 2005 MSNBC television appearance, Falwell said he was not troubled by reports that the nominee for Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John G. Roberts, had done volunteer legal work for gay rights activists in the case Romer v. Evans. Falwell told then-MSNBC host Tucker Carlson that if he were a lawyer, he too would argue for civil rights for LGBT people. "I may not agree with the lifestyle, but that has nothing to do with the civil rights of that part of our constituency", said Falwell. When Carlson countered that conservatives "are always arguing against 'special rights' for gays", Falwell said equal access to housing and employment are basic rights, not special rights. "Civil rights for all Americans, black, white, red, yellow, the rich, poor, young, old, gay, straight, et cetera, is not a liberal or conservative value. It's an American value that I would think that we pretty much all agree on."[4]

### Israel and Jews

[edit]

Falwell's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was reported in the media in 1981.[42] Falwell's staunch pro-Israel stance, sometimes called "Christian Zionism", drew the support of the Anti-Defamation League and its leader Abraham Foxman,[43] but they condemned what they perceived intolerance toward Muslims in Falwell's public statements.[44] They also criticized him for saying that "Jews can make more money accidentally than you can on purpose".[45][46] In his book Listen, America!, Falwell called the Jewish people "spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Savior."[47]

In the 1984 book Jerry Falwell and the Jews, Falwell is quoted saying:

> I feel that the destiny of the state of Israel is without question the most crucial international matter facing the world today. I believe that the people of Israel have not only a theological but also a historical and legal right to the land. I am personally a Zionist, having gained that perspective from my belief in Old Testament Scriptures. I have also visited Israel many times. I have arrived at the conclusion that unless the United States maintains its unswerving devotion to the State of Israel, the very survival of that nation is at stake ... Every American who agrees Israel has the right to the land must be willing to exert all possible pressure on the powers that be to guarantee America's support of the State of Israel at this time.[48]

### Education

[edit]

Falwell repeatedly denounced certain teachings in public schools and secular education in general, calling them breeding grounds for atheism, secularism, and humanism, which he claimed to be in contradiction with Christian morality. He advocated that the U.S. change its public education system by implementing a school voucher system that would allow parents to send their children to either public or private schools. In his book America Can Be Saved, he wrote: "I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them."[49]

Falwell supported President George W. Bush's Faith Based Initiative, but had strong reservations about where the funding would go and the restrictions placed on churches:

> My problem is where it might go under his successors. ... I would not want to put any of the Jerry Falwell Ministries in a position where we might be subservient to a future Bill Clinton, God forbid. ... It also concerns me that once the pork barrel is filled, suddenly the Church of Scientology, the Jehovah Witnesses  [sic], the various and many denominations and religious groups—and I don't say those words in a pejorative way—begin applying for money—and I don't see how any can be turned down because of their radical and unpopular views. I don't know where that would take us.[50]

### Apartheid

[edit]

In the 1980s Falwell said sanctions against South Africa's apartheid regime would result in what, he felt, would be a worse situation, such as a Soviet-backed revolution. He also urged his followers to buy up gold Krugerrands and push U.S. "reinvestment" in South Africa.[51] In 1985 he drew the ire of many when he called Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu a phony "as far as representing the black people of South Africa".[52][53][54][55]

### The Clinton Chronicles

[edit]

Main article: The Clinton Chronicles

In 1994, Falwell promoted and distributed the video documentary The Clinton Chronicles: An Investigation into the Alleged Criminal Activities of Bill Clinton. The video purported to connect Bill Clinton to a murder conspiracy involving Vince Foster, James McDougall, Ron Brown, and a cocaine-smuggling operation. The theory was discredited, but the video sold more than 150,000 copies.[56]

The film's production costs were partly met by "Citizens for Honest Government", to which Falwell paid $200,000 in 1994 and 1995.[56] In 1995 Citizens for Honest Government interviewed Arkansas state troopers Roger Perry and Larry Patterson about the Foster murder conspiracy theory. Perry and Patterson also gave information about the allegations in the Paula Jones affair.[56]

The infomercial for the 80-minute videotape included footage of Falwell interviewing a silhouetted journalist who claimed to be afraid for his life. The journalist accused Clinton of orchestrating the deaths of several reporters and personal confidants who had gotten too close to his supposed illegal activities. The silhouetted journalist was subsequently revealed to be Patrick Matrisciana, the producer of the video and president of Citizens for Honest Government.[56] "Obviously, I'm not an investigative reporter", Matrisciana admitted to investigative journalist Murray Waas.[56] Later, Falwell seemed to back away from personally trusting the video. In an interview for the 2005 documentary The Hunting of the President, Falwell said, "to this day I do not know the accuracy of the claims made in The Clinton Chronicles."[57]

### Views on homosexuality

[edit]

Falwell condemned homosexuality as forbidden by the Bible. Homosexual rights groups called Falwell an "agent of intolerance" and "the founder of the anti-gay industry" for statements he had made and for campaigning against LGBT social movements.[5][41] Falwell supported Anita Bryant's 1977 "Save Our Children" campaign to overturn a Florida ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and a similar movement in California.[5] In urging the ordinance's repeal, Falwell told one crowd, "Gay folks would just as soon kill you as look at you."[58] When the LGBT-friendly Metropolitan Community Church was almost accepted into the World Council of Churches, Falwell called them "brute beasts" and said they were "part of a vile and satanic system" that "will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven".[59] He later denied saying this.[60] Falwell also regularly linked the AIDS epidemic to LGBT issues and said, "AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals, it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."[61]

