The Witchmobile

Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Christianity Today

Christianity, Documentary, History, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 717 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

August 8, 1974—Richard Nixon resigns. The country watches as the law-and-order president falls under the weight of his own corruption, leaving behind a legacy of paranoia, scandal, and a crisis of trust in American institutions. But as one political era collapsed, another movement began to take shape. In this episode, we track the shifting tides of the 1970s—from Watergate’s unraveling to the unlikely rise of Jimmy Carter, a Southern Baptist reformer who captured the White House and disrupted the evangelical vote. But not everyone in the church was ready to embrace Carter’s vision. While the culture wars simmered, a new battle was brewing. Jerry Falwell and his allies were setting the stage for a moral revolution—one that would define the next era of American politics. And as they sharpened their message, they found inspiration in some unlikely places: a doomsday preacher from San Francisco, an infamous diary that would stoke America’s growing fears about Satanism, and a Christian comedian with a dark secret and an unforgettable mode of transportation. Resources: Rick Emerson, Unmask Alice Nixon library Jonestown Institute, SDSU Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is a production of Christianity Today Hosted and written by Mike Cosper Produced by Rebekah Sebastian, with production assistance by Dawn Adams Sound Design and Mix Engineer: TJ Hester Sound Design, Animation, and Video: Steve Scheidler Graphic Design: Nim Ben Reuven Music by Dirt Poor Robins Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper are the executive producers of CT Media Podcasts, and Matt Stevens is our senior producer. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help more people find the show. Thanks for listening. Can’t wait for the next episode? Join Host Mike Cosper for a live stream every other Monday on the CT YouTube channel or the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea Facebook Page. Join our Facebook group for deeper conversations, behind-the-scenes content, and the chance to submit your questions ahead of our live stream! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	What if you could see firsthand how God's moving across the globe right now?
0:06.5	Christianity Today's global initiative shares powerful untold stories of faith from Latin America and Africa, Asia, Europe, and elsewhere.
0:15.9	Discover a fuller view of God's kingdom at one kingdom. Christianitytay.com. A note to listeners. This story contains sensitive content including sexual abuse, child murder, and dark spiritual
0:42.3	themes.
0:43.3	It may not be suitable for all listeners.
0:46.3	Want more Devil in the Deep Blue Sea?
0:48.3	Every other Monday at 9 p.m. Eastern, any week when we aren't dropping a new episode,
0:53.0	we're going to be live on the CT YouTube channel and the Devil in the Deep Blue Sea Facebook page for Q&A.
1:00.1	Ask questions here behind-the-scenes stories, meet special guests, and dive even deeper into the madness of the satanic panic.
1:08.7	And if you're a member of the Facebook group, you can send your questions
1:11.9	in advance. Check out our links in the show notes.
1:17.4	August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon addresses the nation.
1:23.7	Good evening. This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office.
1:31.3	Two years earlier, on June 17, 1972, the same day Nixon's telegram was read at Explow 72,
1:38.8	five men were arrested for breaking into the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.
1:43.9	Within days, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two reporters with The Washington Post, began
1:49.6	reporting on the break-in, exposing connections between the burglars and the president's
1:54.1	reelection campaign.
1:55.7	I have never been a quitter.
1:59.6	To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body.
2:07.1	The scandal widened. They found illegal campaign contributions and a broader effort of spying
2:12.3	and sabotage. That triggered congressional investigations, which Nixon resisted cooperating with, which led to a broader sense that America was on the verge of a constitutional crisis.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Christianity Today, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Christianity Today and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.