Politics in Minutes (2016)

The Christian right

Conservative Christianity, including traditionalists within the Catholic church and some Nonconformist Protestant groups, exists throughout the Christian world, but largely limits itself to theological rather than political disputes. In the USA, however, a fundamentalist movement among American Protestants gained considerable support - as well as rejecting liberal theology, it took a stance against what it saw as a decline in moral and cultural standards in society caused by liberal politics. The popularity of these largely evangelical groups gained momentum and, helped by the media exposure of ‘televangelists’ from the 1970s, built up considerable financial resources and political influence. Movements such as the American Christian Cause, Christian Voice and the Moral Majority formed what was dubbed the new Christian Right, which increasingly involved itself in political activism. As well as campaigning for changes to laws that are antithetical to its beliefs, it has actively supported conservative Republican candidates in elections, in return for influence over policy.