James Dobson - Revision history

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{{Infobox person
| image = James Dobson 2noprofile.jpg
| birth_name = James Clayton Dobson Jr.
| birth_date = April 21, 1936
| birth_place = [[wikipedia:Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport, Louisiana]]
| death_date = August 21, 2025 (aged 89)
| death_place = [[wikipedia:Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs, Colorado]]
| spouse = [[Shirley Deere]] (m. 1960)
| children = 2
| education = [[Point Loma Nazarene University]] ([[wikipedia:Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Southern California]] ([[wikipedia:Master of Arts|MA]], [[wikipedia:Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| works = ''[[Marriage Under Fire]]''
| theology = [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical Christian]]
| founder = [[Family Research Council]]<br>[[Focus on the Family]]<br>[[Family Policy Alliance]]
| website = [https://drjamesdobson.org drjamesdobson.org]
}}

'''Dr. James (Jim) Clayton Dobson Jr.''' (April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025) was an American [[evangelicalism|evangelical Christian]] author, psychologist and founder of [[Focus on the Family]] (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for [[Social conservatism|conservative social positions]] in American public life. Although never an [[ordained minister]], he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by ''[[The New York Times]]'' while ''[[wikipedia:Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]].

As part of his former role in the organization he produced the daily radio program ''Focus on the Family'', which the organization has said was broadcast in more than a dozen languages and on over 7,000 stations worldwide, and reportedly heard daily by more than 220 million people in 164 countries. ''Focus on the Family'' was also carried by about 60 U.S. television stations daily. In 2010, he launched the radio broadcast ''Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson''.

Dobson advocated for family values, the instruction of children in [[heterosexuality]] and traditional gender roles, which he believed are mandated by the [[Christian Bible]]. The goal of this was to promote heterosexual marriage, which he viewed as a cornerstone of civilization that was to be protected from his perceived dangers of [[feminism]] and the [[LGBT rights]] movement. Dobson sought to equip his audience to fight in the American [[culture war]], which he calls the "Civil War of Values".

His writing career started as an assistant to [[Paul Popenoe]]. After Dobson's rise to prominence through promoting corporal punishment of disobedient children in the 1970s, he became a founder of purity culture in the 1990s. He promoted his ideas via his various Focus on the Family affiliated organizations, the [[Family Research Council]] which he founded in 1981, [[wikipedia:Family Policy Alliance|Family Policy Alliance]] which he founded in 2004, the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute which he founded in 2010, and a network of US state-based lobbying organizations called "Family Policy Councils".

==Early life and education==
James Clayton Dobson Jr. was born to Myrtle Georgia (née Dillingham) and James C. Dobson Sr. on April 21, 1936, in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]].<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-02-ls-63874-story.html |title=A Man of Millions : Broadcaster James Dobson Has Become a Leading Name in Evangelical Circles--and the Politicians Have Noticed |last=Stammer |first=Larry B. |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 2, 1995 |access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html |title=James C Dobson |website=San Benito History |access-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320040954/http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html |archive-date=March 20, 2013}}</ref><ref name = McFadden>{{cite news |title=James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/james-dobson-dead.html |access-date=August 21, 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 21, 2025|last = McFadden|first = Robert D.|authorlink = Robert D. McFadden}}</ref> From his earliest childhood, religion played a central part in his life. He once told a reporter that he learned to pray before he learned to talk, and says he gave his life to [[Jesus]] at the age of three, in response to an altar call by his father.<ref name="sotc">{{cite book |last=Apostolidis |first=Paul |title=Stations of the Cross Adorno and Christian Right Radio |date=May 2000 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=9780822381006 |page=22}}</ref> He was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of [[Church of the Nazarene]] ministers.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Gerson |title=A Righteous Indignation |work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] |date=May 4, 1998 |type=Reprint |url=http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm |via=SkepticTank.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609085028/http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref>

His parents were traveling evangelists; as a child, Dobson often stayed with family members while his parents were out traveling.{{sfn|Du Mez|2020|p=78}} Like most Nazarenes, they forbade dancing and going to movies. Young Jimmie Lee, as he was called, concentrated on his studies.<ref name="ebff">{{cite news |last=Stepp |first=Laura |date=August 8, 1990 |title=The Empire Built on Family and Faith: Psychologist James C. Dobson, Bringing His Evangelical Focus to Politics |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/140162655 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103065825/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/doc/140162655.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+8%2C+1990&author=Laura+Sessions+Stepp+Washington+Post+Staff+Writer&pub=The+Washington+Post+%281974-Current+file%29&edition=&startpage=&desc=The+Empire+Built+on+Family+%26+Faith |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |newspaper=Washington Post |pages=C1–3 |id={{ProQuest|140162655}}}}</ref> As a teenager, he was rebellious, though he eventually found a close relationship with his father.{{sfn|Du Mez|2020|p=78}}

