Episode V:

And Who Shall Lead Them?, 1985-1988

Anti-abortion activists cheered when Reagan named one of their own, C. Everett Koop, as Surgeon-General. By the mid-'80s, though, AIDS tragically hits home even in fundamentalist circles, and Koop splits from his former allies over the proper Christian response to this "sign of God's judgment." Hearing the call of God, Pat Robertson mobilizes an "invisible army" of fervent believers, many of whom had never before engaged in politics, to support his bid for the Presidency. Though dogged by the televangelist scandals, the Robertson campaign -- with its calls for renewed patriotism and its fierce attacks on liberalism -- sets the agenda for George Bush's victory over Michael Dukakis.

(ABOVE) Ralph Reed, Director of the Christian Coalition, shown during his student years. Reed estimates that he consulted on 25 congressional campaigns during his college and graduate school years, rising to Executive Director in the College Republicans before he left to start his own college political organization, Students for America. (Credit: (c) Bob Bridges/News & Observer)

Episode VI:

God's Armies, 1989 -

While George Bush strains to win their trust, Religious Right leaders turn to a new crusade: building a true grassroots power structure from the ashes of the Robertson campaign. The fruit of their efforts, the Christian Coalition, is now one of the most politically adept membership organizations ever. Yet many inside the movement question if, in gaining power in the secular world, conservative Christians have lost their evangelical soul. This final episode lays bare the struggle for the future of the Religious Right--and of America.

(ABOVE) Pat Robertson (left) and Ralph Reed at the 1993 Christian Coalition "Road to Victory" rally were a formidable religious and political duo. Reeds recalls their "very strong, collaborative relationship," noting that [Pat] "knew that if we decided to try to get something done, that I would probably be able to make that happen." (Credit: (c) 1993 Jennifer Warburg, Impact Visuals)