Liberty University

The Rise and Fall of Jerry Falwell Jr. at Liberty U.

The ousted leader speaks to reporter Gabriel Sherman about the scandal and meltdown that ended his leadership of an evangelical empire. 

Who's Afraid of Higher Education?

The splashy launch of the University of Austin concept echoes the establishment a half-century ago of evangelical conservative colleges; despite the claim to value free speech, the institutions seek to avoid intellectual turbulence and conflict.

Two Visions of Higher Education Illuminate the Chasm between Harris and Pence

by Marybeth Gasman and Adam Laats

The Vice Presidential candidates' university affiliations--Harris's attendance at Howard and membership in a prominent Black sorority, and Pence's political affinity for Liberty University--show that both HBCUs and Evangelical colleges are important and politically significant parts of the American higher education system.

The Last Fundamentalist Empire Died Yesterday in Lynchburg, Virginia

by John Fea

Although he oversaw tremendous growth at Liberty University and tried to lead in the culture wars, Jerry Falwell Jr. was unable to maintain credibility as a faith leader necessary to hold his empire. It's unclear whether any evangelical organization can succeed as a business and a theological enterprise. 

After Falwell Stumbles, His Hometown Sees a Leader in Need of Redemption

Historians of religion including Grant Wacker, Anthea Butler and John Fea comment on the significance of Jerry Falwell, Jr.'s recent public scandals and the position of Liberty University in the evangelical world. 

An Authoritarian Power Structure Brought Coronavirus to Liberty University

by Adam Laats

How one-man rule emerged at fundamentalist colleges and universities.  

The Notre Dame and Harvard of the Christian World?

by Adam Laats

That was the dream for Liberty University at its founding.