Religion in Neoliberal Age; Faith, Welfare and the Formation of the Modern American Right

The modern American Right is today rooted in the coalition of Neoliberalism proponents and religious conservatism. This has brought a conspicuous impact on the formation of American policy today. It has occurred at a time when each of the two sides has its own distinct and contradictory worldview. It is due to this point that the investigation into the whys and wherefores of the so-called coalition between neoliberalism as a secular school and religious conservatism as a fundamentalist becomes noticeable.The researcher believes that a key linking factor here is the concept of social welfare. Offering welfare services by non-governmental religious institutions has become a matter of interest among both secular neoliberalism and fundamentalist Christian movements in recent decades. We have reached a deeper view of the nature and challenges of this coalition in the American contemporary scene and also worldwide by surveying its historical background.The conclusion is that social welfare plans offered by American religious institutions have a high capacity for consolidating this type of coalition, since it provides some scientifically-based sharing interests and not theoretical ones. Meanwhile, the multidimensional nature of social welfare has rendered the execution of the policy practically difficult, to the extent that some types of activities that aim to boost faith-based social welfare services can weaken, and not strengthen, the above-mentioned coalition.