To see him around children was to catch a glimpse of his gift. Over dinner in our home, my wife and I noticed that Dr. James Dobson had chosen to sit by our children, and was deeply engaged with our daughter, asking her: “What can I know about Katie to understand you better?”

James Dobson was one of the most influential voices in American evangelicalism for at least a half-century.
<...>
Everything changed in 1967, with the publication of his most famous work, Dare to Discipline. In the book, Dobson took on the liberal parenting advice doled out by influential figures such as Dr. Benjamin Spock.

Honestly, it’s hard today to realize that Dare to Discipline was downright revolutionary at the time. Progressive elites insisted that children are basically good, needing only nurture and encouragement. Parents were instructed to let their children discover their inner child and blossom into their inherent potential. Rules, boundaries, obedience, and discipline were rejected as repressive. The results were predictable.
<...>
All this came as liberalizing trends were redefining American society. Marriage was undermined, parents were told to go to their rooms, and the sexual revolution was accelerating. By the early 1970s, groups like the American Psychological Association were normalizing homosexuality and legitimizing sexual perversions as alternative lifestyles. Dobson’s radio program and books distributed his teaching nationwide, and his influence grew—fast.
<...>
The death of Dr. James Dobson underlines the passing of a remarkable evangelical generation. He lived life on a big stage, and historians will have to reckon with him long into the future. But, to be honest, I will remember him most as the famous man who chose to sit next to a child and make that young person know she was important to him.