RT Article
T1 Encouraging accountability: Evangelicals and American health care reform
JF Critical research on religion
VO 6
IS 2
SP 184
OP 204
A1 Franz, Berkeley
LA English
YR 2018
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1662770634
AB Although scholars have thoroughly assessed American Evangelical Protestants' beliefs about government intervention in addressing socioeconomic stratification and racial discrimination, they have paid considerably less attention to interpretations of health care reform. Especially important is that American Evangelicalism in recent years has incorporated personal accountability in such a way that makes this group distinctive when considering social responsibility toward others. Whereas earlier Evangelicals were instrumental in furthering the social gospel, American Evangelicals today prioritize matters of personal accountability ahead of social action. The cultural toolkit available to Evangelicals includes a rationale for caring for others, but an emphasis on personal accountability shapes how they evaluate government health care interventions. This paper employs qualitative methods to understand how Evangelicals link such individualism with strategies for caring for others in the context of health care. The findings suggest that Evangelicals emphasize personal accountability, especially when evaluating government programs. However, personal accountability is accompanied by a conflicting ethical responsibility to provide care to others. The priority given to personal accountability or an ethic of care, however, varies according to the situational context or social location of white Evangelicals. These findings may be helpful in framing future health policies to draw Evangelical support.
K1 Evangelicalism
K1 Civic Engagement
K1 Community Health
K1 Social Change
K1 Theology
DO 10.1177/2050303218757319