I doubt she thought it would end up this way, but I think the best online primer on the religious right in Canada is still Marci McDonald’s 2006 article in The Walrus, “Stephen Harper and the Theo-Cons: The Rising Clout of Canada’s Religious Right.”
McDonald explores the connections between the Christian right, a growing array of think tanks and advocacy organizations in Ottawa, and – somewhat disturbingly – the Reform elements now present in the Conservative Party of Canada.
Her analysis delves specifically into the religious background of Stephen Harper, who, despite years as our Prime Minister, remains something of an enigma on the personal level. Harper is a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church, having seemingly moved into evangelicalism through the influence of Preston Manning and other colleagues in the Reform Party. In 2003, he suggested at Civitas that the road to power lay through the cultivation of his friends in the religious right, whom he labelled the “theo-cons” – religiously motivated social conservatives.
McDonald hits many of the major highlights, including Charles McVety, the Manning Centre, Focus on the Family’s Institute for Marriage and Family Canada, the Canada Family Action Coalition, and the National House of Prayer. She also touches briefly on the role of Christian zionism and alliances between the Christian and Jewish right – such as McVety’s decision to have Orthodox Jew and B’nai Brith veteran Joseph Ben-Ami head up the Institute for Canadian Values.
At this point the greatest fault in McDonald’s account is really no fault of hers: the work is becoming seriously dated. A lot has happened in the last three years. However, her article still remains, in my mind, the best starting point for beginning an exploration of the Canadian religious right.
Hey Dave,
I was going to take you guys at this website seriously until I read your assessment of Marci McDonald’s article in the Walrus. It was laughable. Did you see the MacLeans mag assessment of it? Can I encourage you guys to actually have a conversation with these “scary evangelicals” so that you get your feet back on the ground? Why not start at The Laurentian Centre here in Ottawa and talk to their director, Dr. Janet Epp-Buckingham?
Hi Richard:
“Can I encourage you guys to actually have a conversation with these “scary evangelicals” so that you get your feet back on the ground?”
‘Scary evangelicals’ work on this site, and I like your idea, I’d be happy to have someone interview Janet Epp-Buckingham.
Your comment is addressed to David, he’ll respond, I hope you take time to enage him.
Richard,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. First, I should point out that in choosing introductory materials in the early days of this site, we also wrote about some material from the other side of the aisle – Michael Wagner’s Standing on Guard for Thee.
Second, I’d welcome debate on the value of McDonald’s piece. For starters, I would say that the events of the past three years suggest that she probably under-estimated the extent that Harper’s so-called “theo cons” would decide to minimize their religious connections in order to gain more power. That said, her conversations with Manning, Quist, the House of Prayer, etc. do seem more balanced and less “laughable” than you’re giving her credit for.
If there is a copy of the Maclean’s review you mention available online, I’d also be happy to link to it in a new post, and discuss that assessment as well. This blog aims to be comprehensive, not propagandistic.
I’d be happy to have conversations with other evangelicals. In fact, I’d also be happy to walk over to the house of prayer some day, too.
Many years ago I read an article in I think The Utne Reader where it was the cover story. It outlined the then, beginning trend of the U.S. Christian Right’s winning seats on school boards and civic gov’t elected positions.
I was scared then and I am scared now. I believe the article was at least 20 years ago if not more.
I wonder if anyone else remembers it. The cover was a coloured drawing in the style of a comic book. A couple was discussing the issue.