Biblical Capitalism

Until recently, 2011 had been a quiet year for the Christian right. Adopting the successful Tea Party blueprint, the first wave of 2012 presidential hopefuls—including the candidates whose Christian cred was central to their political rise—distanced themselves from divisive social issues in favor of popular anti-government themes.

But just as religious rhetoric appeared to be receding from the political landscape, in August three-term Texas Gov. Rick Perry threw his hat in the presidential ring with a blend of politics and religion he dubbed “The Response.” Perry is the first candidate to arrange a marriage of convenience between the libertarian Tea Party and the Christian right—a pairing that propelled him to the head of the Republican pack, although his front-runner status has since been claimed by both Mitt Romney and Herman Cain.

But Perry’s Christian right bona fides are open to question. While he recently jumped on board with the latest Republican “pledges” to curtail abortion and gay marriage, he only did so after pressure to back down from his absolute defense of state sovereignty.

Read more here