Conservative Christian leader James Dobson — who founded Focus on the Family and was once called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" — died Thursday, according to a statement from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
A child psychologist by training, Dobson grew to prominence in the 1970s through his parenting advice in books like "Dare to Discipline." Through this work, he influenced a generation of evangelical parents.
He founded Focus on the Family in 1977, and later helped establish the Christian think tank Family Research Council in the early '80s. He advocated strongly against abortion rights, opposed evolution being taught in schools, and worked against LGBTQ+ rights. Focus on the Family has said that homosexuality is a "particularly evil lie of Satan" and that "Transgender ideology is a lie from the pit of hell."
Dobson believed the Bible should shape public policy, and saw the broader societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ people as in direct opposition to his understanding of the Bible and the family.
Speaking on the Christian TV program Andrew Wommack Ministries about the Obergefell decision to legalize same sex marriage he said, "That decision is not really about gay marriage…It's about the entire culture war. We lost the entire culture war with that one decision."
As Dobson's popularity with cultural conservatives grew, political leaders sought him out. In the 1980s Dobson was regularly invited to the White House to consult with President Ronald Reagan and his staff. In 1985, Dobson was appointed to Attorney General Edwin Meese's Commission on Pornography.
Dobson's unflinching conservatism rankled some Republican leaders at the height of his influence. During the 1996 presidential campaign, Dobson warned that any attempt to water down the anti-abortion plank in the GOP platform would result in widespread defection from Republican ranks by evangelical voters. He also objected to suggestions that the party's presidential nominee, Bob Dole, choose a running mate who backed abortion rights.
His impact on parents, pastors and politicians was far-reaching.
"Few people have had the positive, Christ-honoring impact on the family as Dr. Jim Dobson; his legacy will be lasting," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins in a statement. "Dr. Dobson will be missed, but like other influential Christian leaders of his era, he has raised many more in his wake."
This story was produced through a collaboration between NPR and Religion News Service.
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