PoliticsThe Rise of the Christian Left in AmericaThe religious right has been in decline for years. Can progressives build a new "moral majority"?By Jonathan MerrittJuly 25, 2013 ShareSave Led by Jerry Falwell (right), the Moral Majority helped elect Ronald Reagan in 1980 and began decades of religious conservative dominance in politics. (Associated Press)About the AuthorJonathan Merritt is a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing – And How We Can Revive Them. More StoriesThe Redemption of a TelevangelistSome of the Most Visible Christians in America Are Failing the Coronavirus Test