Jesusland North?
The Christian Right in
Canadian Politics
Jonathan Malloy
Fulbright Visiting Professor, Center for Canadian Studies
Duke University
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science,
Carleton University, Ottawa
Jesusland:
Where does Canada Fit?
Canada: Jesusland North?
 2006 election of evangelically-influenced
Conservative government
 Attempts to reverse legalization of same-sex marriage
 Increased mobilization and activity by Christian Right
Religion in Canada: Traditional
• Prior to 1960s, similar or higher levels of religiosity in
Canada compared to U.S.
– Higher church attendance
– Political and social rhetoric rooted in Christianity
– Multiple church-state connections
• “More observant…and more orthodox” (Mark Noll)
• Particularly strong Catholic presence in French-speaking
Quebec
Religion in Canada: Since 1960s
• Dramatic decrease in religiosity in Canada
– Church attendance now well below U.S.
– Absence of religious rhetoric and behavior in Canadian public life
• Most dramatic changes in Quebec
• Strong secularization trend across Canada
Evangelicals
 Growing evangelical population in Canada since 1970s,
as in USA
 Approximately half the proportion found in the USA (1015% vs. 20-30% of population) – about 3-5 million
people
 Strong cross-border subculture and connections
Christian Right
• Unlike the USA, no major Christian Right emerged in
Canada in the 1980s and 1990s
• Small groups and campaigns, especially anti-abortion
demonstrations
• Very little involvement in electoral politics
Why no 1980s Christian Right?
• Smaller resources and economies of scale
• Fewer political opportunities and openings in
parliamentary system of government
• Different political orientations and objectives
Resources
• Self-evidently less human and financial
resources
• Linguistic and regional divides
Parliamentary System
• Party discipline reduces freedom of MPs to
pursue evangelical-friendly agendas
• Permanent senior bureaucracy reduces ability to
appoint evangelicals to key posts
• Judges: no legislative hearings means less
politicization of judicial appointments
Orientations/Objectives
• Canadian theological traditions and
outlooks differ from American
– Less fundamentalist-modernist splits
– Less anti-state orientation
– Absence of civil religious myths
• Different Canadian political culture; less
polarized and more multi-party and
regionalized
• Resistance to “Americanization” of politics
among both evangelicals and nonevangelicals
1980s/1990s Activism
• Evangelical groups active against abortion and
gay rights, although not very visible or effective
• But little growth of a larger Christian Right
• New party - Reform – had strong evangelical
presence but religious dimension downplayed
both publicly and privately
Two approaches to evangelicals in
Canadian politics
Manning
(Reform leader, 1987-2000)
Day
(Alliance leader, 2000-2002)
2000s
A real Canadian Christian Right?
2000s - New Growth?
1. Increased Evangelical Presence in
Conservative Party
2. Attempts to roll back same-sex marriage
3. Increasing American-style activism
Conservative Party
Conservative Party
Split and reunification of the Conservative
Party has increased evangelical presence
1990s
1980s
Reform Party
2004
Canadian
Alliance
Party
Conservative Party
Progressive
Conservative
Party
Progressive
Conservatives
1990s
1980s
Evangelicals
Reform Party
2004
Canadian
Alliance
Party
Conservative Party
Progressive
Conservative
Party
Progressive
Conservatives
Continuing line of
evangelical party
leaders
Evangelicals and the
Conservatives in 2007
• Prominent evangelical cabinet ministers and
MPs
• More open evangelical identification with
Conservatives and activism within party
• Decreasing involvement in other parties
But…
• Overall, evangelicals remain small within
the party
• Influence and autonomy limited by
institutional rules
• Harper “hidden agenda” is more economic
than social
Same-Sex Marriage
Same-Sex Marriage
Early 2000s –exclusion of same-sex couples ruled
unconstitutional by various courts
2004 – Supreme Court of Canada agrees; up to
Parliament to decide how to proceed
2005 – Same-sex marriage bill passes in Parliament
Parties
Conservative Party – Left to individual
members; most opposed to same-sex
marriage
Liberal Party – PM and cabinet support
legislation; significant minority opposed
NDP and Bloc Quebecois – strong support
Party Support for Same-Sex
Marriage
Opposed
In Favor
Conservatives
Liberals
NDP
Bloc Quebecois
Elections
2004 - Election
After court rulings but before legislation
- important but not crucial election issue
2005 – Legislation
2006 - Election
Conservatives pledge new vote on issue
Evangelical Lobbying on Same-Sex
Marriage
Evangelical groups strongly opposed
Unlike most issues, same-sex marriage
provided clear political opportunity –
electing and lobbying individual MPs
Free Vote
• Rare opportunity for MPs to vote freely without
party discipline
• Nominating, electing and lobbying MPs thus
unusually important
• Allows evangelicals to use more American-style
direct tactics
Vote #2
Throughout 2006, Conservatives repeatedly
promise vote
Finally held on week’s notice in December 2006
Defeated; same-sex marriage stands
Interpretations
Minor Setback
Manipulation
Conservatives will
wait for parliamentary
majority and hold new
vote
Conservatives held
quick vote to fulfil
election promise; no
intention of success
Hidden agenda
Issue closed
New Groups/New Activism
Groups (examples)
Older
New
Evangelical Fellowship
of Canada
Focus on the Family
Canada
4MYCanada
Equipping Christians for
the Public Square
Concerned Christians
Inc.
National House of
Prayer
The New Activism
Older
New
Services and programs
Exclusively political
focus
Charitable tax
exemption
No tax exemption
Broad and restrained
approach to politics
Extensive involvement
in right-wing politics
The New Activists
• Charismatic leader/spokespersons
• Media and communications savvy
• Mobilizing through churches and personal
networks
• Identifiably “Christian Right”
But
• Shallow, lacking broad leadership and
membership base
• Mobilized primarily by same-sex marriage
votes
• Long-term prospects unclear
Evangelicals vs Christian Right
• Distinction unclear in both Canadian and
U.S. politics
• In Canada, evangelical conservatism on
abortion/sexual orientation does not
extend to generally conservative politics
Long-term
• Institutional factors provide strong
explanation for Canadian trends
• Strong barriers to evangelical political
mobilization
But
• Doctrinal and sociological differences
between Canadian and American
evangelicals
– Less anti-state orientation
– Limited civil religious myths
• Different Canadian political culture
Jesusland North?
• Unlikely
• Institutional rules and political culture play
important roles
• Evangelicals alive and well in Canada, but
politically different