Dobson's mother was intolerant of "sassiness" and would strike her child with whatever object came to hand, including a shoe or belt; she once gave Dobson a "massive blow" with a [[Girdle (undergarment)|girdle]] outfitted with straps and buckles.<ref name="Bartkowski1995">{{cite journal |title=Spare the Rod..., or Spare the Child? Divergent Perspectives on Conservative Protestant Child Discipline |first=John P. |last=Bartkowski |journal=Review of Religious Research |date=December 1995 |volume=37 |number=2 |pages=97–116 |doi=10.2307/3512395 |jstor=3512395 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3512395|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{sfn|Ridgely|2016|p=26}}

Dobson studied academic psychology and came to believe that he was being called to become a Christian counselor or perhaps a Christian psychologist.<ref name=sotc /> He attended Pasadena College ([[Point Loma Nazarene University]]) as an undergraduate, where he met his wife, Shirley, and served as captain of the school's tennis team. Dobson graduated in 1958, served in the National Guard for six months, and began working at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buss |first=Dale |url=https://archive.org/details/familyman00dale/ |title=Family Man: the Biography of Dr. James Dobson |date=2005 |publisher=Tyndale House |isbn=9780842381918 |location=Wheaton, Ill. |pages=27 |url-access=registration |via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="ISAE">{{cite web |title=Jim Dobson |url=http://isae.wheaton.edu/hall-of-biography/jim-dobson/ |publisher=Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton College |access-date=December 6, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315204130/http://isae.wheaton.edu/hall-of-biography/jim-dobson/ |archive-date=March 15, 2011}}</ref>{{Sfn|Du Mez|2020|p=79}} In 1967, Dobson received his doctorate in psychology from the [[University of Southern California]].<ref name="Hankins"/>

===Dr. James Dobson Family Institute===
In 2010, Dobson founded the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute,<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. Dobson's Ministry & History |url=http://www.drjamesdobson.org/about/history |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218133156/http://www.drjamesdobson.org/about/history |archive-date=December 18, 2013 |access-date=December 16, 2013 |website=Dr. James Dobson |quote=Dr. Dobson felt God directing him to start a new ministry, which he did in March 2010, to continue the important work of strengthening families, speaking into the culture, and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. He called the new organization Family Talk.}}</ref> a non-profit organization that produces his radio program, ''Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk''. On this program, he speaks about his views, such as attributing [[mass shooting]]s to "the LGBTQ movement" destroying the family.<ref name="Dobson2019" /> He stepped away from leadership of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in 2022, naming Joe Waresak the new president. He continues to broadcast his radio show.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr. James Dobson Family Institute Names New President To Succeed Dobson |first=Dale |last=Chamberlain |date=November 11, 2022 |website=Church Leaders |url=https://churchleaders.com/news/438422-dr-james-dobson-family-institute-names-new-president-to-succeed-dobson.html }}</ref>

Dobson frequently appeared as a guest on the [[wikipedia:Fox News Channel|Fox News Channel]].

==Personal life==
Dobson married Shirley Deere on August 26, 1960. The couple had two children.

Dobson turned control of some of Focus on the Family's youth-oriented magazine titles over to his son Ryan Dobson in 2009.<ref>https://www.denverpost.com/2009/03/26/dobsons-rebel-son-gets-on-board/</ref> He gave his daughter a golden key necklace as a gift when she voiced her commitment to sexual purity at age ten. James Dobson encouraged other parents to give similar gifts.

