(Reuters) -James Dobson, a formidable force in America’s social conservative movement and promoter of an anti-abortion and “pro-family” agenda, died on Thursday at age 89.

Dobson had an audience of millions through his Focus on the Family group, radio show and books. No cause was given for his death, according to a statement on the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute’s website.

At the height of his influence in the 1980s, Dobson was viewed as one of the most powerful figures in the so-called “religious right” or “Christian right.” Critics viewed him as an agent of intolerance but he had broad support in the U.S. heartland, where his folksy style and love for hunting went down well.

James Clayton Dobson, who was born on April 21, 1936, was no preacher and came from a perhaps surprisingly s

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