After comedian and actress Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian, Falwell referred to her in a sermon as "Ellen DeGenerate". DeGeneres responded, "Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since the fourth grade. I guess I'm happy I could give him work."[62]

Falwell's legacy regarding homosexuality is complicated by his support for LGBT civil rights and his attempts to reconcile with the LGBT community in later years. In October 1999, he hosted a meeting of 200 evangelicals with 200 gay people and lesbians at Thomas Road Baptist Church for an "Anti-Violence Forum", during which he acknowledged that some evangelicals' comments about homosexuality qualified as hate speech that could incite violence.[63] At the forum, Falwell told homosexuals in attendance, "I don't agree with your lifestyle, I will never agree with your lifestyle, but I love you" and added, "Anything that leaves the impression that we hate the sinner, we want to change that."[64] He later told New York Times columnist Frank Rich that "admittedly, evangelicals have not exhibited an ability to build a bond of friendship to the gay and lesbian community. We've said go somewhere else, we don't need you here [at] our churches."[65]

### Teletubbies

[edit]

In February 1999, a National Liberty Journal article (the media attributed it to Falwell)[66] claimed that Tinky Winky, a Teletubby, was intended as a homosexual role model. The NLJ is a Liberty University publication. A 1998 Salon article had referred to Tinky Winky's status as a gay icon.[67][68] In response, Steve Rice, spokesperson for Itsy Bitsy Entertainment, which licenses Teletubbies, a U.K. show for preschool children, in the U.S., said, "I really find it absurd and kind of offensive."[69][70] The NLJ wrote, "he is purple—the gay pride color; and his antenna is shaped like a triangle—the gay-pride symbol". Tinky Winky also carries a magic bag, which the NLJ and Salon called a purse. Falwell added, "role-modeling the gay lifestyle is damaging to the moral lives of children".

### September 11 attacks

[edit]

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Falwell said on Pat Robertson's The 700 Club, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America—I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"[71][72] In his opinion, LGBT organizations had angered God, thereby in part causing God to let the attacks happen.[73] Falwell said the attacks were "probably deserved", a statement Christopher Hitchens called treasonous.[74] After heavy criticism, Falwell said that no one but the terrorists were to blame and "If I left that impression with gays or lesbians or anyone else, I apologize."[71][75] Falwell was later the object of some of his followers' outrage for retracting his statements about divine judgment on the U.S. and its causes, because they had heard in his preaching for many years that the U.S. must repent of its lack of devotion to God, immoral living, and timid support of Israel if it wanted divine protection and blessing.[76]

### Labor unions

[edit]

Falwell said, "Labor unions should study and read the Bible instead of asking for more money. When people get right with God, they are better workers."[77]

### Relationship with American fundamentalism

[edit]

Falwell at an "I Love America" rally in 1980

In her extensive ethnographic study of Falwell, cultural anthropologist Susan Friend Harding noted that he adapted his preaching to win a broader, less extremist audience as he grew famous. This manifested itself in several ways. For example, though he was a teetotaler,[78] Falwell no longer condemned "worldly" lifestyle choices such as dancing, drinking wine, and attending movie theaters; he softened his rhetoric predicting an apocalypse and God's vengeful wrath; and he shifted from a belief in outright biblical patriarchy to a complementarian view of appropriate gender roles. He also began to aim his strongest criticism at "secular humanists", pagans, and liberals rather than engaging in the racist, antisemitic, and anti-Catholic rhetoric common among Southern fundamentalist preachers but increasingly condemned as hate speech by the consensus of American society.[79]

### Islam

[edit]

Falwell opposed Islam. According to Asharq Al-Awsat, a pan-Arab newspaper, he called Islam "satanic".[80] In a televised interview with 60 Minutes, Falwell called Muhammad a "terrorist", adding, "I concluded from reading Muslim and non-Muslim writers that Muhammad was a violent man, a man of war." Falwell later apologized to Muslims for what he had said about Muhammad and affirmed that he did not intend to offend "honest and peace-loving" Muslims, but he refused to remove his comments about Islam from his website.[81][82] In response, Egyptian Christian intellectuals signed a statement condemning what Falwell had said about Muhammad being a terrorist.[83]

## Legal issues

[edit]

Beginning in the 1970s, Falwell was involved in legal matters that occupied much of his time and increased his name recognition.

### SEC and bonds

[edit]

In 1972, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched an investigation of bonds issued by Falwell's organizations. The SEC charged Falwell's church with "fraud and deceit" in the issuance of $6.5 million in unsecured church bonds.[84] The church won a 1973 federal court case prosecuted at the SEC's behest. The court exonerated the church and ruled that while technical violations of law did occur, there was no proof the church intended any wrongdoing.

### Falwell versus Penthouse

[edit]

Falwell filed a $10 million lawsuit against Penthouse for publishing an article based on interviews he gave to freelance reporters, after failing to convince a federal court to enjoin the article's publication. The suit was dismissed in federal district court in 1981 on the grounds that the article was not defamatory or an invasion of Falwell's privacy (the Virginia courts had not recognized this privacy tort, which is recognized in other states).[85][86][87]

### Hustler Magazine v. Falwell

[edit]

Main article: Hustler Magazine v. Falwell

In 1983, Larry Flynt's pornographic magazine Hustler ran a parody of a Campari ad featuring a mock "interview" with Falwell in which he admits that his "first time" was incest with his mother in an outhouse while drunk. Falwell sued for $45 million, alleging invasion of privacy, libel, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.[88] A jury rejected the invasion of privacy and libel claims, holding that the parody could not have reasonably been taken to describe true events, but ruled in Falwell's favor on the emotional distress claim and awarded damages of $200,000. This was upheld on appeal. Flynt then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which unanimously held that the First Amendment prevents public figures from recovering damages for emotional distress caused by parodies.

