NPR : Fresh Air from WHYY for Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Terry Gross pitted D. James Kennedy's views against Frederick Clarkson's views in two interviews on today's broadcast of Fresh Air.

The NPR notes on Kennedy:

The stated purpose of D. James Kennedy's religious network is to reclaim America for Christ, closing the gap between church and state that is written into the Constitution. The evangelist minister, who preaches from the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Coral Ridge, Fla., has radio and TV shows that are heard around the world.

Coral Ridge is considered to be a mega-church, with 10,000 members. Kennedy is also the founder and president of Evangelism Explosion International. He runs the Statesmanship Institute, designed to give holders of public office tools for integrating biblical principles into lawmaking. He holds nine degrees from schools including Columbia Theological Seminary and Southwest Baptist University.

The NPR notes on Clarkson:

Author Frederick Clarkson wrote the book Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy And Democracy, on the growing religious movement to influence government. Clarkson is a journalist who specializes in covering the radical right and religious figures like D. James Kennedy of Reclaim America.

Clarkson has written articles on the religious right's plans to take over the Republican Party, and how elements of the right encouraged citizen militias. He's also an expert on the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

The Clarkson interview has a fair amount on the trend toward homeschooling.

The broadcast can be listened to online. (Use title link.)