Jim Luce Writes on Fundamentalism & Fundamentalists Anonymous

In the mid-1980s, when televangelists dominated American airwaves and the Religious Right wielded unprecedented political influence, Jim Luce and his partner Richard Yao took on one of the most powerful forces in conservative Christianity. Their organization, Fundamentalists Anonymous, became so effective at exposing what they termed the “Fundamentalist Mindset” and offering support to those struggling with “religious addiction” that Rev. Jerry Falwell himself declared them the “#1 enemy of the Gospel.”

From pioneering discussions about religious addiction on national television to shadowing Pat Robertson’s presidential campaign and testifying against prominent televangelists in Congress, Luce’s work in the late 20th century presaged many of the religious and political battles that continue to shape American society today. His insights into the intersection of fundamentalist theology, political power, and psychological manipulation remain strikingly relevant in an era where similar ideological forces have found new expression in contemporary politics.

1. Death | James Dobson’s Legacy: Faith, Family, and Controversy (Aug. 23, 2025)
2. Death | Jerry Falwell (pending)
3. Death | Rise and Scandalous Fall of Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart (Aug. 24, 2025)
4. Death | Jim Bakker (pending)
5. Leonard Bernstein Supported Our Efforts Fighting Religious Extremism in the 1980s
   (March 22, 2023)
6. Our Stand with Martin Scorsese’s Last Temptation of Christ
   (May 24, 2013)
7. Remembering Our Battle Against Fundamentalists
   (Originally published in Huffington Post, Aug. 6, 2009)
8. The Fundamentalists Anonymous Movement (1986)
   Originally published in The Humanist by James J. D. Luce, Jan-Feb. 1986
   Republished in The Stewardship Report (Aug. 22, 2025)
9. The Reach of Christian Reconstruction: Theology, Politics, Controversy
   (Aug. 9, 2025)
10. Young Banker Sparks Crusade Against Televangelist Empire (Aug. 23, 2025)

Fundamentalists Anonymous Archives / About F.A.

1. Geography of the Soul: Finding a Way Out of Fundamentalism (1987) by Paul Cowan,
   originally published as the cover story of The Village Voice, The Village Voice, New York City,
   June 23, 1987; republished in The Stewardship Report (Aug. 22, 2025).
2. “Leaving the Fold” – Fundamentalists Anonymous in Psychology Today (1988)
   (republished in The Stewardship Report Aug. 22, 2025)
3. Whatever Happened to Richard Yao of Fundamentalists Anonymous? (Aug. 22, 2023)

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