After Falwell's death, Flynt said of Falwell:

> My mother always told me that no matter how much you dislike a person, when you meet them face to face you will find characteristics about them that you like. Jerry Falwell was a perfect example of that. I hated everything he stood for, but after meeting him in person, years after the trial, Jerry Falwell and I became good friends. He would visit me in California and we would debate together on college campuses. I always appreciated his sincerity even though I knew what he was selling and he knew what I was selling.[89]

### Falwell versus Jerry Sloan

[edit]

Falwell in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1984

In 1984, Falwell was ordered to pay gay rights activist and former Baptist Bible College classmate Jerry Sloan $5,000 after losing a court battle. In July 1984 during a televised debate in Sacramento, California, Falwell denied calling the gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Churches "brute beasts" and "a vile and Satanic system" that will "one day be utterly annihilated and there will be a celebration in heaven".[59]

When Sloan insisted he had a tape, Falwell promised $5,000 if he could produce it. Sloan did, Falwell refused to pay, and Sloan successfully sued.[90] The money was donated to build Sacramento's first LGBT community center, the Lambda Community Center, serving "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex" communities.[60] Falwell appealed the decision, with his attorney charging that the Jewish judge in the case was prejudiced. He lost again and was made to pay an additional $2,875 in sanctions and court fees.[91]

### Trademark infringement lawsuit against Christopher Lamparello

[edit]

Main article: Lamparello v. Falwell

In Lamparello v. Falwell, a dispute over the ownership of the Internet domain fallwell.com, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed an earlier District Court decision, arguing that Christopher Lamparello, who owned the domain, "clearly created his website intending only to provide a forum to criticize ideas, not to steal customers."[92] Lamparello's website described itself as not being connected to Jerry Falwell and is critical of Falwell's views on homosexuality.[92] On April 17, 2006, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the Appeals Court's ruling that Lamparello's usage of the domain was legal.

Before that, a different man had turned over jerryfalwell.com and jerryfallwell.com after Falwell threatened to sue for trademark infringement.[92] Lawyers for Public Citizen Litigation Group's Internet Free Speech project represented the domain name owners in both cases.

## Apocalyptic beliefs

[edit]

On July 31, 2006, CNN's Paula Zahn Now program featured a segment on "whether the crisis in the Middle East is actually a prelude to the end of the world". In an interview, Falwell said, "I believe in the pre-millennial, pre-tribulational coming of Christ for all of his church, and to summarize that, your first poll, do you believe Jesus' coming the second time will be in the future, I would vote yes with the 59 percent and with Billy Graham and most evangelicals."[93] Based on that and other statements, Falwell has been identified as a dispensationalist.[94]

In 1999, Falwell said the Antichrist would probably arrive within a decade and "of course he'll be Jewish".[95] After accusations of antisemitism, Falwell apologized and explained he was simply expressing the theological tenet that the Antichrist and Christ share many attributes.[96]

## Failing health and death

[edit]

In early 2005, Falwell was hospitalized for two weeks with a viral infection, discharged, and re-hospitalized on May 30, 2005, in respiratory arrest.[97][98] He was released from the hospital and returned to work. Later that year, a stent was implanted to correct a 70 percent blockage in his coronary arteries.[99]

At about 10:45 a.m. on May 15, 2007, Falwell was found unconscious and without a pulse in his office after he missed a morning appointment, and was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital.[100] "I had breakfast with him, and he was fine at breakfast... He went to his office, I went to mine and they found him unresponsive", said Ron Godwin, the executive vice president of Liberty University. His condition was initially reported as "gravely serious"; CPR was administered unsuccessfully. At 2:10 p.m., during a live press conference, a doctor from the hospital confirmed that Falwell had died of "cardiac arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death".[101] The hospital released a statement saying that he was pronounced dead at Lynchburg General Hospital at 12:40 p.m. He was 73. Falwell's wife[102] and sons were at the hospital at the time of the pronouncement.

The Falwells' shared headstone

Falwell's funeral took place on May 22, 2007, at Thomas Road Baptist Church after he lay in repose both at the church and at Liberty University. Falwell's burial service was private. He is interred at a spot on the Liberty University campus near the Carter Glass Mansion and Falwell's office. B. R. Lakin, his mentor, is buried nearby. After Falwell's death, his sons succeeded him at the two positions he held, Jerry Falwell Jr. as president of Liberty University and Jonathan Falwell as the senior pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church. Jerry Falwell Sr.'s daughter, Jeannie F. Savas, is a surgeon.

The last televised interview with Jerry Falwell Sr. was conducted by Christiane Amanpour for the CNN original series CNN Presents: God's Warriors[103] on May 8, 2007, a week before his death; in the interview he said that he had asked God for at least 20 more years in order to accomplish his vision for the university he founded.[101][104] Falwell's last televised sermon was his May 13, 2007, message on Mother's Day.