Dobson died at his home in [[wikipedia:Colorado Springs|Colorado Springs]] on August 21, 2025, at the age of 89.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/08/21/james-dobson-dead-focus-on-the-family</ref>

==Relations with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy==
Dobson and [[Charles Colson]] participated in a 2000 conference at the [[Holy See|Vatican]] on the global economy's impact on families. During the conference, the two [[Protestant]]s met with [[Pope John Paul II]]. Dobson later told [[Catholic News Service]] that though he has theological differences with [[Roman Catholicism]], "when it comes to the family, there is far more agreement than disagreement, and with regard to moral issues from abortion to premarital sex, safe-sex ideology and homosexuality, I find more in common with Catholics than with some of my evangelical brothers and sisters."<ref>http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/decemberweb-only/22.0a.html</ref>

In November 2009, Dobson signed an ecumenical statement known as the ''[[Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience|Manhattan Declaration]]'' calling on evangelicals, Catholics and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] Christians not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences.<ref>http://demossnews.com/manhattandeclaration/press_kit/manhattan_declaration_signers</ref>

==Criticism==
U.S. Surgeon General [[C. Everett Koop]], a fellow evangelical Christian who wanted Dobson as an ally in his battle against the [[AIDS crisis]], was deeply disappointed when Dobson embraced pseudoscientific and homophobic claims about AIDS. "The Christian activity in reference to AIDS of both [[D. James Kennedy]] and Jim Dobson is reprehensible," Koop said in 1989. He viewed the AIDS crisis as "an opportunity for Christian service" that Dobson was squandering.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-10-me-1321-story.html</ref>

In her 2020 book ''[[Jesus and John Wayne]]'', [[Calvin University]] professor [[Kristin Kobes Du Mez]] criticizes the ideal of Christian masculinity created by Dobson, [[Mark Driscoll]] and others: "It was a vision that promised protection for women but left women without defense, one that worshiped power and turned a blind eye to justice, and one that transformed the Jesus of the Gospels into an image of their own making."

Gil Alexander-Moegerle, a former Focus on the Family executive and radio show co-host, wrote the highly critical book ''James Dobson's War on America'' in 1997. In it, he says that Dobson's loving, caring public persona is a sham; the real Dobson is racist, sexist, homophobic, materialistic, power-hungry, and shameless. He says that the [[Church of the Nazarene|Nazarene]] religious concept of [[entire sanctification]] is key to understanding Dobson's views: "James Dobson believes that he has been entirely sanctified, morally perfected, that he does not and cannot sin. Now you know why he and moralists like him make a life of condemning what he believes to be the sins of others. He is perfect."<ref>https://www.5280.com/and-on-the-eighth-day-dr-dobson-created-himself</ref>

Some fundamentalist Christians consider Dobson a heretic for presenting secular concepts from psychology and self-help literature as though they are justified by the Bible.

Theologian [[Donald Eric Capps]] contends that Dobson's corporal punishment techniques exploit children by turning their natural need to be loved against them. Dobson's advice to "break the will" of the child is a recipe for child abuse, according to Capps, and is antithetical to loving one's child. He also argues that corporal punishment may sexualize children. For evidence of this, he points to Dobson's vivid childhood recollection of being beaten with his mother's girdle. Capps believed that using physical pain to heighten a child's relationship to God is "perverted".<ref name=Johnson1998 />

==Publications==
Dobson authored or co-authored 36 books, including:

===Books as sole author===
Dobson, James C. (1970). Dare to Discipline. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-842-3063-0-7.
Dobson, James C. (1975). What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-84237-8960.
Dobson, James (1980). Preparing for Adolescence. Vision House. ISBN 0-88449-112-9.
Dobson, James (1982). Dr. Dobson Answers Your Questions About Raising Children. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-0620-X.
Dobson, James C. (1984). Emotions: Can You Trust Them?. Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-25751-X.
Dobson, James C. (1986). Dr. Dobson Answers Your Questions about Feelings and Self-Esteem. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-0621-8.
Dobson, James C. (1986). Temper Your Child's Tantrums. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-6994-5.
Dobson, James (1987). Parenting Isn't for Cowards: Dealing Confidently With the Frustrations of Child-Rearing. Word. ISBN 0-8499-0630-X.
Dobson, James C. (1992). The Strong-Willed Child. Living Books. ISBN 0-8423-2335-X.
Dobson, James (1995). Straight Talk: What Men Should Know, What Women Need to Understand —Rev.and exp.ed. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-8499-3858-9.
Dobson, James C. (1996). The New Dare to Discipline. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-0506-8.
Dobson, James C. (1997). Solid Answers. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-0623-4.
Dobson, James C. (2000). The Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-5267-8.
Dobson, James (2000). Straight Talk to Men. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-8499-4210-1.
Dobson, James (2000). Life on the Edge. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 0-8499-0927-9.
Dobson, James (2001). The New Hide or Seek: Building Confidence in Your Child. Revell. ISBN 0-8007-5680-0.
Dobson, James C. (2001). When God Doesn't Make Sense. Living Books. ISBN 0-8423-7062-5.
Dobson, James C. (2002). Bringing Up Boys: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Men. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-5266-X.
Dobson, James C. (2003). Parents' Answer Book. Living Books. ISBN 0-8423-8716-1.
Dobson, James C. (2004). Romantic Love: How to Be Head Over Heels and Still Land on Your Feet. Regal Books. ISBN 0-8307-3238-1.
Dobson, James (2004). Dr. James Dobson on Parenting. World Publishing. ISBN 0-88486-339-5.
Dobson, James (2004). Love for a Lifetime: Building a Marriage That Will Go the Distance. Multnomah Books. ISBN 1-59052-087-4.
Dobson, James C. (2007). Love Must Be Tough: New Hope for Families in Crisis. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1745-8.
Dobson, James C. (2007). The New Strong-Willed Child. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1363-4.
Dobson, James C. (2007). Stories of Heart and Home. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1747-2.
Dobson, James C. (2010). Bringing Up Girls: Practical Advice and Encouragement for Those Shaping the Next Generation of Women. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-77036-544-5.

===Books with others===
Paul C. Reisser (October 1, 1999). Melissa R. Cox; Vinita Hampton Wright (eds.). The Focus on the Family Complete Book of Baby and Child Care. Tyndale House. ISBN 0-8423-3512-9. (Foreword)
Sutherland, Mark I.; William J. Federer; Roy Moore; James Dobson; Alan Keyes; Ed Meese; Phyllis Schlafly; Matthew D. Staver; Alan Sears (July 4, 2005). Judicial Tyranny The New Kings of America. Amerisearch. ISBN 0-9753455-6-7.
Dobson, James C.; Shirley Dobson (April 16, 2007). Marriage Under Fire: Why We Must Win This Battle. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1756-4.
Dobson, James C.; Shirley Dobson (April 16, 2007). Night Light A Devotional for Couples. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1749-6.
Dobson, James C.; Shirley Dobson (April 20, 2007). Night Light for Parents A Devotional. Tyndale House. ISBN 978-1-4143-1751-9.
Dobson, James C; Kurt Bruner (January 15, 2013). Fatherless. FaithWords. ISBN 978-1-4555-1311-6.
Dobson, James C; Kurt Bruner (October 1, 2013). Childless. FaithWords. ISBN 978-1-4555-1315-4.
Dobson, James C; Kurt Bruner (May 6, 2014). Godless. FaithWords. ISBN 978-1-4555-1316-1.

===Notable articles and reports===
* Dobson served on the committee that wrote the [[wikipedia:Attorney General's Commission on Pornography|Meese Report]] on [[pornography]].<ref>http://www.porn-report.com/101-meese-commissioner-biographies.htm</ref>
* ''Two Mommies Is One Too Many'' <ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568485,00.html</ref>

==Further reading==
* Apostolidis, Paul. ''Stations of the Cross: Adorno and Christian Right Radio'' (2000). [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004JZX0GI/ excerpt and text search], analysis of Dobson's radio programs
* Alexander-Moegerle, Gil (1997). James Dobson's War on America. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-122-X.
* Gilgoff, Dan (April 29, 2008). The Jesus Machine How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-37844-8.
* Løvdal, Hilde, Family Matters: James Dobson and the Focus on the Family's Message to American Evangelicals, 1970–2010 (PhD dissertation, University of Oslo, Norway, 2012).

