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For conservative political views within Christianity, see Christian Right . Conservative Christianity (also called '''Traditional Christianity''') is a descriptive term applied to a number of Protestant and Roman Catholic groups or movements. Generally those seen as belonging to conservative Christianity give priority to Traditional Values and traditional Beliefs and practices. It is sometimes called conservative theology—is an umbrella term covering various movements within Christianity and describing both corporate denominational and personal views of scripture. They may be Protestants , Roman Catholics , or independents. It is often contrasted with Liberal Christianity . As is true of most groups sharing a distinctive Ideology or Theology , Identity , values, Norms , and a common Culture , each group or Christian Denomination falls somewhere on a continuum usually labeled "conservative" at one extreme (sometimes described as the "right") and "liberal" at the other (sometimes described as the "left"), with "moderate" or "centrist" at roughly the midpoint. These are relative terms: what is considered "conservative" by one person or group may be rated "liberal" by others. Therefore, stereotypical descriptions at best are generalizations and are not accurate descriptions of "all" who consider themselves to be either Conservative Christians or Liberal Christians. It is often said that Conservative Christianity and Liberal Christianity are polar opposites, though many liberal Christians would not agree. There is general agreement that their Biblical Hermeneutical Methods are quite different. Significant points of divergence include the authority and importance of the Bible, literal or metaphorical interpretation of scripture, divinity of Jesus Christ and reality of his Resurrection from the dead, need for organized missionary work and personal sharing one's beliefs in salvation through Jesus Christ, and the view of women in both marriage and ministry. GENERAL BELIEFS OF CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY
ENGAGEMENT IN SOCIETY Though often stereotyped as uncaring for the needs of society, conservative Christians have frequently led in building Hospital s and medical clinics, Disaster Relief work, having food banks and kitchens, institutions of higher education, primary and secondary schools, adoption agencies, and technological missions that teach Agriculture , help drill Water Well drilling and install water supplies, and many other services, through churches and Parachurch agencies. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, British conservative Christian William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was a prominent Politician , Philanthropist , and Abolitionist who was the leader of the parliamentary campaign against the Slave Trade . In the United States, the 19th and early 20th century saw little formal engagement of the culture or government by conservative Christians. This changed in the 1970s as conservative Christians (both Protestant and Catholic) became politically engaged in opposition to legalized Abortion . The scope of these cultural protests later expanded to other cultural/sexual issues including sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, etc. During the 1990s American conservative Christians turned their attention to international social issues. In 1996 the National Association Of Evangelicals issued a "Statement of Conscience" decrying international religious persecution. Charles Colson , Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention , and other conservative Christians formed coalitions to press for federal legislation dealing with international religious freedom, resulting in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. Religion and politics scholar Allen Hertzke called the law “one of the most sweeping human rights statutes on the books and the only one of its kind in the world.” It created a new ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom at the State Department, required the State Department to release annual, country-specific reports on religious freedom, and set up the independent U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to monitor the situation internationally and make policy recommendations. {Link without Title} Conservative Christian pressure groups were also instrumental in lobbying for the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 , which imposed sanctions on countries that failed to crack down on human trafficking for forced prostitution and labor. Similarly, conservative Christian groups were visibly involved in pressing for the Sudan Peace Act (2002), which established a framework for negotiating the end of the twenty-year civil war between the Sudanese government and southern rebels. [http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/specialguests/2007/mar/20/the_jesus_machine_and_the_new_new_right] CONSERVATIVE PROTESTANTISM Scholars, theologians, and writers There are a variety of threads including the , Norman Geisler , FF Bruce , Gary Habermas , Kenneth Kitchen , Alan Millard , Bruce Metzger , R. C. Sproul , Edwin M. Yamauchi , Merrill Unger , John Warwick Montgomery , Cornelius Van Til , Greg Bahnsen , and Bryant G. Wood . Popular conservative Protestant writers and conservative Christian Apologists include: Earlier Conservative Protestant scholars/theologians include:
CONSERVATIVE ROMAN CATHOLICISM See Also: Traditionalist Catholic Conservatism in Roman Catholicism primarily refers to the upholding of traditional Catholic teachings concerning the sanctity of Marriage , restrictions on Birth Control , the importance of male-only Clergy , prohibitions on Divorce and Homosexuality , and other similar theological and moral matters. In other words, conservative Catholics tend to accept historic church teachings, in contrast to "liberal Catholics" who may pointedly question the church's teachings and practices. {Link without Title} In contrast to most conservative Protestants, Roman Catholics do not believe that the Bible is literally true in every word when privately interpreted, but say the sacred Scripture should be interpreted in its scriptural context (''Scripture as a whole'' approach). The encyclical '' Humani Generis '' (1950) of Pope Pius XII began the process of affirming that the doctrine of the Catholic Church is compatible with evolution. ''See also Evolution And The Roman Catholic Church .'' While about 52% of Roman Catholics in the United States showed support for conservative Christian politicians in the 2006 election, largely out of concern relating to the abortion issue (see ''Newsweek'' magazine), historically American Catholics have tended to support the left politically. The Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have condemned the death penalty as well as the US War in Iraq, in addition to abortion and Embryonic Stem Cell research. They also continue to call for Arms Control , Debt Relief for poor nations, affordable housing for all, the right of workers to organize, a national US health system affordable to all and increased protection and stewardship of the earth -— all issues typically identified with political liberalism in the U.S. http://www.usccb.org/index.shtml) Opus Dei See Also: Opus Dei One example of conservative . It "encourages Christians of all Social Class es to live consistently with their Faith in the middle of the ordinary circumstances of their lives." {Link without Title} Traditionalist Catholics See Also: Traditionalist Catholic Many conservative Catholics are comfortable with contemporary Church liturgy and organizational structure, but are conservative when it comes to ethical, moral, and theological issues. Other Catholics are disturbed by the liturgical and organizational changes that resulted from the Second Vatican Council . These "traditionalist Catholics" seek to uphold and restore the older, historic church practices. Many traditionalists operate within Church organizations submitted to the Vatican , while others operate outside the official Church structure. CRITICISMS OF CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY Critics of US conservative Christianity believe that these Christians de-emphasize what the critics see as the central message of the Gospel s, namely as Social Justice and Concern for the Poor . Liberal or Progressive Christians note that Jesus spent much of his ministry in the company of "sinners," such as prostitutes and tax collectors. While the Pharisee s and religious leaders of the day are said to have condemned Jesus for his emphasis on Forgiveness and his association with these so-called sinners, Jesus in turn condemned the Pharisees and their supporters for their emphasis on Judgment , their apparent self-righteousness, and what he perceived as a lack of compassion. Critics of US conservative Christianity also point out what they believe is an overly-focused concern about issues pertaining to sexuality. These critics say that more emphasis should be placed on concern for the poor and social justice, since they believe these latter issues are emphasized more in the Bible itself, especially in the New Testament and Gospels. Furthermore, Nationalistic or Patriotic undertones found among some conservative American Protestants can be seen as contrary to Jesus Christ's teachings of peace and toleration. In 2001, Christian and musician s such as Habitat For Humanity . REFERENCES AND NOTES SEE ALSO
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