## Legacy

[edit]

Views on Falwell's legacy are mixed. Supporters praise his advancement of his socially conservative message. They tout his evangelist ministries and his stress on church planting and growth. Conversely, many of his detractors have accused him of hate speech and identified him as an "agent of intolerance".[41]

The antitheistic social commentator Christopher Hitchens called Falwell's work "Chaucerian fraud" and "faith-based fraud". Hitchens took special umbrage at Falwell's alignment with "the most thuggish and demented Israeli settlers"[105] and his declaration that 9/11 represented God's judgment of America's sinful behavior, deeming it "extraordinary that not even such a scandalous career is enough to shake our dumb addiction to the 'faith-based.'"[105] Hitchens also said that, despite his support for Israel, Falwell "kept saying to his own crowd, yes, you have got to like the Jews, because they can make more money in 10 minutes than you can make in a lifetime".[105] Appearing on CNN the day after Falwell's death, Hitchens said, "The empty life of this ugly little charlatan proves only one thing: that you can get away with the most extraordinary offenses to morality and to truth in this country if you will just get yourself called 'reverend'."[106]

At one point, prank callers, especially home activists, were an estimated 25 percent of Falwell's total calls until the ministry disconnected the toll-free number in 1986.[107] In the mid-1980s, Edward Johnson programmed his Atari home computer to make thousands of repeat phone calls to Falwell's toll-free number as a response to Falwell's having, Johnson felt, swindled large amounts of money from his followers, including Johnson's mother. Southern Bell forced Johnson to stop after he had run up Falwell's telephone bill by an estimated $500,000.[108]

Jerry Falwell Jr. is a lawyer; he became president of Liberty University after his father's death and was put on indefinite leave from that position on August 7, 2020, after posting an inappropriate photo with a young woman on social media. He resigned on August 24 amid further questions about his and his wife's sexual and financial involvement with an associate.[109][110][111][112][113][114] Falwell Jr. later said that the real reason his father began attending church as a teenager was that he had fallen in love with Macel, who played piano there and was engaged at the time, and that Falwell Sr. had used deception to convince her to break off the engagement.[115]

Director Terrence Malick has an unproduced screenplay about the lives of Falwell and pianist-singer Jerry Lee Lewis.[116]

## Publications

[edit]

* Falwell, Jerry (January 30, 2006). Achieving Your Dreams. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-529-12246-4.
* Falwell, Jerry (October 17, 2005). Building Dynamic Faith. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-529-12133-6.
* Falwell, Jerry (1973). Capturing a Town for Christ. REVELL. ISBN 0-8007-0606-4.
* Champions for God. Victor Books, 1985. ISBN 9-780-89693534-1
* Church Aflame. (co-author Elmer Towns) Impact, 1971.
* Dynamic Faith Journal. Thomas Nelson (64 pages) (January 30, 2006) ISBN 0-529-12245-6
* Falwell: An Autobiography. Liberty House, 1996. (Ghost written by Mel White[84]) ISBN 1-888684-04-6
* Fasting Can Change Your Life. Regal, 1998. ISBN 0-830-72197-5
* Finding Inner Peace and Strength. Doubleday, 1982.
* If I Should Die Before I Wake. Thomas Nelson, 1986. (ghost-written by Mel White)
* Jerry Falwell: Aflame for God. Thomas Nelson, 1979. (co-authors Gerald Strober and Ruth Tomczak)
* Liberty Bible Commentary on the New Testament. Thomas Nelson/Liberty University, 1978.
* Liberty Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson, 1982.
* Listen, America! Bantam Books (July 1981) ISBN 0-553-14998-9
* Stepping Out on Faith. Tyndale House, 1984. ISBN 0-842-36626-1
* Strength for the Journey. Simon & Schuster, 1987. (ghost-written by Mel White)
* The Fundamentalist Phenomenon. Doubleday, 1981. ISBN 0-385-17383-0
* The Fundamentalist Phenomenon/The Resurgence of Conservative Christianity. Baker Book House, 1986.
* The New American Family. Word, 1992. ISBN 0-849-91050-1
* When It Hurts Too Much to Cry. Tyndale House, 1984. ISBN 0-8423-7993-2
* Wisdom for Living. Victor Books, 1984.

## See also

[edit]

* Christian fundamentalism
* Faith and Values Coalition
* Jerry Johnston
* List of fatwas
* List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
* National Christian Network

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Pronounced /ˈfɔːlwɛl/.

## References

[edit]

### Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ Flint 1978, p. 19.
2. ^ Hamm 2010, p. 1; Phillips 2017, p. 151.
3. ^ "Jerry Falwell Told Followers He Was at Peace with Death". Fox News. Associated Press. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on August 18, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
4. ^ a b Melzer, Eartha Jane (August 26, 2005). "Falwell Speaks in Favour of Gay Civil Rights". Soulfource.org. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
5. ^ a b c d e f Applebome, Peter (May 15, 2007). "Jerry Falwell, Leading Religious Conservative, Dies at 73". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017.
6. ^ "Falwell, Jerry (1933–2007)". Archived from the original on November 2, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
7. ^ "Personal Details for C. A. Beasley". FamilySearch.org. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
8. ^ a b c Sherman, Gabriel (January 24, 2022). "Son of a Preacher Man". Vanity Fair. Vol. 44, no. 2\. New York: Condé Nast. p. 106\. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
9. ^ Towns 2014.
10. ^ Winters 2012, p. 68.
11. ^ M. Falwell 2008.
12. ^ "Higher Learning Commission:Baptist Bible College". Higher Learning Commission. April 1, 2008. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
13. ^ "Higher Learning Commission". www.hlcommission.org. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
14. ^ "Executive Biographies:Dr. Jerry Falwell". Liberty University. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
15. ^ "Sons Walking in Own Shoes, Albeit Footsteps of Famous Dads". theledger.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017.
16. ^ "Founder". About Liberty. Liberty University. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015.
17. ^ "Old Time Gospel Hour". Flick Out.[permanent dead link‍]
18. ^ Dowland 2007, p. 23; Dowland 2015, p. 27; Griffith 2017.
19. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2013.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
20. ^ "AdvancED – Institution Summary". Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
21. ^ "Member Search « ACSI". Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
22. ^ "Chancellor Falwell announces Towns will step down for sabbatical – Liberty University". www.liberty.edu. August 28, 2013.
23. ^ "Liberty University". Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
24. ^ a b "Moral Majority Founder Jerry Falwell Dies". NBC News. May 15, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
25. ^ J. Falwell 1997, p. 388.
26. ^ King 1997; Williams 2010.
27. ^ Carter 2010, p. 469.
28. ^ Ostling, Richard N. (December 19, 1988). "Jim Bakker's Crumbling World". Time. Vol. 132, no. 25\. New York. p. 72\. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
29. ^ "Fire-and-brimstone evangelist Jimmy Swaggart admitted today he instigated a..." United Press International. March 24, 1987. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
30. ^ a b Funk, Tim (March 17, 2018). "Jim Bakker's theme park was like a Christian Disneyland. Here's what happened to it". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
31. ^ "Son of Jim and Tammy Faye Finds His Own 'Grace'". All Things Considered. NPR. January 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
32. ^ Harris, Art (April 29, 1987). "Falwell Takes Control, Bars Bakker from PTL". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
33. ^ "American Notes: Fund Raising". Time. New York. September 21, 1987. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2007.
34. ^ "Falwell Quits, Warning PTL Ministry May End". The New York Times. October 9, 1987. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
35. ^ Dobson, Hindson & J. Falwell 1986.
36. ^ Associated Press, Falwell Mandates Tithing and Church Membership for All of His Employees, latimes.com, USA, March 11, 1989
37. ^ J. Falwell 1980, p. 85.
38. ^ J. Falwell 1980, p. 98.
39. ^ "Holy War". SPLCenter.org. June 26, 2003. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
40. ^ J. Falwell 1982, p. 310.
41. ^ a b c Blumenthal, Max (May 28, 2007). "Age of Intolerance". The Nation. New York. Archived from the original on August 8, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
42. ^ Mouly, Ruth, and Roland Robertson. "Zionism in American Premillenarian Fundamentalism." American Journal of Theology & Philosophy, vol. 4, no. 3, 1983, p. 103. JSTOR website Retrieved 27 May 2023.
43. ^ McKay, Mary Jayne (June 8, 2003). "Zion's Christian Soldiers". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
44. ^ Sachs, Susan (June 15, 2002). "Baptist Pastor Attacks Islam, Inciting Cries of Intolerance". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
45. ^ "ADL Condemns Falwell's Anti-Muslim Remarks; Urges Him to Apologize". Adl.org. Archived from the original on December 17, 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
46. ^ "Irving Kristol's Rebel Alliance with Anti-Semites". Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
47. ^ J. Falwell 1980, p. 113.
48. ^ Simon 1984, p. 62.
49. ^ "Biography: Falwell, Jerry". Atheism.about.com. November 21, 1982. Archived from the original on January 4, 2003. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
50. ^ Falwell, Jerry (2001). "Falwell: 'Deep Concerns'". Beliefnet. Interviewed by Caldwell, Deborah. Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
51. ^ Ostling, Richard N. (September 2, 1985). "Jerry Falwell's Crusade". Time. New York. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2007.
52. ^ "Religion: An Unholy Uproar". Time. New York. September 2, 1985. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
53. ^ Pear, Robert (August 21, 1985). "Falwell Denounces Tutu as a 'Phony'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
54. ^ "Falwell Offers Tutu Qualified Apology". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. August 24, 1985. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
55. ^ "Falwell Gives Qualified Apology for Calling Bishop Tutu a Phony". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 24, 1985. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
56. ^ a b c d e The Falwell connection Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine by Murray Waas Salon.com
57. ^ The Hunting of the President (DVD) 2005
58. ^ Johnson, Hans; Eskridge, William (May 19, 2007). "The Legacy of Falwell's Bully Pulpit". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
59. ^ a b Burns, Katy (May 17, 2007). "Jerry Falwell's Greatest Hates". Concord Monitor. Concord, New Hampshire. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
60. ^ a b "about Lambda Community Fund". Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2009.
61. ^ Press, Bill. "Press: The Sad Legacy of Jerry Falwell". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