==References==

[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American psychologists]]
[[Category:20th-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:21st-century American male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century American psychologists]]
[[Category:21st-century evangelicals]]
[[Category:Activists from California]]
[[Category:Alliance Defending Freedom people]]
[[Category:American anti-abortion activists]]
[[Category:American anti-same-sex-marriage activists]]
[[Category:American evangelicals]]
[[Category:American evangelists]]
[[Category:American founders]]
[[Category:American members of the Church of the Nazarene]]
[[Category:American radio personalities]]
[[Category:American radio producers]]
[[Category:California Republicans]]
[[Category:Christians from California]]
[[Category:Christians from Colorado]]
[[Category:Christians from Louisiana]]
[[Category:American Evangelical writers]]
[[Category:Focus on the Family people]]
[[Category:Intelligent design advocates]]
[[Category:Leaders of Christian parachurch organizations]]
[[Category:Louisiana Republicans]]
[[Category:Point Loma Nazarene Sea Lions men's tennis players]]
[[Category:Promise Keepers]]
[[Category:University of Southern California alumni]]
[[Category:University of Southern California faculty]]
[[Category:Writers from Shreveport, Louisiana]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:38, 21 August 2025
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	\| spouse = [[Shirley Deere]] (m. 1960)		\| spouse = [[Shirley Deere]] (m. 1960)
	\| children = 2		\| children = 2
	\| education = [[Point Loma Nazarene University]] ([[wikipedia:Bachelor of Arts\|BA]])<br>[[University of Southern California]] ([[wikipedia:Master of Arts\|MA]], [[wikipedia:Doctor of Philosophy\|PhD]])		\| education = [[wikipedia:Point Loma Nazarene University\|Point Loma Nazarene University]] ([[wikipedia:Bachelor of Arts\|BA]])<br>[[wikipedia:University of Southern California\|University of Southern California]] ([[wikipedia:Master of Arts\|MA]], [[wikipedia:Doctor of Philosophy\|PhD]])
	\| works = ''[[Marriage Under Fire]]''		\| works = ''[[Marriage Under Fire]]''
	\| theology = [[Evangelicalism\|Evangelical Christian]]		\| theology = [[Evangelicalism\|Evangelical Christian]]
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	}}		}}

	'''Dr. James (Jim) Clayton Dobson Jr.''' (April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025) was an American [[~~evangelicalism~~\|evangelical Christian]] author, psychologist and founder of [[Focus on the Family]] (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for [[Social conservatism\|conservative social positions]] in American public life. Although never an [[ordained minister]], he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by ''[[The New York Times]]'' while ''[[wikipedia:Slate (magazine)\|Slate]]'' portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]].		'''Dr. James (Jim) Clayton Dobson Jr.''' (April 21, 1936 – August 21, 2025) was an American [[Evangelicalism\|evangelical Christian]] author, psychologist and founder of [[Focus on the Family]] (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for [[wikipedia:Social conservatism\|conservative social positions]] in American public life. Although never an ordained minister, he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by ''[[wikipedia:The New York Times\|The New York Times]]'' while ''[[wikipedia:Slate (magazine)\|Slate]]'' portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders [[Jerry Falwell]] and [[Pat Robertson]].

