Voices of Democracy 2 (2007): 26‐49 Fessler 26 Paul Fessler: pfessler@dordt.edu Last Updated: March 2008 Copyright © 2009 (Paul Fessler). Voices of Democracy, ISSN #1932‐9539. Available at http://www.voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/. RONALD REAGAN, ADDRESS TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICALS ("EVIL EMPIRE SPEECH") (8 MARCH 1983) Paul Fessler Dordt College Abstract: This essay argues that Ronald Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech helped transform presidential discourse with its explicitly religious language and imagery. Credited with helping to bring about an end to the Cold War, the speech was widely criticized at the time for its religious and moral absolutism but later celebrated for reflecting a rhetorical blueprint that helped bring an end to the Cold War. Key Words: Ronald Reagan, "Evil Empire," Cold War, Détente, Religion, Evangelical When Ronald Reagan took office in early 1981, the United States appeared weak and faltering. In foreign affairs, the United States, still reeling from defeat in Vietnam, faced not only a Soviet Union expanding into Afghanistan but also a major hostage crisis in Iran that had crippled the outgoing president, Jimmy Carter. It seemed as if America's self‐image as a confident and strong international superpower was fading into a distant memory. Indeed, Carter's speeches and public pronouncements as president seemed to contribute to this growing public perception. As a conservative and as an outspoken anti‐communist, President Ronald Reagan not only brought about a shift in presidential policy but also in presidential rhetoric. Known as the "Great Communicator," Reagan's powerful oratory, liberally peppered with anecdotes and humor, helped gain public support for his two main issues—anti‐ communism and reducing the size of the federal government. Reagan's speech to the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) on March 8, 1983, was arguably his most significant and memorable speech on international affairs. This address employed religious imagery and themes that placed many of his administration's policy initiatives, particularly diplomatic ones, in an explicitly moral context. In fact, the speech has been known ever since by the morally charged label that Reagan used to criticize the USSR in his remarks: "evil empire." This essay examines the significance of the "Evil Empire" speech in several ways. First, it seeks to put this speech into the historical context of Reagan's past and of Cold War politics and diplomacy. Second, the essay shows how this speech played a role in changing the framework of Cold War policy and rhetoric. Third, it demonstrates how Reagan's religious and moral worldview impacted his rhetoric as well as his foreign policy. While debates continue regarding the political impact of Reagan's "Evil Empire"