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The Conversation
The Conversation
Diane Winston, Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Jimmy Swaggart’s rise and fall shaped the landscape of American televangelism

Jimmy Swaggart Los Angeles America Pat Robertson Jerry Falwell Jerry Lee Lewis Mickey Gilley
Rev. Jimmy Swaggart preaches at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on March 29, 1987. AP Photo/Mark Avery, file

Jimmy Swaggart, one of the most popular and enduring of the 1980s televangelists, died on July 1, 2025, but his legacy lives.

Along with Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, he drew an audience in the millions, amassed a personal fortune and introduced a new generation of Americans to a potent mix of religion and politics.

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