Dr James Dobson, a prominent and influential evangelical leader who advised four US presidents, has died aged 89.
Dobson was a fixture in conservative US politics for decades and most recently served on Donald Trump’s advisory board for evangelical affairs.
The ministry he founded, Focus on the Family, is one of the largest in the world, with a presence in nearly 100 countries.
As well as Trump, Dobson advised three other Republican presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, and George W Bush.
Born in Louisiana in 1936, Dobson founded Focus on the Family in 1977, with the stated mission of affirming “the God-ordained institution of the family”.
His radio programme was eventually broadcast by 4,000 radio stations across North America.
He published his first of more than 70 books – Dare To Discipline, which advocated for strict parental authority and corporal punishment – while working as an associate clinical professor of paediatrics at the University of California School of Medicine.
Gary Bauer of the Dr James Dobson Family Institute described the organisation’s founder as a “pioneer” and “a man of deep conviction whose voice shaped the way generations view faith, family and culture”.
While he never ran for public office, Dobson was considered extremely influential in conservative political circles in the US.
He founded the Family Research Council in 1981, a think-tank that advocates for socially conservative causes, and coordinated state-level lobbying organisations across the country.
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