Pat Robertson, the Christian media mogul who held an influential role in developing the modern American Christian Right, died Thursday at 93, his broadcasting network announced.
Robertson transformed a small local television station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 1960, building a substantial audience and gaining influence on the Christian Right in the process. He also ran for president in 1988, finishing in third and winning four primary contests. He finished second in the Iowa caucuses, knocking eventual Republican nominee and former president George H.W. Bush to a third place finish.
Robertson died at his Virginia Beach home surrounded by his family. “My father was an extraordinary man by any standard. He was an evangelist, a humanitarian, an entrepreneur, an educator, an author, a statesman, a television personality, a man of global influence and tremendous vision. Perhaps most important though, he was a dearly loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend,” wrote Robertson’s son, Gordon, who is also CEO and President of CBN.
A graduate of Yale Law and a veteran of the Korean war, Robertson grew CBN into a vast enterprise and hosted its flagship program, The 700 Club, broadcast directly into the homes of millions of Americans. He also founded Regents University in Virginia, initially called CBN University.
“Dr. Robertson was a titan of the Christian faith and he will be dearly missed by millions around the world,” said John Ashcroft, attorney general under President George W. Bush and a professor at Regent University. “His legacy is a life well-lived in loving and faithful obedience to Jesus Christ and His glorious gospel.”
Through the American Center for Law & Justice and the Christian Coalition, both of which Robertson founded, the media mogul extended his reach into political advocacy.
Robertson’s own political ambitions, following in the footsteps of his father, Senator Absalom Willis Robertson (D., Va.), culminated in his 1988 presidential campaign. He was unable to generate enough momentum from his second-place finish in Iowa in the other contests, including New Hampshire and the states that voted on Super Tuesday. He would go on to endorse Bush.
However, his Christian Coalition and larger organizing on behalf of Christians were crucial to pushing Republicans over the line in winning both houses of Congress in 1994.
In 1997, Robertson sold the CBN Family Channel, an arm of the larger CBN enterprise, to Rupert Murdoch for $1.9 billion. Fox would later sell it to Disney for $5.3 billion and rebrand it ABC Family, and later on, Freeform.
Robertson, a minister, continued to preach and discuss politics on CBN and elsewhere throughout the rest of his life. Some of the things he said drew controversy and condemnation, including when he claimed the terrorist attacks that killed thousands of Americans on Sept. 11, 2001 were retribution by God for America’s sinfulness. His followers nevertheless deeply valued his words and his influence on American politics continued, even after he resigned as head of the Christian Coalition in 2001.
The minister’s humanitarian efforts through Operation Blessing, one of the largest charity organizations in the U.S., included disaster relief, medical aid, and the development of clean water systems in countries throughout the world.