To Bring the Good News to All Nations: Evangelical Influence on Human Rights and US Foreign Relations

Dr. Lauren Turek, Trinity University

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In July 2020, a U.S. State Department commission appointed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a report that argued that the United States should prioritize the promotion of religious liberty above other human rights in its foreign policy. When Pompeo used evangelical and Christian nationalist rhetoric to champion this idea, he revealed himself to be part of a long legacy of politically conservative evangelicals who have advocated for a narrow interpretation of human rights in U.S. policymaking in order to advance a set of specific religious objectives, particularly global evangelization. This talk will provide the key historical context that helps us understand how and why evangelical Christians mobilized as an effective foreign policy lobby during the 1970s and 1980s, and how they used their clout to transform U.S. human rights policies to align with conservative political and religious goals.

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