62. ^ Handy, Bruce (April 14, 1997). "He Called Me Ellen Degenerate?". Time. New York. Archived from the original on November 23, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
63. ^ Niebuhr, Gustav (October 23, 1999). "Falwell Finds an Accord with Gay Rights Backer". Religion Journal. The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017.
64. ^ Schwartz, Deb (October 25, 1999). "The Odd Couple". Salon. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
65. ^ Rich, Frank (November 6, 1999). "Has Jerry Falwell Seen the light?". The New York Times. p. A17. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
66. ^ "PARENTS Alert... Parents Alert". NLJ. Archived from the original on May 16, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
67. ^ Millman, Joyce. "Tubbythumping". Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
68. ^ Arizona supporter funds largest-ever gift annuity to LU Archived 2011-05-26 at the Wayback Machine (February 27, 2008) By Mitzi Bible – Liberty Journal
69. ^ "Gay Tinky Winky bad for children". BBC News. February 15, 1999. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
70. ^ Burke, Heather (May 15, 2007). "Jerry Falwell, Evangelist, Political Activist, Dies". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
71. ^ a b "Falwell Apologizes to Gays, Feminists, Lesbians". CNN. September 14, 2001. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
72. ^ Falwell speaks about WTC disaster, Christian Broadcasting Network Archived 2012-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
73. ^ Goodstein, Laurie (September 15, 2019). "After the Attacks: Finding Fault; Falwell's Finger-Pointing Inappropriate, Bush Says". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
74. ^ "Christopher Hitchens and Ralph Reed Square Off over Late Leader's Influence; the Christian Right." Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine Hannity & Colmes. May 17, 2007. FOX News. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
75. ^ "Top Stories". NY1. Archived from the original on March 23, 2008.
76. ^ Winters 2012, pp. 383–384.
77. ^ Ricco, Joanne (August 2002). "The Right Wing Attack on the American Labor Movement" (PDF). Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. p. 10\. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 13, 2007.
78. ^ "The Rev. Jerry Falwell". People. Vol. 14, no. 26\. December 29, 1980. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017.
79. ^ Harding 2000.
80. ^ A case that is forgotten...another group of takfir from Arab-West Report
81. ^ Rev. Jerry Falwell: I think Muhammad was a terrorist from Arab-West Report
82. ^ Recent developments from Arab-West Report
83. ^ "Christian Leaders in Egypt Condemn Jerry Falwell's Statement About the Prophet Being a Terrorist". Arab-West Report.
84. ^ a b "Religion, Politics a Potent Mix for Jerry Falwell". NPR.org. NPR. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
85. ^ "Falwell Says He Will Press $10 Million Penthouse Suit". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 5, 1981. p. A10.
86. ^ "Penthouse Wins in Court Against Falwell Suit". The New York Times. United Press International. August 7, 1981. p. A8.
87. ^ "Falwell Won't Pursue Suit". The New York Times. United Press International. September 10, 1981. p. A28.
88. ^ Menand, Louis (February 6, 1997). "It's a Wonderful Life". The New York Review of Books. Vol. 44, no. 2.
89. ^ Flynt, Larry (May 20, 2007). "The Porn King and the Preacher". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010.
90. ^ "Milestones: Oct. 7, 1985". Time. New York. October 7, 1985. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
91. ^ "The Pittsburgh Press – Google News Archive Search". Retrieved January 21, 2017.
92. ^ a b c Supreme Court declines Falwell Web appeal Associated Press. April 17, 2006
93. ^ Paula Zahn Now, CNN: Transcript. Archived 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine July 31, 2006.
94. ^ Clouse 2008, p. 269.
95. ^ Cohen, Debra Nussbaum (January 22, 1999). "Falwell Antichrist remark sparks anti-Semitism charges". J. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
96. ^ "NPR: Cultural Impact of the Book of Revelation". National Public Radio. September 28, 2006. Archived from the original on December 22, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
97. ^ "Falwell: The church won the 2004 elections". WSFA 12. June 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
98. ^ Falwell is taken off ventilator, upgraded to stable condition Archived 2009-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. USA Today. May 30, 2005
99. ^ "Rev. Jerry Falwell Dies at 73 after collapsing". Sauk Valley Newspapers. May 15, 2007. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
100. ^ Page, Susan (May 15, 2007). "Evangelist Jerry Falwell Dies at 73". USA Today. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
101. ^ a b Transcript CNN.com, May 15, 2007
102. ^ "Macel Falwell". Campbellsville, Kentucky: Central Kentucky News-Journal. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
103. ^ CNN – God's Warriors[usurped] from CNN [dead link‍]
104. ^ "Video News". CNN. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
105. ^ a b c Hitchens, Christopher. "Jerry Falwell, faith-based fraud Archived 2013-08-16 at the Wayback Machine." Slate. May 16, 2007. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
106. ^ "Jerry Falwell's Legacy". CNN. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
107. ^ Hayduke, George. "Prey TV", Screw Unto Others: Revenge Tactics for all Occasions. pg. 166
108. ^ "Evangelism: The Bell Tolls for Falwell". Time. New York. April 14, 1986. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
109. ^ "Liberty University's Falwell taking leave of absence". August 7, 2020. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
110. ^ "Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns from Liberty University. Again". Religion News Service. August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
111. ^ Reuters[dead link‍]
112. ^ Garrison, Joey; Shesgreen, Deirdre. "Is Jerry Falwell Jr. out as president of Liberty University? Report: A daylong back-and-forth ends with him again saying he has resigned". USA Today. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
113. ^ Roston, Aram. "Business partner of Falwells says he had affair with the power couple". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
114. ^ Robles, Frances; Rutenberg, Jim (June 18, 2019). "The Evangelical, the 'Pool Boy,' the Comedian and Michael Cohen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
115. ^ "INSIDE JERRY FALWELL JR.'S UNLIKELY RISE AND PRECIPITOUS FALL AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY". Vanity Fair. January 24, 2022.
116. ^ Barfield, Charles (January 23, 2020). "'A Hidden Life' Composer Talks Unproduced Malick Film Described As A "Parallel Story Between Jerry Lee Lewis & Jerry Falwell"". The Playlist. Retrieved July 19, 2022.

