Recollecting Carter
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© Jason Lee Guthrie
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Jimmy Carter will be remembered as a man of faith, principle, and charity. Though once remembered as "a good man but not a great president," there is a growing consensus among historians today that our collective memory of Carter needs to be “re-collected.” So join me, your host Jason Lee Guthrie, as I interview the experts and we explore the life and legacy of America's 39th president on: Recollecting Carter.
Supported by Georgia Humanities and the Leibner Cooper Family Foundation. Original music by Joel Khouri. Logo by Whitney Mathisen. Learn more online at: www.recollectingcarter.com
Supported by Georgia Humanities and the Leibner Cooper Family Foundation. Original music by Joel Khouri. Logo by Whitney Mathisen. Learn more online at: www.recollectingcarter.com
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Jimmy Carter will be remembered as a man of faith, principle, and charity. Though once remembered as "a good man but not a great president," there is a growing consensus among historians today that our collective memory of Carter needs to be "re-collected." This is Jason Lee Guthrie, host of the Recollecting Carter podcast. On this series finale, I revisit some highlights from previous episodes and end with some final recollections of my own...
The concept of collective memory has been the guiding theme of this podcast. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I asked Dr. Janice Hume to define collective memory, and to explain the unique place that American Presidents hold in it. As he approaches his 100th birthday, we discussed how Carter's long life has had a unique affect on our collective memory of him, and how that memory might continue to evolve after his passing.
Before he was President, Governor, or even a State Senator, Jimmy Carter's first political office was on the Sumter County School Board in rural, south Georgia filling a seat vacated when his father passed away in 1953. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Jason Berggren about how understanding Carter's earliest political appointment helps us to better appreciate just how much he evolved over the course of his career.
You can find Jason and co-author Adrienne Petty's research at: https://www.npshistory.com/publications/jica/sumter-co.pdf
Though we rarely hear talk of a "Religious Left" today, in the 1960s and 70s there was an active and vibrant set of voices advocating for progressive policies from across the faith spectrum. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. L. Benjamin Rolsky about how Carter fit into that historical moment and the lessons that we can learn about the relationship between faith, politics, and popular culture.
You can find Benji's book at: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-religious-left/9780231193634
Biographer Kai Bird published The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter in 2021. Kai is a prolific author, most notably of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which earned he and his co-author a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 and became a major motion picture in 2023. I got a chance to talk with Kai about the role he sees biographers playing in the formation of collective memory.
You can find Kai's book at: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/538942/the-outlier-by-kai-bird/
Many of the details of Carter's Presidency have been forgotten by the general public and some have even been intentionally mischaracterized by right-wing political operatives masquerading as journalists. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Kevin Kruse, one of the foremost experts on modern American political history. Kevin talks about how public perception of Carter has changed over time, and how Carter's conduct while in office has become the gold standard for presidential ethics in the modern era.
You can find a couple of Kevin's books at: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469642246/showbiz-politics/ and https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691246666/247-politics
The connection between Washington politics and Hollywood celebrity is often taken for granted today, but, historically speaking, it hasn't always been the case. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Kathryn Cramer Brownell. Katie talks about her research into the origins of what she calls "showbiz politics," and the surprising role that President Carter played in the creation of the 24 hour news cycle.
You can find Katie's books at: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469642246/showbiz-politics/ and https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691246666/247-politics
Jimmy Carter was at one time the most well-known Southern Baptist in the world, but he left the denomination in the year 2000 citing their theological views on the role of women as one of his primary reasons for leaving. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Beth Allison Barr, author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth, about the history behind what Carter called "a twisted interpretation of the Word of God."
You can find Beth's book at: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-making-of-biblical-womanhood/404050
Recent books on American evangelicalism such as Kristin DuMez's Jesus and John Wayne have challenged long held assumptions about the relationship between faith and politics. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with David Nanninga about how certain sets of religious beliefs worked at the local level in cities such as Waco and Amarillo Texas to shape public opinion and ultimately sway the 1980 presidential election.
