Gerald Burton Winrod: Defender of Christianity and democracy in the United States

Abstract

This research attempted to uncover the effects, if any, that the pronouncements of Gerald Burton Winrod, an evangelist from Wichita, Kansas, had upon President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal, and the American people. To understand the rationale of Winrod, a complete study of his life was made. Included in this study was Winrod's success as a crusader for the fundamentalists during the religious controversies of the 1920s. This investigation revealed that Winrod came from a simple, small town background, and he viewed change of any kind as dangerous and unholy. Throughout his life, Winrod opposed liberal thinkers and innovative ideas even if the results would have been beneficial to the American people. Diligent study revealed that Winrod did little to effect change during his lifetime. The solution to what he believed were the problems of the 1930s were not only prayer and salvation but the condemnation of liberal thinkers and their ideas. Winrod was a voice for those who were disenchanted with the Roosevelt administration and a beacon to those bent on racism and bigotry.