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The Future of Christian Conservatism
 
Dr. Moreno-RianoThe hallmark of political science, we are often told, is its ability to predict the political future. As any astute observer of politics knows, this is a difficult endeavor. There simply is no crystal ball for politics. Given the defeat of the Christian conservative movement at the polls this past November, it is a ripe time to think about the future of this movement in American politics. To do this, we must have a sense of what Christian conservatism is in the here and now.
 
To many, the Christian conservative movement is readily identifiable. Yet, its current state is one in which it lacks any clear and defining characteristic. The term 'Christian' no longer exhibits a unified and distinct theological vision. Rather, it is an amalgam of different theological traditions and impulses all with competing values and visions of the world. Such pluralism fragments Christendom and impairs its ability to advance a unified vision of the relationship between the city of man and the City of God.
 
American conservatism is in no better condition. There is a deep ambivalence among conservatives as to what it is that they should be preserving. What political principles should provide the foundation for American political life? Conservatives are not united in their answers to this question. And as the fall presidential election demonstrated, there are vigorous debates among American conservatives concerning the role of government, religion, partisanship, science, natural rights, and history as the foundational ideas of the American republic.
 
Uniting the terms 'Christian' and 'Conservative' thus results in a social movement that contains a generic understanding of Christianity and conservatism, but that lacks a clear articulation of what this means in the 21st century. This lack of identity is exacerbated with the movement's absence of leadership and purpose. The era of great Christian conservative statesmanship is coming to an end. What we have today is a vast market of purveyors of trendy ideas and principles clothed in Christian jargon but empty of substance.
 
The future of American Christian conservatism, regardless of the 2008 presidential election outcomes, is a bleak one. Unless the movement recaptures a statesmanship that is principled and relevant, it flirts with being relegated to the corners of American political life.

Gerson Moreno-Riano, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Government

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