This interpretive essay examines major organizational and tactical changes in the Christian Right, from its origin in the late 1970s to the present. It argues that the Christian Right has passed through several distinctive phases, gradually becoming much more of a traditional political actor following conventional strategies in American politics. This essay also examines popular and scholarly understanding of the movement's rise and evolution, with special attention to paradigms impeding understanding of the Christian Right. It closes twth suggestions for further research.