James Dobson | |
|---|---|
 Dobson c. 2007 | |
| Personal | |
| Born | James Clayton Dobson Jr. April 21, 1936 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Religion | Evangelical Christian |
| Spouse |
Shirley Deere (m. 1960) |
| Children | 2 |
| Notable work(s) | Marriage Under Fire Dare to Discipline The Strong-Willed Child |
| Education | Point Loma Nazarene University University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Psychologist Author Radio Broadcaster |
| Organization | |
| Founder of | Family Research Council Focus on the Family Family Policy Alliance |
| Website | www |
James Clayton Dobson Jr.[a] (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for conservative social positions in American public life.[1] Although never an ordained minister, he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by The New York Times while Slate portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.[2][3][4]
As part of his former role in the organization he produced the daily radio program Focus on the Family, which the organization has said was broadcast in more than a dozen languages and on over 7,000 stations worldwide, and reportedly heard daily by more than 220 million people in 164 countries. Focus on the Family was also carried by about 60 U.S. television stations daily.[5] In 2010, he launched the radio broadcast Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson.[6][7]
Dobson advocates for "family values" — the instruction of children in heterosexuality and traditional gender roles, which he believes are mandated by the Christian Bible. The goal of this is to promote heterosexual marriage, which he views as a cornerstone of civilization that must be protected from the dangers of feminism and the LGBT rights movement. Dobson seeks to equip his audience to fight in the American culture war, which he calls the "Civil War of Values".
His writing career started as an assistant to Paul Popenoe. After Dobson's rise to prominence through promoting corporal punishment of disobedient children in the 1970s, he became a founder of purity culture in the 1990s. He has promoted his ideas via his various Focus on the Family affiliated organizations, the Family Research Council which he founded in 1981, Family Policy Alliance which he founded in 2004, the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute which he founded in 2010, and a network of US state-based lobbying organizations called Family Policy Councils.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Detwiler, Fritz (1999). Standing on the Premises of God The Christian Right's Fight to Redefine America's Public Schools. NYU Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-8147-1914-5. Archived from the original on January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Kirkpatrick, David (January 1, 2005). "Evangelical Leader Threatens to Use His Political Muscle Against Some Democrats". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Olsen, Ted (February 21, 2005). "Who's Driving This Thing?". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
- ^ Crowley, Michael (November 12, 2004). "James Dobson: The Religious Right's New Kingmaker". Slate. Archived from the original on November 17, 2004. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
aboutFFwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ ""Family Talk" Is Largest Launch In Christian Radio History - Media Center - Ambassador Advertising Agency - We Connect Ministry and Media". Ambassadoradvertising.com. May 5, 2010. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
- ^ "James Dobson delivers final broadcast for Focus on Family". Usatoday.Com. February 26, 2010. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.