American Evangelicals, the Changing Global Religious Environment, and Foreign Policy Activism

McAlister, Melani

doi:10.1080/15570274.2019.1608652

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Religious lobbies have been especially influential in shaping the aid agendas of US governments. Evangelical Christians in the United States have been active on a variety of foreign policy issues since the 1990s, with an increasing passion to support persecuted Christians (McAlister, 2019). These groups portray Christians as a globally victimized group, drawing parallels between their physical persecution in the Global South and their perceived marginalization in the USA by the spread of progressive values.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework: Donormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the size of the Evangelical communities, they have a significant influence on US policies towards the less developed world, especially regarding foreign aid (Austin et al, 2022). They have also placed pressure on US administrations to act in case of various atrocities against Christians (McAlister, 2019). While religious lobbies are less visible in Europe, the International Catholic Legislators Network (ICLN), founded in 2010, is increasingly influential.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework: Donor Motivations For Giving Aidmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Understanding Hungary’s Support for Persecuted Christians: Scrutinising Religious Motives for Giving Aid

Paragi,

Szent-Iványi

2024

Progress in Development Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Religion is increasingly acknowledged as a driving force behind development processes; however, it has received little attention as a motivation for donors to give aid. The article analyses the stated motivations and hidden agendas behind the Hungarian government’s ‘Hungary Helps’ aid programme, aimed at supporting Christian communities in the Global South and reducing migration to Europe. The programme fits with the government’s rhetoric on religion and migration, however, the article reveals inconsistencies that suggest further motivations. While there is little evidence that there was domestic demand for such a programme, it has been used instrumentally to increase Hungary’s influence among Christian interest groups and their political allies in the USA.

show abstract

Section: Conceptual Framework: Donormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Framework: Donor Motivations For Giving Aidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Hungary’s Support for Persecuted Christians: Scrutinising Religious Motives for Giving Aid

Paragi,

Szent-Iványi

2024

Progress in Development Studies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The Obama administration's foreign policy supported human rights for sexual minorities, including for LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, questioning/queer) individuals and communities (Cooper 2015;McAlister 2019;Marsden 2020). During the Obama administration, IRFA was strengthened by two additional pieces of legislation: the Near East and South Central Asia Religious Freedom Act (2014), which included a regional Special Advisor for Religious Minorities, and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Trump and the Politics of International Religious Freedom

Haynes

2020

Religions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The article examines the USA’s international religious freedom policy during the presidency of Donald Trump. It argues that the Trump administration consistently prioritised America’s international religious freedom (IRF) policy according to Judeo-Christian values. This contrasted with previous administrations, which did not pursue such a clear Christocentric approach. The Trump administration has pursued the policy with vigour, drawing on Judeo-Christian ideology and prioritising religious freedom above other human rights, such as equality for women and sexual minorities. The article begins with a brief summary of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), signed into law by President Clinton in 1998. It then examines the influence of Judeo-Christian ideology on Trump’s international religious freedom policy. To do this, the article surveys three recent initiatives: the Commission on Unalienable Rights, the annual Ministerial to Advance International Religious Freedom, and the International Religious Freedom Alliance. I argue that collectively the initiatives promote the paramountcy of Judeo-Christian ideology. The article concludes that the Trump administration’s international religious freedom is strongly informed by a Judeo-Christian ideology which seeks to place religious freedom first in a hierarchy of human rights, while relegating others, especially equality for females and sexual minorities, to a lesser position.

show abstract

Millennium Development Goals and Women’s Reproductive Health and Justice in African Countries in the Era of Global Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism and Fundamentalism

Ahlberg

Okumu

Hamed

2023

Struggles for Reproductive Justice in the Era of Anti-Genderism and Religious Fundamentalism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We examine the millennium development goals (MDGs) not only because they constitute an attempt by the Global North to steer development in the Global South but, crucially, for their vague articulation of women’s reproductive health and rights. Using a postcolonial lens, we highlight some of their shortcomings and paradoxes concerning women’s reproductive justice and problematise the absence of discourse focusing on reducing inequalities. At the core of these shortcomings is the limited reflection on or engagement with neoliberalism, neoconservativism and the growing religious fundamentalism, particularly its views on sexual and reproductive rights. While neoliberalism claims to offer women agency to make free choices, its emphasis on individuals as free entrepreneurs holding sole responsibility for their financial situation is a deterrent for most women, because neoliberalism simultaneously undermines the institutions that enable self-sufficiency. In addition, neoconservatism and religious fundamentalism focus on preserving traditional family structures, regarding marriage as a heterosexual institution and the rights of the unborn as central. This is particularly critical for women in the Global South, especially African countries, where the application of the gag rule by Global North funding agencies restricts access to sexual and reproductive rights, including abortion, in the name of protecting the unborn.

show abstract

American Evangelicals, the Changing Global Religious Environment, and Foreign Policy Activism

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Understanding Hungary’s Support for Persecuted Christians: Scrutinising Religious Motives for Giving Aid

Understanding Hungary’s Support for Persecuted Christians: Scrutinising Religious Motives for Giving Aid

Trump and the Politics of International Religious Freedom

Millennium Development Goals and Women’s Reproductive Health and Justice in African Countries in the Era of Global Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism and Fundamentalism

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About