	As part of his former role in the organization he produced the daily radio program ''Focus on the Family'', which the organization has said was broadcast in more than a dozen languages and on over 7,000 stations worldwide, and reportedly heard daily by more than 220 million people in 164 countries. ''Focus on the Family'' was also carried by about 60 U.S. television stations daily. In 2010, he launched the radio broadcast ''Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson''.		As part of his former role in the organization he produced the daily radio program ''Focus on the Family'', which the organization has said was broadcast in more than a dozen languages and on over 7,000 stations worldwide, and reportedly heard daily by more than 220 million people in 164 countries. ''Focus on the Family'' was also carried by about 60 U.S. television stations daily. In 2010, he launched the radio broadcast ''Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson''.
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	==Early life and education==		==Early life and education==
	James Clayton Dobson Jr. was born to Myrtle Georgia (née Dillingham) and James C. Dobson Sr. on April 21, 1936, in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]].<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news\|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-02-ls-63874-story.html \|title=A Man of Millions : Broadcaster James Dobson Has Become a Leading Name in Evangelical Circles--and the Politicians Have Noticed \|last=Stammer \|first=Larry B. \|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] \|date=November 2, 1995 \|access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html \|title=James C Dobson \|website=San Benito History \|access-date=June 22, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320040954/http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html \|archive-date=March 20, 2013}}</ref><ref name = McFadden>{{cite news \|title=James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89 \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/james-dobson-dead.html \|access-date=August 21, 2025 \|work=[[The New York Times]] \|date=August 21, 2025\|last = McFadden\|first = Robert D.\|authorlink = Robert D. McFadden}}</ref> From his earliest childhood, religion played a central part in his life. He once told a reporter that he learned to pray before he learned to talk, and says he gave his life to [[Jesus]] at the age of three, in response to an altar call by his father.<ref name="sotc">{{cite book \|last=Apostolidis \|first=Paul \|title=Stations of the Cross Adorno and Christian Right Radio \|date=May 2000 \|publisher=Duke University Press \|isbn=9780822381006 \|page=22}}</ref> He was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of [[Church of the Nazarene]] ministers.<ref>{{cite news \|first=Michael \|last=Gerson \|title=A Righteous Indignation \|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]] \|date=May 4, 1998 \|type=Reprint \|url=http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm \|via=SkepticTank.org \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609085028/http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm \|archive-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref>		James Clayton Dobson Jr. was born to Myrtle Georgia (née Dillingham) and James C. Dobson Sr. on April 21, 1936, in [[wikipedia:Shreveport, Louisiana\|Shreveport, Louisiana]].<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news\|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-11-02-ls-63874-story.html \|title=A Man of Millions : Broadcaster James Dobson Has Become a Leading Name in Evangelical Circles--and the Politicians Have Noticed \|last=Stammer \|first=Larry B. \|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] \|date=November 2, 1995 \|access-date=June 24, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web \|url=http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html \|title=James C Dobson \|website=San Benito History \|access-date=June 22, 2023 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320040954/http://www.sanbenitohistory.com/projects/Famous_San_Benitians_8th/Dobson.html \|archive-date=March 20, 2013}}</ref><ref name = McFadden>{{cite news \|title=James Dobson, Influential Leader of the Religious Right, Dies at 89 \|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/us/politics/james-dobson-dead.html \|access-date=August 21, 2025 \|work=[[wikipedia:The New York Times\|The New York Times]] \|date=August 21, 2025\|last = McFadden\|first = Robert D.\|authorlink = Robert D. McFadden}}</ref> From his earliest childhood, religion played a central part in his life. He once told a reporter that he learned to pray before he learned to talk, and says he gave his life to Jesus at the age of three, in response to an altar call by his father.<ref name="sotc">{{cite book \|last=Apostolidis \|first=Paul \|title=Stations of the Cross Adorno and Christian Right Radio \|date=May 2000 \|publisher=Duke University Press \|isbn=9780822381006 \|page=22}}</ref> He was the son, grandson, and great-grandson of [[Church of the Nazarene]] ministers.<ref>{{cite news \|first=Michael \|last=Gerson \|title=A Righteous Indignation \|work=[[wikipedia:U.S. News & World Report\|U.S. News & World Report]] \|date=May 4, 1998 \|type=Reprint \|url=http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm \|via=SkepticTank.org \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609085028/http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/dobson.htm \|archive-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref>

	His parents were traveling evangelists; as a child, Dobson often stayed with family members while his parents were out traveling.~~{{sfn\|Du Mez\|2020\|p=78}}~~ Like most Nazarenes, they forbade dancing and going to movies. Young Jimmie Lee, as he was called, concentrated on his studies.<ref name="ebff">{{cite news \|last=Stepp \|first=Laura \|date=August 8, 1990 \|title=The Empire Built on Family and Faith: Psychologist James C. Dobson, Bringing His Evangelical Focus to Politics \|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/140162655 \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103065825/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/doc/140162655.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+8%2C+1990&author=Laura+Sessions+Stepp+Washington+Post+Staff+Writer&pub=The+Washington+Post+%281974-Current+file%29&edition=&startpage=&desc=The+Empire+Built+on+Family+%26+Faith \|archive-date=January 3, 2017 \|access-date=July 6, 2017 \|newspaper=Washington Post \|pages=C1–3 \|id={{ProQuest\|140162655}}}}</ref> As a teenager, he was rebellious, though he eventually found a close relationship with his father.~~{{sfn\|Du Mez\|2020\|p=78}}~~		His parents were traveling evangelists; as a child, Dobson often stayed with family members while his parents were out traveling. Like most Nazarenes, they forbade dancing and going to movies. Young Jimmie Lee, as he was called, concentrated on his studies. As a teenager, he was rebellious, though he eventually found a close relationship with his father.

