A Biblical-Theological Critique of Neo-Liberal and Neo-Conservative Evangelicalism in the Season of Climate Change

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism upon American evangelicalism. It does so in the season of climate change. Given the commitment of neo-liberalism to the sovereignty of individual, the notion of government intervention in implementing climate mitigation policies is perceived as an unacceptable violation of freedom. It sits along the ideological challenge of neo-conservatism. Its emphasis on an ‘enduring-moral order’ has inadvertently culminated in ethnocentric anti-globalism, which theoretically conflicts with neo-liberalism’s ideals. These two worldviews are both to be found in expressions of American evangelicalism, however. What might be a biblical-theological response? The argument draws upon the corporate nature of salvific claims, the early church governance in Luke-Acts and finally the social-gospel movement to challenge the association of evangelicalism with the Republican Party. The significance of this critique is due to the way in which this association lies at the heart of climate scepticism.