Tea Party politics and Christianity: Strange bedfellows?

The Tea Party movement is an influential force in electoral politics this year as it channels widespread populist anger over the weak economy and a host of other issues, such as taxes, immigration and the role of government. But how friendly is the Tea Party to Christian ideals, especially those embraced by Christian conservatives?

Tea Party sign While the Tea Party is widely characterized as a conservative movement, it is fueled by a reservoir of libertarianism that often puts economic conservatism over social conservatism. Many self-described Tea Party activists and leaders say they do not want to expend energy and resources fighting against gay marriage and abortion rights, for example, while others say that the movement is a natural ally for the religious right.

The differences have sparked an intense debate about the identity of the Tea Party movement, the role and influence of Christian conservatives in politics today, and what the conservatism of the future will look like.

This edition of ReligionLink provides background on the debate, which seems likely to persist throughout the fall campaign and perhaps after the November midterm elections.

RESOURCES

“Is the Tea Party unbiblical?” is a July 22, 2010, Religion New Service story posted at the Pew Forum site.
“Religion and the Tea Party Movement” is a June 7, 2010, blog post at Beliefnet.com by Mark Silk, Professor of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College.
“How Christian Is Tea Party Libertarianism?” is a May 27, 2010, column at the Huffington Post by Jim Wallis of Sojourners, a leader of the religious left.
See a June 17, 2010, CNSNews.com story on a speech in which Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., counters arguments that the Tea Party movement is about “traditional morality” as well as fiscal conservatism.
Read a March 12, 2010, story at Politico.com, “Tea parties stir evangelicals’ fears,” in which Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said he consider Tea Party supporters “additional allies and fellow travelers.”
Read an April 5, 2010, column by R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a leading voice for Christian conservatism, rejecting suggestions of a “tax revolt” like that advocated by some conservatives and Tea Party supporters.
“Channeling the Populist Rage” is an April 6, 2010, column at Christianity Today by Charles Colson. He accuses the Tea Party movement of having no governing philosophy.
A March 11, 2010, Los Angeles Times story says Christian conservatives are trying to align themselves with Tea Party libertarians on the issues of small government and religious freedom.

SURVEYS

See results from an April 2010 CBS News/New York Times survey on Tea Party supporters and their political, religious and demographic composition. A New York Times story on the survey says it shows that contrary to some perceptions, Tea Party backers are wealthier and more educated than the average American.

A March 2010 USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that Tea Party members skew to the right politically but are fairly representative of the American public demographically.