Large turn out for lecture by Dr. Michael Lindsey

Last Thursday approximately 100 people came out to see Dr. Michael Lindsey and hear his talk about his popular book “Faith in the Halls of Power.” Lindsey first talked about some of his experiences and the work that went into the writing of his book. He then talked about the role Evangelical Christians play in many areas of society including: politics, higher education, Hollywood, and business. He also answered many questions at the end of his talk regarding the current presidential race.

Lindsey pointed out that despite common notions, there are of members of the Evangelical communities in both the Republican Party and Democratic Party. On a similar note offered by Lindsey, during the presidential primary season, exit polls only asked GOP voters if they were Evangelical Christians. But he did suggest that a majority of the Evangelical community associated themselves with the Republican Party. He also noted that from WWII until the time Jimmy Carter was elected president, Evangelicals were fairly quiet in the political world.

From politics, Lindsey moved on to a discussion about higher education. Lindsey noted the rising populations of Evangelical Christians on Ivy League campuses. In addition to the rise of Evangelical populations on Ivy League campuses, there are more and more Christian colleges across the country, including some that are getting serious academic recognition. He also discussed the “sleep in effect.” The “sleep in effect” is the notion that once children arrive in college they will sleep in on Sunday, and will not be forced by their parents to attend church, and for this reason the students will tend to distance themselves from the church. Lindsey suggested that Evangelical students are the least likely to suffer from the “sleep in effect.”

In Hollywood, Lindsey believes that Christianity is making a major comeback. He cited a few production companies including World Wide Pictures and  the Act One training program for screenwriters. He also compared the reactions of The Last Temptation of Christ with, The Passion of Christ. The former came out in 1988, and was protested, while the later came out in 2004, and was very successful.

Lastly, Lindsey discussed the success of Evangelicals in the business world. Many big business leaders identify themselves as Evangelical Christians. All of them donate money to Christian causes, the average of the people interviewed by Dr. Lindsey was 1.1 million dollars a year. He explained that many of such business leaders also try to use subtle messages to allow their religion into their work. Perhaps the best example of this was Jockey Underwear. The CEO, Debra S. Waller, is an Evangelical and decided that all models will wear a wedding ban during photo shoots with a man and women present to help promote the Christian ideal of fidelity.

Dr. Michael Lindsey’s lecture and subsequent Q & A proved to be quite insightful. He was able to clarify the role that Evangelical Christians play in America’s society today.