Dr. Russell Moore is a prominent theologian, author, and the Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today. His most recent book Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America has been well received by critics across the spectrum of faith and politics. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I got a chance to talk with Moore about how the relationship between Evangelical Christianity and American presidential politics has changed from Carter's era to now.
You can find Russell's book at: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709965/losing-our-religion-by-russell-moore/
You can hear more from Russell on his podcast The Russell Moore Show: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/russell-moore-show/
Journalist and Author Jonathan Alter published His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life in 2020. Despite coming out a full four decades after Carter left office, it was the first independent, full-length biography of our 39th President. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I got a chance to talk with Alter about his experience writing the book and ask why he was inspired to write it now in this historical moment.
You can find Jonathan's book at: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/His-Very-Best/Jonathan-Alter/9781501125546
Understanding President Carter’s fraught relationship with the press is key to understanding his Presidency. On this Episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk once more with Dr. Amber Roessner about the historical context behind two news stories that exemplify press coverage of Carter’s time in office. Understanding this history can uncover a lot about how news media help to create the uniquely American version of political theater we experience today.
Washington D.C is a city bustling with activity and rich with history. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I take a tour with public historian Rebecca Fachner of some historical sites that highlight Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter around America's Capitol.
You can hear more from Rebecca on her podcast Tour Guide Tell All: https://freetoursbyfoot.com/tour-guide-tell-all/
President Carter’s Crisis of Confidence speech is considered one of the most iconic moments of his Presidency. So how did we come to profoundly misremember it today? On this Episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk again with Dr. Amber Roessner, author of Jimmy Carter and the Birth of the Marathon Media Campaign, about Carter’s speech and why our collective memory of it is so stubbornly inaccurate.
For a video and transcript of the entire speech, originally delivered on July 15, 1979, visit: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/july-15-1979-crisis-confidence-speech
Carter and his political appointees undertook a systematic dismantling of government regulation in a wide variety of industries ranging from air travel to alcohol. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Paul Matzko about the effects of deregulation during Carter's presidency. While Dr. Matzko is a professional historian employed by the Cato Institute, the views expressed in the interview are his own.
You can find Paul's book at: https://academic.oup.com/book/33642
1Carter took office during a time of significant economic and cultural upheaval. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Rachel Grant about Carter's place in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Backlash to Carter's progressive policies on race relations contributed to his failed reelection campaign in 1980 and still reverberate in American politics today.
Carter's genuine love for popular music was used to great effect during his political career. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Randall Stephens about his book The Devil's Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock 'n' Roll. Our conversation revealed unexpected and interesting intersections in faith, race, and American popular culture.
You can find Randall's book at: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674980846
Today, there is a widespread belief that news media have an inherent bias toward liberal points of view. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. A. J. Bauer about research for his forthcoming book Making the Liberal Media. Interestingly, Bauer has found that much of the way we remember Carter's presidency today is connected with the rise of conservative talk radio in the 1980s and the vested interest that figures like Rush Limbaugh had in denigrating Carter to build their audience.
There are competing historical narratives about the relationship between Jerry Falwell Sr.'s Moral Majority movement and social issues like racial equality, equal rights, and religious freedom. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Gillian Frank about the politicization of abortion during Carter's presidency. While this episode focuses on historical facts about abortion as opposed to political or religious viewpoints, be aware that some listeners may be sensitive to this content.
You can hear more from Gill on his podcast Sexing History: https://www.sexinghistory.com/
Jimmy Carter is widely viewed to be the most authentically Christian president that America has ever had. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Neil J. Young about Carter's faith and why many Christian voters turned instead towards Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. Young's book We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics unpacks the complicated relationship between belief and political action.
You can find Neil's book at: https://academic.oup.com/jcs/article-abstract/59/1/135/2965507
You can hear more from Neil on his podcast Past Present: http://www.pastpresentpodcast.com/episodes
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