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Carter, Jimmy (2010). White House Diary. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
* Clouse, Robert G. (2008). "Fundamentalist Theology". In Walls, Jerry L. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford University Press.
* Dobson, Ed; Hindson, Ed; Falwell, Jerry (1986). The Fundamentalist Phenomenon (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-8010-2958-5.
* Dowland, Seth (2007). Defending Manhood: Gender, Social Order and the Rise of the Christian Right in the South, 1965–1995 (PhD dissertation). Durham, North Carolina: Duke University. ISBN 978-0-549-71783-6.
* ——— (2015). Family Values and the Rise of the Christian Right. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. ISBN 978-0-8122-4760-2.
* Falwell, Jerry (1980). Listen, America!. New York: Doubleday and Company. ISBN 978-0-385-15897-8.
* ——— (1982) [1965]. "Ministers and Marches". God's Bullies: Native Reflections on Preachers and Politics. By Young, Perry Deane. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. pp. 310–317\. ISBN 978-0-03-059706-0. Retrieved June 10, 2022.310-317&rft.pub=Holt,+Rinehart+and+Winston&rft.date=1982&rft.isbn=978-0-03-059706-0&rft.aulast=Falwell&rft.aufirst=Jerry&rft_id=https://archive.org/details/godsbulliesnativ00youn/page/310&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Jerry+Falwell" class="Z3988">
* ——— (1997). Falwell: An Autobiography. Lynchburg, Pennsylvania: Liberty House Publishers. ISBN 978-1-888684-04-9. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
* Falwell, Macel (2008). Jerry Falwell: His Life and Legacy. With Hemry, Melanie. New York: Howard Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-8028-7. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
* Flint, Betty Gail (1978). Thomas Road Baptist Church: A Study of the New Fundamentalism (MA thesis). Williamsburg, Virginia: College of William & Mary. doi:10.21220/s2-fe1r-nj46.
* Griffith, R. Marie (2017). Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics. New York: Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-465-09476-9.
* Hamm, Billy (2010). An Analysis of the Evangelistic Impact of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International (DMin thesis). Lynchburg, Virginia: Liberty University. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
* Harding, Susan Friend (2000). The Book of Jerry Falwell: Fundamentalist Language and Politics. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-05989-1. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
* King, Randall E. (1997). "When Worlds Collide: Politics, Religion, and Media at the 1970 East Tennessee Billy Graham Crusade". Journal of Church and State. 39 (2): 273–295\. doi:10.1093/jcs/39.2.273. ISSN 2040-4867.273-295&rft.date=1997&rft_id=info:doi/10.1093/jcs/39.2.273&rft.issn=2040-4867&rft.aulast=King&rft.aufirst=Randall+E.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Jerry+Falwell" class="Z3988">
* Phillips, Benjamin Blair (2017). "Falwell, Jerry F., Sr. (1933–2007)". In Demy, Timothy J.; Shockley, Paul R. (eds.). Evangelical America: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Religious Culture. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 151–152\. ISBN 978-1-61069-774-3.151-152&rft.pub=ABC-CLIO&rft.date=2017&rft.isbn=978-1-61069-774-3&rft.aulast=Phillips&rft.aufirst=Benjamin+Blair&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Jerry+Falwell" class="Z3988">
* Simon, Merrill (1984). Jerry Falwell and the Jews. New York: Jonathan David Publishers.
* Towns, Elmer L. (2014). The Ten Most Influential Churches of the Past Century. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania: Destiny Image Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7684-0541-5.
* Williams, Daniel K. (2010). "Jerry Falwell's Sunbelt Politics: The Regional Origins of the Moral Majority". Journal of Policy History. 22 (2): 125–147\. doi:10.1017/S0898030610000011. ISSN 1528-4190. S2CID 146148193.125-147&rft.date=2010&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:146148193#id-name=S2CID&rft.issn=1528-4190&rft_id=info:doi/10.1017/S0898030610000011&rft.aulast=Williams&rft.aufirst=Daniel+K.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Jerry+Falwell" class="Z3988">
* Winters, Michael Sean (2012). God's Right Hand: How Jerry Falwell Made God a Republican and Baptized the American Right. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-197067-2. Retrieved April 11, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