	Dobson's mother was intolerant of "sassiness" and would strike her child with whatever object came to hand, including a shoe or belt; she once gave Dobson a "massive blow" with a [[Girdle (undergarment)\|girdle]] outfitted with straps and buckles.<ref name="Bartkowski1995">{{cite journal \|title=Spare the Rod..., or Spare the Child? Divergent Perspectives on Conservative Protestant Child Discipline \|first=John P. \|last=Bartkowski \|journal=Review of Religious Research \|date=December 1995 \|volume=37 \|number=2 \|pages=97–116 \|doi=10.2307/3512395 \|jstor=3512395 \|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3512395\|url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{sfn\|Ridgely\|2016\|p=26}}		Dobson's mother was intolerant of "sassiness" and would strike her child with whatever object came to hand, including a shoe or belt; she once gave Dobson a "massive blow" with a [[wikipedia:Girdle (undergarment)\|girdle]] outfitted with straps and buckles.

	Dobson studied academic psychology and came to believe that he was being called to become a Christian counselor or perhaps a Christian psychologist.<ref name=sotc /> He attended Pasadena College ([[Point Loma Nazarene University]]) as an undergraduate, where he met his wife, Shirley, and served as captain of the school's tennis team. Dobson graduated in 1958, served in the National Guard for six months, and began working at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite book \|last=Buss \|first=Dale \|url=https://archive.org/details/familyman00dale/ \|title=Family Man: the Biography of Dr. James Dobson \|date=2005 \|publisher=Tyndale House \|isbn=9780842381918 \|location=Wheaton, Ill. \|pages=27 \|url-access=registration \|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref name="ISAE">{{cite web \|title=Jim Dobson \|url=http://isae.wheaton.edu/hall-of-biography/jim-dobson/ \|publisher=Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, Wheaton College \|access-date=December 6, 2010 \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315204130/http://isae.wheaton.edu/hall-of-biography/jim-dobson/ \|archive-date=March 15, 2011}}</ref>{{Sfn\|Du Mez\|2020\|p=79}} In 1967, Dobson received his doctorate in psychology from the [[University of Southern California]].~~<ref name="Hankins"/>~~		Dobson studied academic psychology and came to believe that he was being called to become a Christian counselor or perhaps a Christian psychologist.<ref name=sotc /> He attended Pasadena College ([[Point Loma Nazarene University]]) as an undergraduate, where he met his wife, Shirley, and served as captain of the school's tennis team. Dobson graduated in 1958, served in the National Guard for six months, and began working at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. In 1967, Dobson received his doctorate in psychology from the [[wikipedia:University of Southern California\|University of Southern California]].

	===Dr. James Dobson Family Institute===		===Dr. James Dobson Family Institute===
	In 2010, Dobson founded the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute,<ref>~~{{cite web \|title=Dr. Dobson's Ministry & History \|url=http://www.drjamesdobson.org/about/history \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=~~https://web.archive.org/web/20131218133156/http://www.drjamesdobson.org/about/history \|archive-date=December 18, 2013 \|access-date=December 16, 2013 \|website=Dr. James Dobson \|quote=Dr. Dobson felt God directing him to start a new ministry, which he did in March 2010, to continue the important work of strengthening families, speaking into the culture, and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. He called the new organization Family Talk.}}</ref> a non-profit organization that produces his radio program, ''Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk''. On this program, he speaks about his views, such as attributing [[mass ~~shooting]]s~~ to "the LGBTQ movement" destroying the family.~~<ref name="Dobson2019" />~~ He stepped away from leadership of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in 2022, naming Joe Waresak the new president. He continues to broadcast his radio show.<ref>~~{{cite web \|title=Dr. James Dobson Family Institute Names New President To Succeed Dobson \|first=Dale \|last=Chamberlain \|date=November 11, 2022 \|website=Church Leaders \|url=~~https://churchleaders.com/news/438422-dr-james-dobson-family-institute-names-new-president-to-succeed-dobson.html }}</ref>		In 2010, Dobson founded the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131218133156/http://www.drjamesdobson.org/about/history</ref> a non-profit organization that produces his radio program, ''Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk''. On this program, he speaks about his views, such as attributing mass shootings to "the LGBTQ movement" destroying the family. He stepped away from leadership of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute in 2022, naming Joe Waresak the new president. He continues to broadcast his radio show.<ref>https://churchleaders.com/news/438422-dr-james-dobson-family-institute-names-new-president-to-succeed-dobson.html</ref>

	Dobson frequently appeared as a guest on the [[wikipedia:Fox News Channel\|Fox News Channel]].		Dobson frequently appeared as a guest on the [[wikipedia:Fox News Channel\|Fox News Channel]].