Jerry Falwell at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* News from Wikinews
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Data from Wikidata

* Jerry Falwell Ministries
* Jerry Falwell Photo Gallery (1933–2007) from Time.com
* Jerry Falwell speaking on YouTube about Roe v. Wade (1982)
* Jerry Falwell at IMDb
* Appearances on C-SPAN

Religious titles

New office |  Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church
c. 1956 – 2007  | Succeeded by

Jonathan Falwell

Academic offices
New office |  President of Liberty University
1971–1997  | Succeeded by

John Borek

Preceded by

John Borek

|  President of Liberty University
2003–2007  | Succeeded by

Jerry Falwell Jr.

Non-profit organization positions
New office |  President of the Moral Majority
?–1987  | Succeeded by

Jerry Nims

* v
* t
* e

Social conservatism in the United States

Issues and ideas|

* Anti-abortion
* Anti-LGBTQ (Gay agenda)
* Anti-pornography movement
* Culture of life
* Culture war
* Consistent life ethic
* Eminent domain
* Euthanasia
* Familialism
* Family values
* Gender roles
* Organized religion
* Parental rights movement
* Prohibition of drugs
* Public morality
* Religious liberty
* School prayer
* Friendly separation of church and state

Advocates|

* Abbott
* Ashcroft
* Bachmann
* Baldwin
* Bannon
* Barton
* Bennett
* Brownback
* Bryant
* Boebert
* Boykin
* Bozell III
* Buchanan
* Cameron
* Carlson
* Carson
* Coburn
* Colson
* Cruz
* DeLay
* DeMint
* DeSantis
* Dice
* Dobson
* Donohue
* D'Souza
* Falwell Sr.
* Falwell Jr.
* Frist
* George
* Gingrich
* Gohmert
* Harris
* Helms
* Hostettler
* Huckabee
* Johnson
* Jones
* Kennedy
* Keyes
* King
* Kirk
* Knowles
* LaHaye
* LaHaye
* Limbaugh
* Lott
* McCarthy
* Moore
* Owens
* Palin
* Parsley
* Pence (Greg)
* Pence (Mike)
* Perkins
* Peroutka
* Perry
* Phillips
* Prager
* Raichik
* Reed
* Robertson
* Robinson
* Ruzicka
* Santorum
* Scarborough
* Schlafly
* Schundler
* Scott
* Shapiro
* Stenzel
* Stuckey
* Tancredo
* Tatum
* Greene
* Thomas
* Trump
* Uihlein
* Walsh

Groups|

* American Principles Project
* Concerned Women for America
* Eagle Forum
* Family Research Council
* Focus on the Family
* Foundation for Moral Law
* Heritage Foundation
* Moms for Liberty
* Moral Majority
* National Center on Sexual Exploitation
* National Organization for Marriage
* National Right to Life Committee
* Parents Television and Media Council
* Traditional Values Coalition

Political parties|

* American Solidarity Party
* Constitution Party
* Prohibition Party
* Republican Party

Related|

* Christian democracy
* Christian nationalism
* Christian right
* Culture war
* Factions in the Republican Party
* LGBT conservatism in the United States
* Manhattan Declaration
* Paleoconservatism
* Reactionary
* Social justice
* Straight pride

* Conservatism portal

* v
* t
* e

PTL scandal

Leadership|

* Jim Bakker
* Tammy Faye Bakker
* Richard Dortch
* Roe Messner

PTL Ministry|

* The PTL Club
* PTL Satellite Network
* Heritage USA

History|

* John Ankerberg
* Jerry Falwell Sr.
* John Wesley Fletcher
* Jessica Hahn
* Robert Daniel Potter
* Jimmy Swaggart

In popular culture|

* Fall from Grace
* The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000 film)
* The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021 film)

* v
* t
* e

Evangelicalism in the United States

Churches|

| Baptist family|

* Southern Baptist Convention
* Independent Baptist
* Missionary Baptists
* Conservative Baptist Association of America
* Free Will Baptist
* General Association of Regular Baptist Churches

|

Lutheran family|

* Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
* Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Presbyterian family|

* Presbyterian Church in America
* Presbyterian Church USA

Pentecostal family|

* Assemblies of God USA
* Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
* Church of God in Christ
* Foursquare Church
* Pentecostal Church of God
* Pentecostal Holiness Church
* Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
* United Pentecostal Church International

Restorationist family|

* Churches of Christ
* Christian churches and churches of Christ

Congregationalist family|

* Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

Holiness family|

* Church of the Nazarene
* Wesleyan Church
* Free Methodist Church
* Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)

Keswickian family|

* Christian and Missionary Alliance

Reformed family|

* Christian Reformed Church in North America

Adventist family|

* Seventh-day Adventist Church

Nondenominational family|

* Association of Vineyard Churches
* Calvary Chapel Association

History|

* Azusa Street Revival
* Black church
* Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
* Fundamentalist–modernist controversy
* Great Awakening
* First Great Awakening
* Second Great Awakening
* Cane Ridge Revival
* Third Great Awakening
* Fourth Great Awakening
* Healing revival
* Los Angeles Crusade (1949)
* Revival of 1800

Thought|

* Baptism by fire
* Baptism with the Holy Spirit
* Believers' Church
* Biblical literalism
* Biblical inerrancy
* Biblical patriarchy
* Biblical womanhood
* Born again
* Christianity and abortion
* Christian Zionism
* Decision theology
* Evangelical theology
* Full Gospel
* Kingdom theology
* Quiverfull
* Second work of grace

Practices|

* Altar call
* Child preacher
* Contemporary worship
* Contemporary worship music
* Mourner's bench
* Open-air preaching
* Prayer warrior
* Revival meeting
* Camp meeting
* Tent revival
* Sinner's prayer

Forms|

* Bible church
* Megachurch
* Televangelism

Movements|

* Apostolic-Prophetic Movement
* Bapticostal movement
* Christian fundamentalism
* Evangelical left
* Exvangelical
* Jesus movement
* Post-evangelicalism
* New Apostolic Reformation
* Neo-charismatic movement
* Red-Letter Christians
* Seven Mountain Mandate
* Transformational Christianity

Institutions|

* Christianity Today International
* Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
* Evangelical Climate Initiative
* Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus
* Fuller Theological Seminary
* Moody Bible Institute
* National Association of Evangelicals
* National Religious Broadcasters
* Promise Keepers
* World Vision United States
* Youth for Christ

Major figures|

* Aimee Semple McPherson
* Billy Graham
* Billy Sunday
* C. I. Scofield
* Charles Grandison Finney
* Dwight L. Moody
* Franklin Graham
* Jerry Falwell
* Jonathan Edwards

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Italy
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Croatia
* Korea
* Poland
* Israel
* Catalonia

Academics|

* CiNii

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

People|

* Trove

Other|

* IdRef
* NARA
* SNAC

*[m.]: married
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[c.]: circa